(Bloomberg) -- Can Austin get any more popular? In December, Tesla Inc. relocated its corporate headquarters to the Texas capital from Palo Alto, Calif. January brought news that Meta Platforms Inc had leased half of the 66-story Sixth and Guadalupe skyscraper, slated for 2023. And in 2021, the U-Haul Growth Index put Austin in its list of top cities in the U.S.—the number of one-way trips rose 22% compared with the prior year.

And yet the city never feels so much like the center of the world as it does during the 10-day stretch that is SXSW, the tech/music/film/comedy/wellness festival that this year runs from March 11-20. For the first time since 2019, when more than 414,000 people attended, there will be in-person events.

Another difference at this year’s SXSW: the heavy presence of crypto, including Blockchain Creative Labs as sponsor. Almost 40 SXSW sessions will be devoted to NFTs, according to Chief Programming Officer Hugh Forrest.

Some of the city’s famed food trucks led the crypto charge by accepting Bitcoin back in 2014 when one BTC was worth about $620—it’s now ping-ponging around $43,000. Which is to say, Austin’s terrific array of dining spots has always been deliciously forward-thinking. 

Here are the 13 best new ones to hit up next week or beyond, recommended by stalwarts of Austin and nearby Houston’s culinary scene. The recommendations range from a high-end bar with an affinity for steak frites to a food trailer that mashes up Filipino and Vietnamese dishes. And, of course, there’s a lot of barbecue—one of them even has adjoining pickleball courts.

Birdie’s

A quintessential neighborhood spot from chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, a veteran of Gramercy Tavern and Blue Hill in New York, and her husband Arjav Ezekiel, who oversees one of the city’s best wine lists. The chill space is walk-in only. Pastas, like orchiette with fennel sausage and tomato, are handmade and beef tartare is pumped up with Texas pecans and green garlic.

“The menu changes daily and stays fresh,” says Shawn Gawle, “but you can always rely on a good glass of wine and some soft serve—I’m a big fan of the soft serve with olive oil.” —Recommended by Shawn Gawle, executive pastry chef at Goodnight Hospitality

Lutie’s

Set in the well-appointed Commodore Perry estate/hotel/membership club, Lutie’s is designed by Ken Fulk and outfitted with enough plants to double as a greenhouse. Bradley Nicholson’s vegetable-focused menu runs from a photogenic grand aioli (the supersized crudité platter with garlicky dip) to a charcoal-grilled chicken with leeks and hominy. “Best meal I’ve had in a long time,” says Michael Fojtasek, who started Little Ola’s Biscuits while waiting to reopen local favorite Olamaie. “It’s rare to see the food and property experience fall so seamlessly inline.”

Save room for dessert: Nicholson’s wife and pastry chef Susana Querejazu turns out a can’t-miss bees wax crème caramel with burnt honey. And the transportive bar offers cocktails like Yes Ma’am, whicih is made with brown butter washed pecan rye and vermouth. —Recommended by Michael Fojtasek, chef/owner of Olamaie and Little Ola’s Biscuits

Distant Relatives

This singular South Austin food truck is parked outside Meanwhile Brewing Company and combines the flavors of the African diaspora with Southern cooking. “Chef Damien Brockway showcases his heritage of African flavors, executed with the hardwood smoke of central Texas rooted in local ingredients,” says Philip Speer, of modern Mexican restaurant Comedor in downtown Austin.

Brockway takes good advantage of the smoker he’s installed on the premises. “The place has amazing dishes like burnt end black eyed peas, green mango slaw on top of southern-style smoked pulled pork, and an amazing golden rice porridge spiced with Pequin peppers.” —Recommended by Philip Speer, pastry chef and owner of Comedor

Honey Moon Spirit Lounge

This very groovy, high-design bar and restaurant is set in an old bungalow in the Heritage neighborhood. Chandeliers and vintage mirrors decorate the outdoor patio; indoors, there are red velvet banquettes. A well-curated list of Texas beers sits alongside cocktails such as the Two Handed Touch, made with rye, ginger, and lemon.

Chef Manuel Rocha’s menu ranges from Seoul hot fried chicken (or lion mane’s mushrooms) to duck confit with mustard miso butter. Barbecue star Aaron Franklin has a favorite food and drink pairing: “Koji-aged steak frites. An insane amount of perfectly balanced flavor on one of my favorite cuts, bavette—with a boulevardier!” —Recommended by Aaron Franklin, chef/owner of Franklin’s Barbecue

CM Smokehouse

Located in Bouldin Acres, a popular hangout with an outdoor bar and pickleball courts, the CM Smokehouse food truck is operated by Cade Mercer and offers dishes “far beyond the idea of standard barbecue that straight up satisfies the feeling for classic comfort food,” says chocolatier Krystal Craig. “You can tell there’s a lot of hours put into the perfectly smoked meats behind each plate.”

“We love the buffalo turkey burger and brisket bleu’s burger, both the cauliflower and regular wing options,” Craig adds. “On Sundays Chuck Deason provides the best little donuts in Texas.”  —Recommended by Krystal Craig, pastry chef and chocolatier at Intero restaurant

Fil and Viet

The name of this engaging food truck nods to the backgrounds of its chef/owners Rosie Troung, who is from the Philippines, and her husband Kevin Troung, who has Vietnamese roots. “A marriage of Filipino and Vietnamese cuisine gives us the privilege of having sisig (think calamansi and liver) replace paté in a banh mi,” says ramen and izakaya expert Tatsu Aikawa.

Along with that sisig banh mi—a baguette piled high with pork, Thai chili, and Maggi seasoning—marinated grilled chicken inasal, with chicken fat rice, is a bestseller. Also “creeping in their menu, unassumingly,” says Aikawa, “is one of the best chicken wings Austin has to offer.” —Recommended by Tatsu Aikawa, chef/owner of Tatsu-Ya Concepts

Canje 

The focus at Canje is Caribbean food, especially from Guyana, where chef and co-owner Tavel Bristol-Joseph was born. The menu features dishes like an addictive family recipe for beef curry with green mango and coconut milk, alongside drinks such as Island Hopping, a mix of cachaça, hibiscus, and honey.

“This place is bold and true to itself. I respect chefs that can be brash while still staying true to their cuisine,” says Ambrely Ouimette. “I’m obsessed with the jerk chicken—a lot of chefs play it safe with spices to be approachable, but this has it all. Just sit and melt into this plate.” —Recommended by Ambrely Ouimette, head chef at Sushi Bar ATX

Sammie’s Italian

The roots of Sammie’s go back to 1939, when the place started as a fried chicken and burger drive-in. It’s been resurrected as an Italian restaurant that pays homage to old-school East Coast places with a softly lit dining room lined with booths and family photos. The menu is a checklist of the classics—from housemade mozzarella sticks to spaghetti with meatballs and chicken, veal and eggplant parmigiana.

“Sammie’s decor and service makes me nostalgic for the great Italian restaurants I enjoyed when I lived in New York,” says Lynn Miller, chef of Korean restaurant Oseyo in East Austin. “The warm burrata is delicious. And I love the chicken piccata.” —Recommended by Lynn Miller, chef/owner of Oseyo

Summer House on Music Lane

The Hotel Magdalena is home to this fun restaurant with mid-century modern dining rooms indoors and outside. The drinks menu showcases the tequila-based Texas Sunset with yellow Chartreuse and Aperol, and a good list of Champagne. And although the modern American menu includes a riff on caramelized onion dip and ribeye for two for $80, Houston-based chef Aaron Bludorn says to order the seafood: “The grilled prawns with brown butter and lemon conserva are perfectly cooked. It’s so nice that they’re paired with the spiciness of fresno chili.” —Recommended by Aaron Bludorn, chef/owner of Bludorn

Rogue Radish

“Rogue Radish is a must-go when visiting the greatest city in America—Austin, Texas,” says Rene Ortiz, a veteran of the local restaurant scene. He calls Max Snyder, the chef/owner of the food trailer “a culinary genius.”

Snyder specializes in just one dish: the grain bowl. “Wheatberries, quinoa, and brown rice in a scallion vinaigrette with roasted cabbage, celery, and onions with cilantro, topped with chickpeas, toasty seeds—pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax—and a perky salad and a crispy rice disc. A Rogue Radish classic!” He suggests accompanying it with a shot of chili oil-spiked radish juice. —Recommended by Rene Ortiz, chef/owner of Launderette

La Barbecue 

LeAnn Mueller and Ali Clem have been specializing in smoked meat since 2011, when they were based out of a little trailer. Last spring, they opened a new brick and mortar spot with long tables, engaging artwork, and wine and beer, including La Beer, made for them by Zilker, a local brewing company. Also front and center is their succulent, crispy brisket, sold by the pound or chopped in a sandwich.

“On the weekends they have Akashi Beef chuck ribs that are fantastic,” says chef Kevin Fink. “LeAnn’s chipotle slaw and shells and cheese stand out on the sides menu.” —Recommended by Kevin Fink, chef/owner of Emmer & Rye and Hestia

Uroko

In a tiny space in the Springfield General development in East Austin, Uroko specializes in temaki (hand rolls) and sushi. “It is absolutely delicious,” says Eric Nathal, a chef known for his no-fuss French food. “The menu is straightforward and the quality is impressive, from the perfectly cooked sushi rice to the way the fish is cut to the simple ingredients. It’s a must-try for a sushi purist.”

Among the standout rolls are chef’s creations like hama toro, made with fatty Hamachi, avocado, wasabi butter, and crispy quinoa. There’s also a beef tataki stuffed with tenderloin and garlic chips. Nathal calls all the rolls amazing, but his favorite is the sake toro temaki, made with fatty salmon, umami cucumber, and lemon miso. —Recommended by Eric Nathal, head chef and co-founder of Austin Rotisserie

Little Ola’s Biscuits

“Michael Fojtasek’s biscuits are the gold standard,” declares Fermín Núñez, named one of its 13 best new chefs in the country by Food & Wine last year. Fojtasek made the oversized, impossibly flaky and tender treats famous at his restaurant Olamaie, and then during the pandemic opened Little Ola’s, where he made them the speciality, served every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

You can buy plain biscuits, but the generously stuffed sandwiches are everyone’s guilty pleasure, starting with the fried chicken slathered with honey butter. Núñez advises: “The pimento cheese is one of my favorite items to stock in my pantry at all times. This is the biscuit house we all needed to get through the uncertainty of the world.” —Recommended by Fermín Núñez, chef at Suerte

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