Plus, two new restaurants incoming.
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Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.
 

High steaks barbecue 🍖
Kareem El-Ghayesh standing in front of his black barbecue food truck, KGBBQ.
Although Kareem isn’t advancing to the James Beard Awards finals, KG BBQ has big plans in store. | Photo by ATXtoday
You may think you love smoked meats, but for KG BBQ owner Kareem El-Ghayesh, Texas barbecue is literally “life-changing.”

An avid home cook from Cairo, Egypt, and James Beard-nominated chef, Kareem visited Austin for the first time on a weekend vacation in 2012. After a day at Hamilton Pool, his first experience with Texas barbecue was at Rudy’s, where the smoky cuts had him captivated.

“It was literally a life changing experience, I was blown away by all of what I was absorbing with my senses,” Kareem told ATXtoday. “I’m feeling all the meats falling apart, everything is just smoky, and tender, and flavorful. I grew up loving barbecue in Egypt and the Middle East — it’s very different.”

After his trip, Kareem returned to Cairo and had a successful career in finance, but never forgot about that barbecue. Despite protests from his friends and family, Kareem quit his job, packed up, and booked a flight back to Austin in 2015. By February 2016, Kareem was living in Austin full-time.

With no professional experience in barbecue, Kareem offered to work for free at (now-closed) Kerlin BBQ to learn the ropes. From there, Kareem took jobs at Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ, Lamberts, Lone Star Meats, Salt & Time, and Interstellar BBQ, and took culinary classes at Austin Community College to learn the craft. On the weekends, Kareem hosted supper parties at his home.

Three dishes on the table at KGBBQ

City Editors London and Figi tried the vegetarian rice bowl, Egyptian mac and cheese, and brisket rice bowl at KG BBQ.

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Photo by ATXtoday

You can try Kareem’s Egyptian barbecue for yourself at KG BBQ, 3108 Manor Rd., or take a private culinary class from him on Cozymeal.
 
Asked
 

Would you take a ride in a driverless/autonomous taxi service?
A. Yes
B. No
C. I already have
 
Events
 
Wednesday, April 12
  • Andrew Porter: “The Disappeared” | Wednesday, Apr. 12 | 7 p.m. | BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | Porter will read from his novel “The Disappeared,” in addition to signing copies, holding a moderated discussion, and taking audience questions.
Thursday, April 13
  • “The Austin” 1920’s Inspired Pop-Up Restaurant | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 4-7 p.m. | The Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta, 701 Congress Ave., Austin | Cost of purchase | Take a step back in time inside of one of Austin’s oldest landmark hotels, established in 1924.
  • My Brother, My Brother and Me | Thursday, Apr. 13 | 5:30-7 p.m. | ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $43-$49 | Join Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy for a live episode of their modern advice podcast.
  • Luchadora! | Thursday, April 13-Sunday, April 23 | Times vary | Mary Moody Northen Theatre, 3001 S. Congress Ave., Austin | $28 | When a pink lucha libre mask is found, an inspiring journey of heritage, cultural identity, and family traditions unfolds.
Friday, April 14
  • Spring Market Happy Hour | Friday, Apr. 14 | 4-7 p.m. | Blue Owl Brewing, 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin | Free | Spring into shopping at this happy hour and local market.
  • Vir Das | Friday, Apr. 14 | 7 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $45 | Emmy-nominated Vir Das is known for performing comedy shows around the globe.
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
 
Opening
  • JewBoy Burgers, Austin’s non-kosher El Pasoan-Jewish mini-chain, will open a fourth location at downtown food court Fareground on Monday, April 24. The new location will combine the menus at its previous locations, plus add a few new additions and possibly make its own soft serve. (Eater Austin)
  • LeRoy and Lewis has locked down a new location in Garrison Park for an upcoming brick and mortar. The restaurant will expand south to 5621 Emerald Forest Dr. later this year, but keep its inaugural truck at Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden. (Eater Austin)
Development
  • The Dell Seton Medical Center at UT Austin will get a makeover to the tune of $280 million. Ascension Seton will use the funds to add 150 beds, six new operating rooms, a rehabilitation gym, 160,000+ sqft to the facility, and more. (KXAN)
Feel Good
  • Meet Austin FC’s newest player, 7-year-old Eli Saenz. As part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Eli — whose cancer is currently in remission — was made an honorary player and attended a training session last month. (KXAN)
Ranked
  • Texas was the No. 1 state in the US for severe weather insurance claims in 2022, according to Allstate Insurance Company. The biggest destruction was caused by 458 hail events and severe wind. (KXAN)
Try This
  • Think you could turn one of our newsletters into a poem? Spread your creative wings with our poetry contest. The rules: Craft a 75-word or less poem using the words that appeared in our Wednesday, April 5 newsletter. Submit before Sunday, April 16 for a chance at an ATXtoday feature.
Today Is
  • Today is National Pet Day. Celebrate your fur babies with our brand partner, Hannah Chloe Co. From bandanas to bows, your adorable pet will appreciate these gifts. Shop now.
Travel
 
 
Category
 

Go Spurs Go 🏀
A view of the court from the audience, showing a packed stadium.
The Spurs were 1-1 at their first-ever games in Austin. | Photo via the Moody Center
It’s official, ATX is even more of a basketball city now.

The San Antonio Spurs set an attendance record of 16,023 at the Moody Center at its game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, April 6. Just two days later, 16,148 fans showed up for the Spurs’ match against the Minnesota Timberwolves, breaking the record yet again.

As for the score, the Spurs started the I-35 series strong against the Portland Trail Blazers with a 129-127 win, and fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 151-131.

You’ll be able to catch a game in Austin again, as coach Gregg Popovich confirmed the Spurs plan to play a game at the Moody Center at least once per season. If you were in the audience, we hope you took a picture to prove you were at the first two NBA games ever played in Austin.
 
The Wrap
 
Laura Figi.jpg

Today’s edition by:
Figi
From the editor
At the end of a long, hard day, I like to unwind with an episode of “Joe Pera Talks With You,” which I find endlessly inspiring. I would compare it to comfort shows like Bob Ross’s “The Joy of Painting” or a midwestern “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Austin’s film scene is getting an upgrade.
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