Tycoon Flats will take over the recently-shuttered Cerroni’s Purple Garlic location on Austin Highway. Credit: Gloria Tabor

The Current‘s Little Bites feature is a weekly roundup of San Antonio food-focused events and news tidbits.

St. Mary’s Strip staple Tycoon Flats will take over the recently shuttered Cerroni’s Purple Garlic location on Austin Highway, according to signage affixed to the building’s face. The neighborhood Italian spot called it quits last summer, citing a lack of staff for its permanent closure. The second Tycoon Flats location will open sometime this summer, according to the sign. 1017 Austin Highway, tycoonflats.com.

Maverick Texas Brasserie is now helmed by chef Robbie Nowlin of Allora and Arrosta. Nowlin has paired up with local chef Esteban Valdez to shift back to the á la carte-focused dining experience of Maverick’s early days. The Southtown spot also is offering Alsatian-inspired dishes such as gnocchi with goat cheese crème frâiche and chives along with steak frites with herb butter and sautéed spinach. 710 S. St. Mary’s St., (210) 973-6050, mavericktexas.com.

French pesto pasta with sautéed tiger shrimp is now on the menu at Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. Credit: John-Paul Garrigues for Brasserie Mon Chou Chou

Brasserie Mon Chou Chou is now serving a new spring menu featuring plates that span the diverse regional cooking styles of France. Dishes such as ravioles filled with comté cheese and French pesto pasta with tiger shrimp are part of the new seasonal lineup. 312 Pearl Parkway, (210) 469-3743, brasseriemonchouchou.com.

La Tienda de Birria‘s mobile kitchen has landed at The Club House, a new family-friendly indoor food truck facility in Northeast San Antonio. La Tienda, from the culinary minds behind Kuriya at Cherrity Bar, serves up a full birria experience, offering bowls of the goat-based stew along with savory albóndigas, or meatballs, sprinkled with queso fresco. La Tienda will alternate between serving at The Club House and Boeing Center at Tech Port. Multiple locations, facebook.com/LaTiendadelaBirria.

Florida-based The Melting Pot is undergoing an expansion that will include five new Texas locations, including stores in Dallas, Southeast Houston, South Side San Antonio and Lubbock. The company will open four of these new restaurants within the next three years, according to a press statement. It hasn’t yet released details about the upcoming South Side SA location. meltingpot.com.

Smokey Mo’s is offering brisket macaroni and cheese for this month only, featuring house-smoked meat mixed into the comfort food classic along with fiery verde salsa and a sprinkle of cilantro. Each hefty serving runs $11.99. Multiple locations, smokeymosbbq.com.

Rooftop spot 1 Watson will begin opening for weekend brunch this Saturday, debuting items such as brisket hash, baked oatmeal and acai bowls. The brunch menu also features specialty cocktails such as La Buena Vida, featuring Conejos mezcal, Chartreuse, lime juice, basil mint syrup and muddled jalapeño. The restaurant will offer brunch 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 111 Soledad St., (210) 222-8300, 1watsonrooftop.com.

Rooftop lounge 1 Watson will open for weekend brunch this Saturday. Credit: Courtesy Photo / 1 Watson

The culinary pros behind the Chef Cooperatives are reuniting for the nonprofit’s first in-person event since the pandemic: a soiree dubbed “Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire.” The event will be hosted at FreshWater Farms in Charlotte, Texas, which grows nutrient-rich microgreens an hour south of San Antonio. Each $55 ticket, which benefits the farm, will includes a tour, a live fire-cooked feast and libations. The dinner will take place 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 4. 7900 FM 1333 in Charlotte, eventbrite.com.

Ohio-based Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream will open its first San Antonio location on Thursday, May 18, offering a family-friendly environment and homemade frozen treats. The grand opening will take place 11 a.m.=10 p.m. at the new shop at the Shops at South Rim, near La Cantera. The first 100 guests in line will receive free ice cream for a year. 5311 N. Loop 1604 West, handelsicecream.com.

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This article appears in May 3-16, 2023.

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio...