Pat's Pick
CAPITAL HILL I could feel the effects of a brutal day vanishing the minute I walked into the elegant dining room of the Mansion at Judges’ Hill—the designers who create impeccable sets for Merchant-Ivory films have nothing on the architects and decorators who brought Austin’s historic Goodall Wooten house back to life as a gorgeous urban inn. The kitchen, presided over by chef John Maxwell (formerly of Zoot), straddles traditional and modern with a menu that ranges from filet mignon in bearnaise sauce to roasted rabbit loin with fava beans. We couldn’t resist the allure of the new: My olive oil-poached salmon filet sided by fiddlehead ferns (a special) was magnificently moist in a spunky preserved-lemon vinaigrette. Equally well treated was my friend’s seared Alaskan halibut in lemon-caper brown butter accompanied by Yukon potato matchsticks. Although some dishes—like morels stuffed with foie gras—were overly subtle, the same could not be said of dessert, a crisp hazelnut cone filled with lush chocolate mousse and crunchy chocolate nibs, courtesy of pastry chef Katherine Clapner. The only thing missing? A postprandial room at the inn.
Try Salad of Grilled Squid With Fingerling Potatoes from chef John Maxwell, and Hazelnut Popovers With Roasted Plums courtesy of pastry chef Katherine Clapner
CAPITAL HILL I could feel the effects of a brutal day vanishing the minute I walked into the elegant dining room of the Mansion at Judges’ Hill—the designers who create impeccable sets for Merchant-Ivory films have nothing on the architects and decorators who brought Austin’s historic Goodall Wooten house back to life as a gorgeous urban inn. The kitchen, presided over by chef John Maxwell (formerly of Zoot), straddles traditional and modern with a menu that ranges from filet mignon in bearnaise sauce to roasted rabbit loin with fava beans. We couldn’t resist the allure of the new: My olive oil-poached salmon filet sided by fiddlehead ferns (a special) was magnificently moist in a spunky preserved-lemon vinaigrette. Equally well treated was my friend’s seared Alaskan halibut in lemon-caper brown butter accompanied by Yukon potato matchsticks. Although some dishes—like morels stuffed with foie gras—were overly subtle, the same could not be said of dessert, a crisp hazelnut cone filled with lush chocolate mousse and crunchy chocolate nibs, courtesy of pastry chef Katherine Clapner. The only thing missing? A postprandial room at the inn.
Try Salad of Grilled Squid With Fingerling Potatoes from chef John Maxwell, and Hazelnut Popovers With Roasted Plums courtesy of pastry chef Katherine Clapner
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