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Austin Oyster Co. now offering Maine-grown oysters to East Austin

Austin Oyster Co. now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant six years after its founding. East Austinites can now enjoy Maine-grown oysters in addition to a full seafood menu.

On the menu: The restaurant includes:

  • A raw bar featuring rotating oysters, dressed clams, tuna tartare, shrimp cocktail and curated seafood platters. Lone Pine Pearls, oysters harvested from Austin Oyster Co.'s farm in Maine, will be offered at the raw bar when available.
  • Seafood dishes such as baked clam “stuffies,” a johnnycake with salmon bacon, Maine mussels and a lobster roll
  • Nonseafood options such as the Texas Wagyu burger, steak frites and a bone-in pork chop
  • Curated cocktails, wine and beer

The kitchen is led by Chef de Cuisine Clark Costello—previously of Este and Suerte—and the bar program is overseen by Kait Fleming—former beverage director at Kalimoxto and the Arrive Hotel.

 
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Over $50M dedicated to affordable housing across Austin

Austin officials approved more than $50 million for local affordable housing initiatives, including $29.27 million for existing and planned developments around the city.

The details: Austin City Council, which serves as the board of the city's strategic nonprofit Austin Housing Finance Corp., signed off on a slate of affordable housing funding April 9. The city supports housing that's affordable based on the local median family income, or MFI, which is now about $134,000 for a four-person household.

Going forward: Most of the money will go toward planned single-family and apartment projects as well as existing apartment complexes with affordable units, spread across North, East and South Austin. Additionally, almost $22 million was reserved for the city's local housing voucher program through the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, including $6 million in the current fiscal year. Vouchers subsidize rental units for tenants exiting homelessness through permanent supportive housing programs.

 
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Travis County to withhold 9% of tax rebate to Tesla for 'incomplete documentation'

Electric car manufacturer Tesla will receive less of a tax rebate than initially expected from Travis County due to “partial noncompliance” with the performance-based agreement.

Since 2020, the county has promised Tesla millions in tax incentives to build Giga Texas—a 10-million-square-foot electric car manufacturing plant near Del Valle. At an April 7 meeting, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted to withhold 9% of funds allocated for 2020-22 after receiving “incomplete documentation” from Colorado River Project, a subsidiary company of Tesla, County Judge Andy Brown said.

"We have to continue to demand accountability in future compliance conversations," Commissioner Ann Howard said.

The overview: Under the agreement, Tesla would receive a 70% rebate on its maintenance and operations property taxes for the first $1.09 billion invested through Giga Texas. To receive these rebates, the company was required to create at least 5,001 new full-time jobs—50% of which must be filled by Travis County residents—among other requirements.

Tesla was projected to receive a $14.65 million rebate over 10 years, according to 2020 county estimates.

 

FOODIE FRIDAY
Check out these new restaurants and bars opening across the Austin area.

Smithville winery Frontier Cellars opens with Texas wines, small bites

Set on 73 acres, this winery offers a tasting room overlooking a two-acre lake where guests can enjoy wine made exclusively from Texas-grown grapes as well as small bites like Neapolitan-style flatbread, herbed cheese spreads and charcuterie. The winery currently offers five wines—each bottle featuring artwork paired with a backstory tied to its label.


Read now.

 

🍜 Spicy House brings Sichuan cuisine to Northwest Austin
(Read more)

🍽️ Tiny Grocer Café to serve all-day brunch, dinner at Hyde Park grocery store
(Read more)

🥞 First Watch brings breakfast favorites to Burleson Crossing East
(Read more)

🍴 Canyon Grille to reopen following 1-week transformation
(Read more)

🍖 SP Brazilian Steakhouse serves prime cuts, family traditions in Lakeway
(Read more)

 

Crawfish KRAK House moves to Del Valle after Back 9 Bar closure

After its previous host site closed in January, owner Kris Martinez is now serving Louisiana-style crawfish outside of Mexican bar and grill Santo Patio in Del Valle. He called his boils, which are available for purchase from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, “straight-from-the-bayou spicy.”


Read now.

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