With temperatures topping 100 degrees, it might not feel like fall, but Austin's fall restaurant season is already off to a running start. Several long-anticipated projects preparing to open their doors, and many more new dining options are well underway. Modern Southern Olamaie will finally (finally!) open their doors later this month, and new projects from both the Uchi team and chef duo Rene Ortiz and Laura Sawicki are hot on their heels.
Looking further ahead, cult-inspiring burger chain Shake Shack's first Texas location will launch by the end of 2014. Read on for the latest updates on what's shaping up to be a busy, buzzy fall.
Jacoby's
Address: 3235 E. Cesar Chavez
Major Players: Adam Jacoby, Kris Swift, Phillip Anderson
The Situation: Adam Jacoby's family restaurant in Melvin, TX serves as inspiration for this new outpost on East Cesar Chavez. The ranch-to-table menu will feature beef from the family's ranch and other seasonal preparations.
Projected Opening: August 20
Jan B. | 8.19.14
Jacoby’s Restaurant and Mercantile opens Aug. 20 in East Austin in a refurbished commercial property that overlooks the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary.
Adam Jacoby, originally from Melvin, Texas, is the vision and investor behind Jacoby’s, which will open in the former Kanetzky electrical warehouse at 3235 E. Cesar Chavez St. Executive Chef Phillip Anderson will oversee the menu, showcasing unique riffs on Southern cuisine.
The robust restaurant scene in Austin shows no signs of abating. On Aug. 18 the Austin Business Journal reported on the pending opening of two Burnet Road eateries.
At Jacoby's there will be comfort food like onion rings and chicken fried steak, but also wild boar terrine, smoked Gouda pimento cheese sandwiches and roasted beet salad. Craft cocktails, a selection of wines and local beers complement the picture.
In addition to the restaurant, the mercantile shop will feature artisan jellies, jams, meats, farm eggs, fresh flowers and home goods. Jacoby’s partner Kris Swift designed the space to fit in with the neighborhood and includes some historic elements like a 1940’s neon sign. The rustic influences include a cocktail porch and deck overlooking the Colorado River.
Jacoby learned the restaurant business from his family, which owns a cafe in Melvin. He fell in love with Austin as a student at the University of Texas and always wanted to return and bring the Melvin’s concept here. As part of that deeper connection, the beef served at Jacoby’s is supplied by the family’s feed store and beef program in Melvin.
Jacoby’s Austin, the family-owned restaurant and mercantile, makes its debut in the budding East Cesar Chavez neighborhood on Wednesday August 20th. Jacoby’s Austin serves ranch style cuisine with a southern and rustic influence. The restaurant features a full service bar and dining room, cocktail porch and a backyard-style patio deck with sweeping views of the Colorado River. Adjacent to the restaurant is a mercantile, which features artisan jams, jellies, meats, farm eggs, fresh flowers and home goods. Jacoby’s Austin is the newest addition to the Jacoby family company, originally from Melvin, TX.
Adam Jacoby grew up in the small town of Melvin, TX and realized his dream to expand his family’s café to Austin when came to Austin to attend The University of Texas. Jacoby helped to open several local Austin restaurants, but went back to Melvin to revamp the family café. Upon his return to Austin, he made East Austin his home and found the old Kanetzky electrical warehouse to be the perfect spot for his new venture. “We searched and searched for the perfect place for Jacoby’s,” says Adam Jacoby. “My dad was driving up here every other week from Melvin and each place we looked at he said just did not feel like Jacoby’s. When we walked out back at this spot on East Cesar Chavez, we both knew this was the place. It felt like home.” His partner, Kris Swift, designed the space to reflect the Austin neighborhood and paid homage to Jacoby’s hometown roots by incorporating bricks, reclaimed wood and even an historic, 1940’s sign from the small Texas town.
Executive Chef Phillip Anderson and Jacoby met through mutual college friends over two years ago. Jacoby quickly found Chef Anderson’s southern focused culinary skills to be the perfect fit for Jacoby’s. Anderson spent several weeks learning about the original menu at Jacoby’s Café in Melvin, TX, as well as learning about the family’s feed store and beef program. The Austin menu showcases Melvin favorites such as the onion rings and chicken fried steak, however Anderson updated the menu to adapt to the Austin palate. “We really wanted to stay true to Jacoby’s original concept with the menu, but we wanted it to be Austin at the same time,” says Anderson. “We kept the dishes that made sense and incorporated lots of fresh vegetables and seasonal fare to compliment the beef.” New items will include a Wild Boar Terrine as part of a housemade charcuterie plate, Smoked Gouda Pimento Cheese Sandwiches and a Roasted Beet Salad. The menu prominently features Jacoby’s beef from the Jacoby family ranch. Jacoby’s Austin will be the only place in Austin to feature the family’s beef which is humanely raised on the family farm.
The cocktail menu features playful twists on classics like the Secret Beach, a take on a Tom Collins with local fruit and cucumber, named as a tribute to one of the Colorado River’s secret treasures that Jacoby’s overlooks. A local beer menu and plenty of wines are also available. There is walk-up seating at the bar and a full food menu. The backyard patio will also have full service cocktails and food.
