Today is Election Day. Be sure to get out and vote!

Tickets tend to sell out for Texas Monthly Magazine's BBQ Fest, which is happening less than two miles away from Elan East this year. So if you have your heart set on learning more about the art of barbecue, snag your tickets in advance. That's the only way you're guaranteed admission to the festival, which showcases eateries that have earned the honor of appearing on Texas Monthly Magazine's Top 50 BBQ Joints list.

This year, you'll meet Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, Harold "Buzzie" Hughes of Buzzie's Bar-B-Q, and Tootsie Tomanetz of Snow's BBQ. They've all been highly rated by the magazine, and they each bring their own brand of barbecue to the food fest. Savor samples of the smoked meats and wash it down with frosty brews while you chat with the pitmasters themselves about the way they prepare their grub.

BBQ Fest
City Terrace at the Long Center for Performing Arts
Nov. 1
701 W. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704
www.tmbbq.com/events/tmbbq-fest-2015

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr stu_spivack

Chefs use every part of the chicken at Fukumoto, and that's part of the reason it's already garnering so much buzz in Austin even though it only opened last month (about two miles away from Elan East). Its yakitori menu encompasses everything from chicken thigh and chicken meatball to chicken gizzard, chicken heart, and chicken wing, not to mention a few non-poultry items. The pork belly is a big hit among diners, but you can opt for bacon-wrapped asparagus, too, if you like your pork crispy.

Yet yakitori is only half of the equation at this new Japanese restaurant. Its chefs also dish out fresh sushi. Order a serving of geoduck and ora King Salmon nigiri, a pairing that brings bright orange and seaweed-wrapped white fish to your plate. Customers recommend the hama toro nigiri, a pretty pink fish that tastes even better with some spicy wasabi on the side.

Fukumoto
514 Medina Street
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 770-6880
fukumotoaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/fukumoto-austin-4

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr 瓜蛋