Fancy New Foxtrot Opens, Jo’s Celebrates the Austin Marathon, Olamaie Offers a Southern Exposure, Austin Craft Beers Win a Mess o’ Medals, and More

Here’s some of what's happening in Austin's culinary scene – as wrangled from numerous PR releases, words on the digital street, and even the occasional (verified) IRL eavesdroppings.

Yeah, no, Foxtrot isn't your grandfather's convenience store – unless your gramps is hella sexy

Yes, citizen, it’s your “Food News Buffet” for the third week of February in the Lone Star State’s burgeoning urban hub where that Cronk got bonked.

Oh, you’re looking for what? For Mardi Gras-related dining opportunities? Like maybe you wanna hang out patiowise and mack down on some mudbugs? Or you want a bit of wine & finery with your fabulous feasting? Or maybe your fattest Tuesday dream includes waking your ass up with coffee and some of the best pancakes in town on National Pancake Day? Those links will provide.

Foxtrot, the state-of-the-art convenience store brand that’s a sharp mash-up of local retail (e.g., Bola Pizza, Lick Honest Ice Creams, Teddy V. Pâtisserie, Toasty plant-based dips, Bottle Rocket Hot Sauce, Chop Chop ramen, and more) and e-commerce tech combined with Instagrammish style, will open to the public at 4800 Burnet Rd. on Friday, Feb. 17. (The 2,500-square-foot space was designed with architect Scott Magic of Magic Architecture, and general contractor Franklin Alan. The signage and mural-painting were done by those wonder-wizards at Ion Art – who are currently hard at work, btw, on creating new neon marvels for this year’s Surreal Garden at Austin Botanical Garden in April.) Foxtrot is an all-day cafe experience, boasting coffee, seasonal cafe drinks, fresh smoothies, breakfast tacos, chef-prepared salads and bowls, and grab-and-go meals for lunch and dinner. (Bonus: There’s an array of local craft beers and wines, too.) And it’s all available via in-store shopping (Mon.-Thu., 6am-10pm; Fri., 6am-11pm; Sat., 7am-11pm; Sun., 7am-10pm), pickup, and on-demand delivery through the brand’s app. Coming next: Foxtrot’s even bigger South First & Annie location will open this winter, with two more locations – at City Hall (301 W. Second) and on the Drag (2270 Guadalupe) – scheduled to debut later this year…

And, on Sunday, with the weather continuing to not suck? Our city’s annual marathon – the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, to be precise – takes over the urban streets with devotees of shanks’ mare pushing their personal envelopes, and we’re suggesting it’s a good idea to grab a breakfast taco and an Iced Turbo and show your support by watching ’em roll by at Jo's Coffee, at any of the three locations: 1300 S. Congress (7-9am); 1000 E. 41st (8:30-11am); and 242 W. Second (finish line). Signs and signmaking supplies will be available there, citizen, along with caffeination for those who need a little extra something to get running…

You know that Little Ola’s is where all those perfectly golden biscuits come from. And you know that Little Ola’s started out as a pandemically spurred pivot from the team at acclaimed restaurant Olamaie, right? Now hear this: Olamaie’s new Southern Exposure dinner series officially launches on Tue., Feb. 28, featuring a three-course meal by chefs Michael Fojtasek and Amanda Turner, a three-course meal always entirely different from the regular menu, a three-course meal accompanied by a new seasonal cocktail each time. Suggestion: These are the reservations you’re looking for…

Oh hai, suds lovers! The Texas Craft Brewers Guild awarded 81 medals to 54 small and independent breweries from across the Lone Star State in that nonprofit trade association’s second annual statewide craft beer competition. Why do we tell you this? Well, because among the Austin breweries taking home gold medals were ABGB (for Pilsner), Zilker Brewing Company (for lager/light lager), Central Brewing District (for Kölsch), Lazarus Brewing Co. (in the Session and Standard Hoppy Pale Ales and Lagers category), and more. And you can see the rest right here. BONUS: There will be a TCBG job fair at Meanwhile Brewing (3901 Promontory Point) on Wed., March 1, 10am-1pm, that aims to widen the hiring pipeline and diversify the Texas craft brewing industry…

Speaking of Meanwhile, we’re stoked to relate that Songbird, award-winning chef Joshua van den Berg’s chicken-sandwich food truck there, is recovered from the ice storm and open for business once again. Chickens, did we say? Yes – and they’re max yum, every one of them, but omg don’t miss that patty melt: a burger grind of sirloin, brisket, and short rib, smashed into the flat top, topped with sweet onion, onion straws, and horseradish? Oh, baby, yes, please…

Let’s see – what else, what else? The theme for the Winter Walkabout at the Yard at St. Elmo this Saturday? It’s chocolate, people, c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e… And that’s happening on the same day as the Drag Brunch at Kitty Cohen’s… And chef Mashama Bailey is bringing wine from Black viniculturists to Diner Bar this weekend… And Taylor Tobin’s rounded up some of the best sports bar grub in our soccer-frenzied town… And Valentine’s Day may be over, sure, but our Food Editor Melanie Haupt wrangled a sweet array of women-owned wines that’ll supercharge your never-ending romantic pleasure…

WUXTRY! Later in March – comin’ up fast! – *glances at the South by Southwest that’s massing on our horizon* – all Austin locations of Nothing Bundt Cakes will be celebrating the 111th birthday of Oreo cookies (that’s on Monday, March 6) by giving away one free Oreo Cookies & Cream Bundtlet to the first 111 guests at each bakery at 1:11pm…

Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and let’s please put off any apocalypse for another three or four decades, mmmkay?