Food-o-File

Two distinctive shopping destinations have blossomed at opposite ends of the city, and each one is proving to be a busy dining destination in its own way. The high-end Domain has almost exclusively attracted upscale regional and national chain operations. They've recently celebrated the opening of national smoothie and cookie stores, as well as a second local McCormick & Schmick's (11600 Century Oaks Terrace, 836-0500) outlet. So far, the Steeping Room (11410 Century Oaks Terrace, 977-8337) is the only locally owned eatery at the Domain, but we hear that a very popular locally owned Downtown bar and restaurant is negotiating for a Domain location as we go to press. We'll keep you posted. Meanwhile, on the southern edge of the city, the Southpark Meadows development is booming with more family-friendly shopping opportunities and a mix of midpriced local eateries and franchise dining spots. Many of the restaurants are situated around the lovely Grove, a central park with a playscape and outdoor music venue. The newest tenant at Southpark is Austin's third Little Woodrow's (9500 S. I-35) sports bar featuring appetizers, pizza, wings, beer, and wine, plus plenty of sports on big-screen TVs and a huge outdoor patio... Beer aficionado and Chronicle staff writer Lee Nichols keeps a watchful eye on the local beer scene and has the following tidbits to report. The Ginger Man (304 W. Fourth, 473-8801) manager Kristen Jacobson has told Nichols that the Downtown beer-lover's mecca will be demolished and replaced by yet another high-rise condominium project when their lease is up in April 2009. Jacobson stressed that the owners are already hunting for a new location, preferably Downtown. In other beer news, it appears that legendary Belgian brewer Pierre Celis will not be performing contract brewing duties at Blanco's Real Ale Brewing Co. after all. It seems that Celis and some family members invested in a bar and Texas' arcane liquor laws prevent a person from holding both a brewer's license and a bar license unless the bar is a brewpub... Driving to and from home recently, I'd noticed increased activity at a neighborhood business. A few days later, I received the new menu for Quack's Maplewood Bakery (1400 E. 38½, 478-2257) and was pleased to discover that the former satellite bakery outlet has now morphed into a casual restaurant. The new regime still stocks a pastry case of Quack's baked delights and now offers both breakfast and lunch tacos, burgers, veggie burgers, hot sandwiches, plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, coffee drinks, juices, sodas, and beer. The menu looks very inviting, and we're told almost everything is made from scratch. Management also tells us that in response to customer requests, plans for dinner hours and a possible neighborhood delivery service are being considered for later in the year. As always, we'll keep you posted.