Catch up on the most exciting food and dining news of each month in Eater Houston’s newest column.

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Pitmaster Holden Fulco has worked at some of the best barbecue joints in the state, including Franklin Barbecue, Interstellar BBQ, and Pinkerton’s Barbecue. Now, Fulco’s got a spot of his own. Fulco opened the Parish Barbecue food truck in March, offering a Cajun flair to Central Texas barbecue. The menu features brisket bathed in Tabasco-infused vinegar and glazed in cane syrup, pulled duck with spiced duck skin cracklins, and crawfish cornbread dressing.

Chef Anthony Martin, who previously worked at three-Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and two-Michelin-starred Tru in Chicago, is hosting an intimate dinner series at Residence, a space located on the East Side that formerly housed Sushi Bar ATX. Martin, the director of culinary strategy and development at Adept Hospitality, which owns Sushi Bar, is typically based in Nashville, but he moved to Austin to set up Residence, which will offer a multi-course tasting menu and counter service.

The James Beard Awards, often referred to as “the Oscars of food,” whittled down its semifinalist list to the finalists, which include one Austin beverage director, two San Antonio restaurants, and one Marfa pasta destination. Arjav Ezekiel of Austin’s Birdie’s is in the running for the Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service category. Mixtli in San Antonio is a finalist in the Outstanding Hospitality category. And in the Best Chef: Texas category, Emil Oliva of San Antonio’s Leche de Tigre and Michael Anthony Serva of Marfa, Texas’s Bordo, each received nods.

Capitol City welcomed some exciting new restaurants in April, including an all-day cafe and diner offering comforting breakfast staples and sandwiches, a speakeasy hidden in the basement of a Downtown cocktail lounge, a breakfast burrito and coffee kiosk, and Thai fried chicken rice bowls. San Antonio also got some cool new spots, including an ice house with a fascinating history and a new Alamo Biscuit Co. on the River Walk that’s open 24/7.

The Austin area’s dining scene was hit with some of the saddest restaurant closures this month. Not only did Thom’s Market announce that it was closing all its locations, but the Skylark Lounge, one of the city’s most iconic live music venues, announced Sunday, May 4, would be its last day. Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio bids farewell to one of its most popular Viet-Cajun crawfish hotspots, Pinch Boil House, and the San Antonio Botanical Garden closes its restaurant Jardin, helmed by chef Jason Dady.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, here’s a rundown of the best tacos, margaritas, and Mexican cuisine in the city.