Rahr & Sons Brewing. Austin Beerworks. Circle Brewing. Hops & Grain, Saint Arnold, Pedernales. These are just a handful of the Texas breweries that will represent at this year's Austin Maifest. The third annual installment of the beer festival, it continues to celebrate craft breweries not only from around Austin, but also from all over the state of Texas.

Make the quick two-mile drive from Elan East this Saturday to sip some of the finest suds from brewmasters in your area. They whip up special German beers for the Texas-German Bier Festival, as it's more formally known. Buy an advance ticket for $25, and you can snag a sample from 10 of the breweries on this year's roster, including the six previously mentioned businesses.

In addition to the suds, Austin Maifest also offers German fare by local business Smokey Denmark's Smoked Meats, plus bowling for groups of revelers. Enjoy the tastings or grab a pint at the rooftop biergarten, which overlooks the pulsing heart of Austin.

Austin Maifest
Saengerrunde Hall and Scholz Beer Garden
1 to 7 p.m. May 30
1607 San Jacinto Boulevard
Austin, TX 78701
www.facebook.com/MaifestATX

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Fareham Wine

Vegans don’t just eat salad. That’s one of the messages that chef Craig Vanis wants to send through Bistro Vonish, a vegan food trailer situated down the street from Elan East. Another is that vegan fare isn’t just for vegans. Meat-eaters can attest to that — Vanis’ cuisine is 100% free of animal products, but reviewers have given the chef an enthusiastic two thumbs up for creating mouthwatering dishes that eaters would never would have pegged as vegan.

Vanis’ menu is constantly changing, but some examples of dishes he’s offered before include pear-arugula pizza, mac and “cheese,” apple jam kolache (a European pastry), and chocolate mousse pie. If you dine here and enjoy your experience, it’s worth it to consider joining the Bistro Vonish supper club. Supper club members are invited to private, five-course, prix fixe dinners that highlight Central Texas produce.

Even though Bistro Vonish is a newcomer to the Austin dining scene, Vanis already has big plans for it. Later this year, he’ll be opening a brick-and-mortar version of his eatery.

Bistro Vonish
3111 Manor Road
Austin, TX 78722
(203) 989-7762
www.bistrovonish.com
www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-vonish-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr L.A. Foodie

Wishing everyone a happy Memorial Day as we remember the many heroes who have served our country.