There’s not much better than being asked to write a story about the fall culinary news in Austin, Texas. I still return to many restaurants I’ve been visiting since before Y2K. (Shoutout to Julio’s Cafe, Asti Trattoria, DK Sushi on South 1st, and Sam’s BBQ, open since 1957 with the best motto in town: “You don’t need teef to eat my beef!”)

But this fall I celebrated new Austin chefs and venues and seasonal menus from established names by eating ravenously and taking notes. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it! Fall in Austin doesn’t bring any opportunities for leaf-peeping or cool, crisp temperatures, but we do have amazing food from chefs both new and established…so read on and dig in.

A NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF AT LAUREL RESTAURANT, HOTEL VIATA

Twenty minutes from my house, Capital of Texas Highway bends west and begins to climb. The traffic thins. Pale limestone rises on both sides. By the time I handed my keys to the valet at Hotel Viata, I felt like I was on vacation, if just for the evening.

I had driven out to West Lake Hills for dinner at Laurel Restaurant, and to meet its new chef. Laurel’s dining room is anchored by a full olive tree that grows up through the floor toward a skylight. Green leather chairs, wide oak planks, tall windows on the hills.

Gerard Kenny took over this past February, overseeing all food and beverage on the property. He trained at the Culinary Institute of America and completed the Greenbrier apprenticeship. Kenny’s resume runs through the Inn at Dos Brisas and Four Seasons Houston. Austin diners already know his cooking from La Condesa, Le Politique and the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas.

It’s not easy to serve a clientele that combines hotel guests with locals seeking innovative cuisine. Kenny came out to speak to us between courses, still in his whites. He is passionate about sourcing from local farms and has created a fall menu offering Italian classics with flair inspired by Texas produce.

WHAT TO ORDER AT LAUREL RESTAURANT

Start with the crispy Brussels sprouts. They arrive dark at the edges, tangled with olive relish and ‘nduja aioli, then buried under snowy pecorino. The ‘nduja brings a low, smoky heat, and the lemon alongside keeps the plate from turning heavy.

I also enjoyed the chicken Parmesan. The cutlet was crisp underneath its sauce, mozzarella browned in blistered patches on top. Giardiniera cut the richness, and the crispy basil added crunch. Meatballs come two to a bowl in a loose tomato sugo, tender enough to break with the side of a fork.

Dessert was a pistachio and ricotta cake with berry coulis and whipped mascarpone. The crumb is loose and toasty, the coulis tart. Wine pairings run $25 per person for half pours and $50 for full glasses.

A DAY AT THE POOL AT HOTEL VIATA

The hotel has 194 rooms and suites, many with Juliet balconies over the treetops. Your rate includes a bottle of Trinitas Cellars wine at check-in. Spa Viata was named to Spas of America’s Top 100 USA Spas of 2025.

Hot tip: you do not have to stay overnight to use the pool. It is heated year-round, and the cabanas are bookable through ResortPass. The weekly lineup rewards regulars: savor Pasta & Vino Tuesdays, Wine Wednesday at Viata, and Spritz Sundays. A tasting menu runs Friday and Saturday nights.

BIRDIE’S IN EAST AUSTIN BRINGS BACK AIELLO’S THIS OCTOBER

Across town, the corner of East 12th and Harvey looks like a neighborhood shop that happens to pour Champagne. White brick, blue window frames, a cursive sign, a few people standing at an outdoor rail with glasses in hand. Birdie’s has been doing things its own way since it opened.

Chef and co-owner Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel cooks hyperseasonally, building her menu around whatever local farmers bring in that week. That means the lineup shifts every few weeks and nobody, including Tracy, knows in June what August will hold. A recent prix-fixe ran $79 per person and went full Maine. There was fried hash brown with crème fraîche and trout roe, then summer corn chowder. Macaroni and cheese came on a cheddar-fontina base. Mains were black bass or a wagyu minute steak, with a chocolate whoopie pie to finish.

Next up: Aiello’s, the Italian-American menu Birdie’s runs as a limited engagement, starting in October. It is named for Tracy’s grandfather, Phil Aiello, who emigrated from Calabria. The menu is Birdie’s reading of the Italian-American canon. It is a fan favorite, which means people start asking about the dates early.

Co-owner and beverage director Arjav Ezekiel runs the wine list and one of the most thoughtful non-alcoholic programs in Texas. The wine shelves read like a small importer’s library. Bottles come out of a gold ice bath behind the bar. I ordered from the zero-proof list all night and was never bored or condescended to, a rarity.

MORE AUSTIN FOOD NEWS THIS FALL

High Road Deli & Bar at 915 W. Mary St. is launching a new seasonal menu. The classics stay, including The Italian, the Blue Ribbon double-smash burger and the house-made hot dogs. New arrivals include the Texas Hot Beef Sandwich, a Lone Star riff on Chicago’s Italian beef. It is made with braised beef navel, Texan giardiniera and au jus. There is also the Mary Street Dog, with tomatillo-jam cream cheese and sport peppers. The Bal’Coney Dog comes with chipotle coney sauce and queso. Vegan patties and brats are available. Pastrami Tuesdays start in October, from noon until they sell out.

Austin Rotisserie has opened a second location, Austin Rotisserie Takeaway, at ATX Kitchens. There is a drive-thru window and a kiosk inside with a dining room. Owners Sophie and Eric Nathal started with pop-ups in 2018. The lineup has grown to include porchetta, in-house smoked salmon, duck and chicken rillettes, crème brûlée and mousse au chocolat.

Terry Black’s Barbecue opens in New Braunfels on September 15 at 1310 E. Common St. It is the eighth location from siblings Christina, Mike and Mark Black, who started the business in 2014. Smokers sit out where you can watch them work, and multiple cutting blocks keep the line moving. Expect brisket, ribs, house-made sausage and scratch-made sides.

Headed to the Hill Country? Set your GPS for Kingsland the weekend of October 16 to 18 for Hooper’s MeatFest, a weekend of competitive barbecue at 1010 King Ct. Expect games, food from Churchrow, vendor pop-ups and hands-on classes. The event is family-friendly, and the winning team takes home $5,000.

Austin’s Jess Pryles publishes her second cookbook, Prime Cuts, on October 6. (She is a certified meat scientist, with a graduate certificate from Iowa State.) The book is part cookbook, part reference guide, with more than 100 recipes. There are chapters on grilling, smoking, searing, roasting and braising, plus how to shop the butcher counter. Pryles grew up in Australia, founded Hardcore Carnivore and judges on Food Network’s Pitmasters.

In Dripping Springs, Tillie’s at Camp Lucy will launch a new all-day menu in a charming setting, a town hall shipped over from Vietnam and rebuilt on site. There is also a private room, Mr. Kiem’s, that seats twenty and comes with its own outdoor space.

HAVE FORK, WILL TRAVEL

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to sample the offerings of pitmasters, highly trained chefs, and highly trained chefs who are also pitmasters. Hear about a new opening or taste something incredible in Austin and the surrounding areas? Please let me know—because it’s a lot more fun to get out into my vibrant city and eat than it is to stay inside and wait for Texas temperatures to drop.

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Cover photo courtesy Laurel Restaurant, Hotel Viata.

Amanda Eyre Ward is a New York Times bestselling novelist and travel writer whose work appears in Travel + Leisure, Bon Appétit and Food & Wine. She lives with her family in Austin, Texas. Her latest novel, Arrivals and Departures, is out now from Random House. Follow Amanda on Instagram @amandaeyreward.