Nixta Taqueria in Austin is Edgar Rico's heirloom-corn taqueria on East 12th, a James Beard Emerging Chef 2022 winner and Michelin Green Star kitchen.
Signature dishes: Duck-carnitas taco, Beet tartare tostada, Heirloom blue-corn tortilla
Must order: The duck-carnitas taco on the pink-corn tortilla; the masa is ground each morning for service.
Tip: Tortillas are nixtamalized in-house from heritage corn; order direct from the counter, no booking.
Address: 2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin is the Tatsu-ya team's Japanese-izakaya-meets-Texas-BBQ mash-up on East 2nd, a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen with sake list.
Signature: Brisket ramen, Smoked-tongue maki, Tonkotsu broth
Order: The brisket ramen; the tonkotsu broth runs into the BBQ kitchen and back out.
Tip: The sake list is unusually deep for a BBQ-leaning room; ask the bar to route a flight from Junmai to Daiginjo.
Justine's Brasserie in Austin is a late-night French brasserie in a 1937 East 5th cottage, owned by Justine Gilcrease since 2009 and open until midnight.
Signature: Steak frites, Escargot, Soupe a l'oignon
Order: The steak frites with bearnaise; the kitchen runs until 12am Friday and Saturday.
Tip: The Pagoda room and patio handle the smoking crowd; the Tuesday closure is firm, so plan around it.
Kemuri Tatsu-ya in Austin is the Tatsu-ya team's Japanese-izakaya-meets-Texas-BBQ mash-up on East 2nd, a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen with sake list.
Signature: Brisket ramen, Smoked-tongue maki, Tonkotsu broth
Order: The brisket ramen; the tonkotsu broth runs into the BBQ kitchen and back out.
Tip: The sake list is unusually deep for a BBQ-leaning room; ask the bar to route a flight from Junmai to Daiginjo.
Ramen Tatsu-ya in Austin is Tatsu Aikawa's Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen room on South Lamar, the Austin ramen flagship since 2012 with five locations across town.
Signature: Tonkotsu original, Mi-So-Hot, Spicy ramen
Order: The Tonkotsu Original with the extra-fatty broth setting; that is the chef's-friend order.
Tip: Order at the counter; walk-ins only, queue moves fast at 17:30 and 21:00 windows.
Lin Asian Bar in Austin is Ling Qi Wu's dim sum and Chinese kitchen on West 6th, a bright room with an open kitchen and Sunday dim-sum brunch carts.
Signature: Xiaolongbao, Wagyu dumplings, Pan-fried buns
Order: The xiaolongbao and the pan-fried beef buns; the dough is rolled in front of you.
Tip: The dim sum cart only runs Sunday brunch; lunch service Monday to Saturday is a la carte off the same kitchen.
Sammie's Italian in Austin is McGuire Moorman's downtown red-sauce room on West 6th, an old-school Italian-American card with veal and a martini bar.
Signature: Chicken parmesan, Veal saltimbocca, Tiramisu
Order: The veal saltimbocca and a Sammie's martini to start; pasta course is family-style.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in service; the dining room books a week out and goes faster on Friday nights.
Justine's Brasserie in Austin is a late-night French brasserie in a 1937 East 5th cottage, owned by Justine Gilcrease since 2009 and open until midnight.
Signature: Steak frites, Escargot, Soupe a l'oignon
Order: The steak frites with bearnaise; the kitchen runs until 12am Friday and Saturday.
Tip: The Pagoda room and patio handle the smoking crowd; the Tuesday closure is firm, so plan around it.
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room, opened in 1952 and home of the canonical Bob Armstrong queso dip.
Signature: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Order: The Bob Armstrong dip and a frozen margarita; the dip was invented here for a state legislator in 1973.
Tip: The patio under the oaks is huge; arrive 6pm or after 9pm to dodge the 7-to-9 wait.
