Nothing in the Austin restaurant scene is forever, but espresso martinis really are sticking around. This week, we have two news items about the always-trendy cocktail \u2014 one frozen and one on sale \u2014 plus news about a new pizzeria at the Domain Northside, a romantic day at the bookstore caf\u00e9, and more.<\/p>\n
Openings and closings<\/p>\n
In an exclusive story, Austin Monthly<\/a> reported that Rocco\u2019s Neighborhood Joint has opened a new wine garden behind the restaurant at 5001 Airport Blvd. The garden, called Roccito’s, seats 35 guests and is open to walk-ins only. Guests can order antipasti, salads, and cocktails. Rocco’s itself is still relatively new, having opened in October of 2025. The restaurant has a cool, laid-back interior (that gets a bit loud inside, so a snack and drink outside must be nice) and a flavorful Italian American menu.<\/p>\n Baldinucci Pizza Romana is gearing up to open its new location<\/a> at the Domain Northside (11501 Rock Rose Ave., Ste. 146) on Monday, August 17. This means the team is very busy, so the existing West Lake Hills location (3300 Bee Caves Rd., Ste. 110) is temporarily closed. A comment by the business’ account on Instagram<\/a> says the team hopes to reopen the West Lake Hills location in November. As the name suggests, Baldinucci does specialize in Roman pizza, but it also serves New York-style pies as well.<\/p>\n Southern chain<\/a> Chicken Salad Chick is now open at Amberwood Retail Center (19037 I-35) in Kyle. The chain serves more than a dozen chicken salad varieties on sandwiches or as a scoop with sides. The first 50-100 guests each day<\/a> from August 19-22 will win various prizes, including free chicken salad for a year. The Kyle opening makes three locations in Austin, with many more across the eastern, southern, and central United States.<\/p>\n Other news and notes<\/p>\n Royal Blue Grocery co-founder George Scariano Jr. died unexpectedly on August 6, the business announced<\/a> on social media. Scariano worked at the original Chuy’s on Barton Springs before founding Royal Blue, the post says. Royal Blue, a series of small shops in dense areas, is known for stocking local and gourmet goods and serving hot sandwiches. The post remembers Scariano as a “fisherman, businessman, gardener, and amazing cook.”<\/p>\n SugarWolf, a new bakery and caf\u00e9 downtown<\/a> that specializes in laminated pastries, now has a new happy hour. From 2-4 pm daily, espresso martinis are $7, half sandwiches (which are larger than you’d think) are $7, glasses of wine are $7, and draft beers are $5. Guests can also take 50 percent off bottles of wine all day on Sundays and Mondays.<\/p>\n Two drinks-turned-desserts are the outrageous new offerings at downtown pub Cedar Door. The espresso martini soft serve and Mexican martini soft serve will be available for a limited time during August. Each is served in a cocktail glass and stylishly garnished. The espresso martini<\/a> comes with a chocolate drizzle and rim, and the Mexican martini<\/a> comes with an olive oil drizzle, Maldon sea salt, and olives. A staff member says soft serve drinks rotate every month and the series debuted a few months ago<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fans of romance novels are invited to stop by local indie bookseller<\/a> BookPeople on August 15 for a free all-day event (9 am to 9 pm) that includes a themed caf\u00e9 menu, a free wine tasting by Phantom Wines from 11 am to 2 pm, and more. The store will wrap “spicy and sweet” books so that buyers won’t know the title when purchasing, but they’ll have hints to make sure it’s their flavor. RSVP on Eventbrite<\/a>.<\/p>\n