"Anthem, a self-described “Tex-Asian pub,” is opening on Rainey Street next week. The restaurant and bar will be located in the Millennium development at 91 Rainey Street, with first day of service pegged for Monday, September 24. Anthem will serve dishes meant for sharing, all seemingly made with many, many ingredients. The queso is made with shishito peppers which are then topped with five-spice barbecue brisket with ginger-yuzu guacamole; an Aloha Burger comes with spam; and a fish and chips dish served with Sriracha ketchup, mashed mint, and edamame. The waffle fries (dubbed “yummy fries”) are made with sweet potatoes and served with spicy aioli, truffle yuzu and miso aioli, sweet soy sauce, scallions, pickled ginger shoots, nori, and a whole bunch of seasonings. There will also be pupu platters that will serve four to six people. The drink menu is heavily tiki-influenced, including the classic cocktails like Zombies and Mai Tais, along with beer, wine, and sake. There are also sake bombs which will change every season, like the advertised Autumn Bomb made with a sweet potato shochu and amber beer. Anthem comes from Omaha-based Flagship Restaurant Group, whose co-owner, Anthony Hitchcock, is an Austin native. The menu is meant to serve as a homage to the “eclectic group of friends” he had during his time in Austin. In the press release, he said: “We all came from different backgrounds — growing up on dumplings and casseroles, okra and brussels sprouts, hoisin and aioli — but we always found a common ground.” The group owns several restaurants throughout the midwest, Texas, and Colorado, though Anthem is the first in Austin. Other restaurants from Flagship are variations on the same theme, including Blue Sake Sushi Grill, Roja Mexican Grill, and Blatt Beer & Table." - Erin Russell
