<body><div>Oct 28, 2024 | 12:10 pm<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0kBAbA_0wPjnnsP00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0kBAbA_0wPjnnsP00" width="2000" height="1500" ><figcaption>Other Racquet Social Club is finally back.</figcaption></figure>Pickleball players at Austin's new Other Racquet Social Club were placed on a forced rest this summer as the sports venue dealt with city permitting complications, but it'll be back in action November 1. It brings with it a brand-new food truck from the folks behind the immediately popular and also relatively new downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster, called Bill's Dips.Its mandated hiatus notwithstanding, Other Racquet opened in late 2023 as a members-only venture, but opened to the public a few months later, in early 2024. Now, members still get certain perks, but anyone can book a guest court or stop by to enjoy the bar and food trucks — a big part of the initial draw. Guests don't even need to book a court to stop by and hang out.“It’s been a hell of a journey, but we’re grateful to be reopening our bar after being closed for seven months,” said Other Racquet owner Matt Wolski in a press release. Wolski is also the founder of Pursuit Concepts, which brought Austin places like Idle Hands, Parlor &amp; Yard, and Victory Lap.“This process has been challenging to say the least, but the goal from the beginning was to have Other Racquet fill a need on our strip of Manor," Wolski continued, "one that’s a space where everyone can enjoy not only pickleball but great food and drinks in a welcoming, laid-back environment.”Bill's Dips will open with Other Racquet right away, on November 1. It joins farmers-market-stand-turned-food-trailer B. Cooper Barbecue, forming a meaty duo. Bill’s Dips focuses on "classic comfort fare," according to the release, which includes the signature Bill’s Burger alongside chili cheese dogs, queso blanco, and soft-serve dipped cones.“Our Bill’s Burger has become a fan-favorite, so much so that we wanted to create a standalone destination where our guests could conveniently get their burger fix in East Austin,” said Bill's Oyster managing partner Dylan Salisbury. “Parking at Other Racquet felt like a natural segue for our guests that come into Bill’s, and we were able to create a menu that reflects the laid back vibes of the space.” Other Racquet Social Club is located at 2717 Manor Rd. and is open Mondays to Thursdays from 4-11 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am-midnight, and Sundays from 11 am-11 pm. The existing cocktail bar is open the same hours, but closes an hour early except for Fridays and Saturdays. Finally, Bill's Dips will be open Thursdays and Fridays for dinner service, and Saturdays and Sundays all day. It accepts orders in person, online at billsdips.com, and via major delivery platforms including Uber Eats and DoorDash.More information about Other Racquet Social Club is available at otherracquet.com.---Fans of Austin sports and Austin food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm December 12 at Distribution Hall. Find out more about it here.News You Can Eat<h2>5 openings and a lavish Christmas bar cheer up Austin restaurant news</h2>Oct 25, 2024 | 8:57 amNews is just flying by in the Austin food scene right now, so this week we've got five openings, two festivals, and a couple other deals and offerings to fill things out.Openings and closingsThis is a two-in-one: first Austin Eastciders Collaboratoryannounced it would be closing its last taproom at 979 Springdale Rd., Ste. 130. It is still producing ciders, but the taproom is already gone. However, that space was almost immediately publicly claimed by event venue Springdale Station owners and artists Moya and Colin McIntyre, who are spearheading a new concept called Stargazer. It covers lots of ground from cocktails and mocktails to coffee, to beers and cider on tap. It also pulls in some other local businesses: scoops from Lick Honest Ice Creams, grab-and-go items from Lucky Lime, tacos from Santo Patio, and fried chicken from Dipping Springs Tender Co. Pizza joint Bambino is already next door, and QR codes at Stargazer will make ordering easy. There's no opening date yet, but hours will be 7 am to 10 pm daily.We let readers know in July that a lush cheese shop and cafe would be moving into Cherrywood this fall, and here it is right on time. Spread and Co., located at 2406 Manor Road, Suite B, opened quietly on October 15 and has been serving up beautiful charcuterie boards as well as fresh coffee, sandwiches to go, and fancy-but-classic American breakfast and lunch items. The concept isn't new — coming from Jefferson Square — but this will probably be many customers' first experience with the shop, since the new location is much easier to stumble upon. Hours are 7 am to 7 pm Mondays through Saturdays, and 9 am to 3 pm Sundays.Folks looking for some holiday cheer can find it in droves at the returning Christmas pop-upMiracle on 5th Street at The Eleanor, the smaller bar adjacent to the Roosevelt Room. Management really goes all-out with the decorations, covering the bar in lights, garlands, bows, and much more. The playful, themed drinks include the Snowball Old Fashioned with Jim Beam Rye Whiskey, gingerbread syrup, angostura and wormwood bitters, and orange oils; and the Christmapolitan with Grey Goose Vodka, St. Germain, elderflower liqueur, Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, lime, rosemary, and absinthe mist. They're served in playful glassware and tiki-esque mugs. Note that tickets (starting at $12.50) are required to enter, except during happy hour daily from 2-5 pm. The soft opening date is November 14.ICYMI: We covered four restaurant openings and closings since last week, so I'll be brief. First, we broke the news that Mian &amp; Bao, a Sichuan-Shanghai comfort food hybrid by a highly regarded San Antonio group had opened at The Triangle. Then there was Serenade, an absolutely beautiful brasserie serving classic French dishes, which is opening on 2nd Street on October 27. We also heard that Baby Acapulco — colloquially, Baby A's — had suddenly closed its Barton Springs location, leaving fans without Purple Margaritas after swimming. Finally, the people behind the upscale sports bar Cover 3 announced it would be starting a new bar and restaurant called Whiskey Ridge in Driftwood.CultureMap also announced we're throwing a tailgate party at the end of fall, featuring tailgate-inspired bites by top local restaurants. Attendees at The Tailgate will try samples and vote for their favorite; plus, a bracket-style tournament before the event will reveal Austin's favorite chicken wings. More details are available here, and tickets are currently on sale at a discounted rate.Other news and notesA City Council meeting on Thursday was dominated by more than eight hours of testimony about a proposed police association agreement and budget increase (which eventually passed), so understandably folks may not have noticed that a property including the address of Cherrywood Coffee House is up for rezoning (see item 80). Whatever this will mean for the cafe — and for Austinites who seem split on whether or not it should be saved — the public hearing has been pushed to November 21, 2024.Readers were very interested in the 40th anniversary celebration of Manuels, a Mexican restaurant in North Austin; it was one of the week's top stories. This is those readers' reminder that the deals are ending soon, on October 27 — namely, a special three-course menu for $40 per person. But if guests miss it, they'll have a few more days of drink specials and giveaways, some benefitting Farm Share Austin and the Hill Country Conservancy, which run through the end of the month.There's something about an Italian brunch that Austinites go crazy for, and Poeta — voted 2024's Best New Restaurant by CultureMap readers — is feeding the obsession with a new brunch menu. Even better, it's available all day. It features dishes like roasted beet and farro with avocado, orange, almond, and dill; arancini (fried rice balls) with lamb confit, tomato butter, and poached eggs; and crespelle (crepes) with house ricotta, orange, and hazelnut caramel. The full menu is available at poetarestaurant.com.The combination music-and-food festival Hot Luck, headed by pitmaster Aaron Franklin, has sent foodies a save-the-date for Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25, 2024. For an idea of what this festival is like, check out our top moments from 2024. In short, the food portion includes a lot of tasting at sprawling events full of booths; and the music portion is organized as showcases at regular venues around town. What's amazing is the two halves of the festival have almost nothing to do with each other, except that the musicians and chefs end up hanging out. More information and early bird tickets are available at hotluckfest.com.</div></body>

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Austin pickleball club reopens with Bill's Oyster spin-off food truck

Pickleball players at Austin's new Other Racquet Social Club were placed on a forced rest this summer as the sports venue dealt with city permitting complications, but it'll be back in action November 1. It brings with it a brand-new food truck from the folks behind the immediately popular and also relatively new downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster, called Bill's Dips.