New 20-Seat Sushi Restaurant From Pasta|Bar Team Opens on East Sixth

Husband-and-wife chef team Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee have opened a new 20-seat sushi restaurant. Shokunin, located at 1009 East Sixth Street, is an à la carte spot with fish flown in weekly from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. Particularly of note, diners should expect only their rice to be cooked — dishes like tempura or noodles aren’t on the menu, just raw and fresh fish. Beer, sake, and select wines are available for beverages.

Lee and Kallas-Lee have previously opened Austin outposts of their Los Angeles–founded (and Michelin-starred) Pasta|Bar and Sushi by Scratch Restaurants, launched the first NADC on Rainey Street, and operated the now shuttered bakery Wolf and Wheat.

Originally, Shokunin was supposed to be a high-end omakase restaurant in the Hill Country, but obviously those plans took a detour. 

Shokunin is open Thursday through Monday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is the walk-ins only.  

Emmer & Rye Marks 10 Years With Two-Day Celebration

Emmer & Rye will celebrate its 10th anniversary with events on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9. The Rainey Street restaurant will host a special Breaking Bread dinner (one-off collaborations usually featuring local chefs) on November 8 featuring Gregory Gourdet of Portland’s Haitian restaurant Kann and Sousòl. The following day, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Emmer & Rye hospitality group will host a party showcasing bites and drinks from all of its restaurants — the titular flagship, Hestia, Canje, Ezov, and Kalimotxo based in Austin, and San Antonio’s Ladino, Henbit, Fife & Farro, Mezquite, Isidore, and Nicosi.

Founded in 2015 by chefs Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, Emmer & Rye garnered acclaim for its highly seasonal menus and utilization of in-house milled grains. The restaurant has since grabbed a Michelin Green Star and Bib Gourmand, and helped launch a hospitality group now which as of fall 2025, boasts three Michelin stars (Hestia, Isidore, and Nicosi). The group’s first location in Houston is planned for 2026.

Reservations for the Breaking Bread dinner and dine-around are available through OpenTable.

Austin Food & Wine Festival Returns This Weekend

Also taking place this weekend is the Austin Food & Wine Festival’s return to Auditorium Shores. The event runs Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9, with the Made in Texas kickoff Friday, November 7, at the Long Center from 7 to 9:30 p.m., exclusive to VIP ticketholders.

The annual festival showcases Texas restaurants, bars, chefs, and national food and beverage brands. Programming includes live cooking demos, tasting tents, and pop-up bars from names like Garrison Brothers, Carabuena Tequila, Tito’s, Graza, and a Be LOVE Hydration Station — ad-speak, sure, but essential at a festival where you can drink far past your heart’s content.

The Chef Demo Tent will feature live cooking demonstrations from three-time Chopped winner Adriana Urbina, Thai Fresh’s Jam Santichat, and Emmer & Rye’s Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, among others.

Saturday’s Chef Showcase includes Parish BBQ’s Holden Fulco, Uchi’s James Miranda, Loro’s Julio Jarillo, Intero’s Krystal Craig and Ian Thurwachter, Rob Mata of Juliet, and Parkside’s Stephen Hood and Gabe Rivera. Sunday brings Alma Alcocer-Thomas of El Alma, Daniel Berg of Bill’s Oyster, Poeta’s Craig and Thurwachter, and Joseph Zoccoli of Casa Bianca.

At the Fire Pit, chefs will take turns cooking over live fire. Saturday’s lineup features Jeff Bekavac of Goodwins, Vincent Lesage of Laurel, Laura Loomis of Lil’ Bros BBQ Shack, and Tatu Herrera of Desert Spoon. Sunday turns up the smoke with Hector Garate of Palmira BBQ, Holden Fulco of Parish BBQ, Hugh Mangum of Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, and John Bates of Interstellar BBQ.

To purchase tickets and see the full lineup, visit the Austin Food & Wine Festival website.