Not that Austin needs outside validation, but it's pretty nice when other major publications realize just how awesome our city's food scene is. On Tuesday, that validation came in the form of Bon Appétit's annual Best New Restaurants in America list when not one, but two Austin eateries made their way onto that roster: June's All Day and Kemuri Tatsu-ya.
Two very different restaurants, but both deserving of the national praise. The magazine lauded June's for embodying their ideals of a perfect wine bar: colorful, stylish and with food just as impeccable as its wine program (not to mention a killer happy hour and Sunday Indian pub night). Though June's opened over a year ago, it's clear that it is still making an impression. "We’ve spent the better half of a day here, drinking Pet Nat from Texas and nibbling on salt cod croquettes, pretending we were on vacation and shirking all responsibility," Bon Appétit wrote. Lucky for us, we have access to this staycation spot all the time.
Kemuri Tatsu-ya made the list for its inventive Texas-izakaya mashup, as the mag recommended the brisket-filled ramen, the "hot-pocketz" and the Puff Puff Pass, a cocktail that sweet potato sochu, aged rum and five spice bitters. They also dubbed Kemuri's ramen "The official ramen of the Lone Star State"—now that's a pretty sweet title.
The final list—the Hot 10—will be narrowed down to 10 restaurants and released on August 15. Stay tuned to find out if Kemuri or June's make it to the final round!
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