After a sluggish summer, Alamo City’s restaurant scene is ramping up with four new openings serving everything from dim sum-style dumplings to caramel apple lattes. Meanwhile, spots across the region are in a celebratory mood, throwing shindigs for Mexican Independence Day, National Coffee Day, an d Texas Wine Month. Nibble on more essential San Antonio dining news below.OpeningsIt’s out with barbecue chicken pies and in with hot pot at the Huebner Oaks shopping center. Hot Spot 61 is now open in the former home of California Pizza Kitchen at 11745 I-10. Unlike similar concepts like New Jersey import KPOT, the new restaurant takes a more DIY approach with a massive toppings bar offering over 100 choices of noodles, vegetables, and meats. Hours are currently 11 am-10 pm Wednesday through Monday.A new Chinese restaurant is picking up steam in Selma. Meet Dumpling Noodles is a second location of a new concept that debuted in Friendswood in March. Most of the menu is in the name. The spot serves more than a dozen noodle and dumpling dishes ranging from lo mein and soups to xiao long bao and adorable pig-shared red bean buns. According to a new Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) filing, the 4,100-square-foot buildout is set to wrap up construction in July 2027. Popular Alamo Ranch caffeine peddler Homegirls Coffee now has a permanent home in the renovated Basila Frocks building at 502 N Zarzamora St. Visitors checking out the space can also get a first taste of the new fall menu featuring drinks like pumpkin cookie butter and caramel apple lattes. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 7 am-1 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 8 am-1 pm.According to TDLR records, a new restaurant is saying buongiorno to the Plaza at Rogers Ranch shopping center at 2703 N Loop 1604 W. Cafe Italia will, presumably, dish out Italian cuisine — although we could not find an official webpage or social media accounts to verify. The name is fairly popular with red sauce joints, the closest in Corpus Christi. For all we know, it could eventually serve cheeseburgers. ...read more read less