Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings

Prolific Alamo City restaurateurs Benny and Lisa Costello opened a new location of their popular fast-casual shop Tia’s Taco Hut on September 8 at 1203 N. St. Mary’s St. downtown. Like the other outposts, the latest Tia’s offers affordable breakfast tacos, Tex-Mex favorites like enchiladas and chalupas, burgers, tortas, and more. The eatery is the sixth link in the growing chain for the powerhouse duo, who also own Don Benito’s, Hometown Burger, Gulf Coast Fish House, Mr. C’s Chicken and Waffles, and Tio’s Tex Mex.

Chef Vinh Hoang of Suck It: The Restaurant is moving ahead with a new concept in St. Paul Square after a plumbing problem forced the shutter of Suck It Kitchen & Bar in March. According to Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission records, the restaurateur has applied for a mixed beverage permit in the same spot as the short-lived restaurant. There’s no word on the exact menu, but an Instagram post teased that Hanoi’s Kitchen will offer the owner’s “childhood Vietnamese favorites with a modern twist.” The team will reveal the opening date once the plumbing woes are solved.

Speaking of TABC records, a new winery appears to be popping the cork in North Central San Antonio. An entity called O’Malley Peak has applied for a winery license at 506 W. Rhapsody Dr. for a concept called El Monty Wine Co. Exact details are still forthcoming. The winery has yet to have established a web or social media presence.

Other news and notes

Spooky season is getting into full swing with a temporary tavern at the not-at-all-haunted Lambermont Castle at 950 E. Grayson St. The Be Afraid of the Dark Pop-Up Bar will thrill guests October 15-17 with a 90-minute “interactive cocktail journey” guided by “the descendants of Ichabod Crane.” Tickets start at $40 and are limited to 140 brave souls per session.

Two San Antonio breweries got their Simone Biles on, winning medals in the U.S. Beer Open Beer Championship held September 6. Second Pitch Beer Company, hot off celebrating its first anniversary in late August, scored gold in the California Common category with its Hometown Lager. Elder statesman Roadmap Brewing won bronze in the Scottish Ale category for its Craven Cottage Scottish Ale.

The Thompson San Antonio is beefing up its hospitality team with the appointment of two industry pros. According to a release, the downtown luxury hot spot hired Carlos Batista as director of food and beverage, nabbing him from Shore Club Hotel in South Beach Miami, Florida. Also joining the team is Tanner Johnson as director of bars and beverages. A cocktail expert and sommelier, Johnson was most recently at Kimpton Shorebreak Resort in Huntington Beach, California.