Spamarama’s Happening, Kombucha Is A-Tappening, Texas Wine Auction’s Got the Deals, the Roosevelt Room’s on Wheels, and Nolan Ryan Outpitches Those Damned Tornados …

Here’s what’s happening in Austin’s culinary scene, as wrangled from numerous PR releases, words on the digital street, and even the occasional (verified) IRL eavesdroppings.

Yes, it’s your Food News Buffet for the first week of April, that cruellest month, here in the increasingly money-frenzied environs of the metastasizing Texas capital.

So, that Indie Chefs: Road to COMMUNE has come and gone through town, and what a boon it was for Good Work Austin and everyone who attended the series of fetes and afterparties wrangled by Grover Smith and his crew. Last Thursday’s Indie Chefs 12-courser(!) at Foreign & Domestic was capped by a custom cheesecake dessert from New Waterloo’s Amanda Rockman, and now we see her working a variation of that sublime confection in the Domain’s Museum of Ice Cream for grownup “Night at the Museum” partying on Friday and Saturday nights in April …

It’s no joke that Friday, April 1, boasts the Edible Book Festival – an exhibition of quirkily crafted noms and literary puns, hosted by the Austin Book Arts Center …

Oh, Old Thousand, you epicenter of Dope Chinese cuisine! You’re deliciously mocking what for April Fool’s Day?

And of course this Saturday, April 2, Spamarama, that “World Famous Pandemonious Party of Potted Pork,” finally returns. The much-loved event will be rocking the Sagebrush (5500 S. Congress) from noon until 7pm, with pigtastic contests, games, live music, and more. And you know the Chronicle’s jefe grande Nick Barbaro will be among the celebrity judges at that maelstrom of meaty mafficking, right?

You know what’s pretty bad-ass? Nolan Ryan’s Goodstock up in Round Rock. We already love the Texas beef available from that butchery, and the compelling array of kitchen products they’re got in store, but, yeah, that’s not really our definition of “bad-ass.” What earns that admiring adjective is how Goodstock, from Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3, is donating 50% of all in-store sales to the Round Rock Cares March 21st Tornado Disaster Relief Fund, an initiative that will provide financial support to those devastated by the storm. Sounds like a perfect excuse to buy some thick steaks for the grill …

Oh, did we say “grill”? Central Market says “grill”, too. In fact, Central Market says they’re running a Grill Outside the Lines promotion through April 5, featuring “top chops and perfect prawns and produce and cheese that can really take some heat.” Mmmmmmm, and so now we’re looking at Central Market, and we’re looking at Goodstock, and oh there’s Salt & Time over there, and our mouth is watering, and our grill is waiting, and it’s suddenly like some excruciating Sophie’s Choice up in here, and – boy howdy, we sure are blessed with a lot of great dining options in this town, aren’t we?

Kombucha on tap? Yes, and it’s Wunder-Pilz! That local company with the excellent Jennymarie Jemison design identity! They’re opening a taproom at their warehouse (2010 Hwy 290 #180) on Saturday, April 2, noon-7pm – featuring six kombucha varieties, along with cold brew coffee and their in-house, non-soy, non-gmo Texas Tempeh bean brisket – and a bunch of desserts, too. Even better: They get a good response, they plan on doing this, right there, every Saturday (but you can also find them at Mueller’s Texas Famers Market on Sundays, 10am-2pm) …

Meanwhile, area wine lovers are already thrilling to the knowledge that the first annual Texas Wine Auction is coming up fast – on Saturday, April 9, 6-11:30pm, at Vista Oaks out in Fredericksburg – where you can enjoy silent and live auctions, live music, and cuisine pairings provided by some of Texas’ biggest culinary names – including Bravo “Top Chef” alum Casey Thompson, Austin-based chefs Todd Duplechan of Lenoir and Shane Stark of Mongers Market + Kitchen, and John Washburne of Otto’s German Bistro, and Michael Hall of Hill & Vine. Three more things to know: 1) This inaugural year’s featured winery is William Chris Wine Company, accompanied by the likes of Arché Wines, Becker Vineyards, Brennan Vineyards, Calais Winery, Float Wines, Hawk’s Shadow Winery, Hidden Hangar, Westcave Cellars, and more; 2) the event’s proceeds will go to the Hill Country Memorial Foundation and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Viticulture; and 3) in a future issue, we’ll be providing a look back at exactly what this grape-happy shindig was like …

Does it taste like … burning? The acclaimed pepper sauce purveyors at Yellowbird – the local capsaicinistas who’ve won Hot Sauce Festival awards in a variety of categories year after year – have just released their new “Bliss & Vinegar” wing sauce, created by company co-founder George Milton for the “Hot Ones” YouTube series. It’s definitely great for chicken parts, yes; but, listen: Add a dash or two to your favorite Bloody Mary, see if that doesn’t elevate the cocktail halfway to heaven …

Twin Liquors, right? Great place to buy your favorite tipple, yes? Well, dig it: Twin Liquors’ 85th anniversary Dollar Sale starts on Thursday (March 31) and runs through Saturday (April 2). No, it doesn’t mean you can grab a bottle of whatever you want for a buck, you goober. But it does mean that the Twin is dropping their prices on all wine & spirits to the lowest possible point, then adding a dollar, and that’s the point you can buy it at. Yeah, you know how hucksters always say, like, “Incredible savings!” right? These particular savings – available only in-store, but at all Twin Liquors locations – are actually incredible. Oh, and speaking of spirits …

The Roosevelt Room’s posh-as-it-gets liquor-on-wheels truck, the Roadhaus, is now up and running. The bold, brassy, fully-stocked vehicle is staffed by the most skilled and stylish mixologists – and it’s available for hire. You hear that it’s part of an event, Austinite? You can reckon that event will be well worth attending …

And, let’s see, what else? Hannah Uebele tells us about how Austin mycophiles are driving the taste for local mushrooms … Dining in the Dark brings a sense-deprived tasting sensation to the W Hotel … and we reckon the Boozy Cauldron gig at Empire Control Room will be downright dumble-adorable …

Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and try to remember that the only constant is change.