Restaurant Of The Day

Fino

Austin

Whether abetted by ceiling fans or outdoor heaters, eat on Fino’s broad concrete patio, one of the city’s best treetop venues. Chef Jason Donaho seems to have the Mediterranean menu arranged to his liking now, and we liked it too, especially the chicken tajine: juicy chicken on top of fluffy almond-and-currant couscous. A grilled lamb-beef burger, with dill yogurt, shaved cucumber, and red onion, gave a Middle Eastern twist to an all-American favorite. The best dessert we’ve had in ages was the petite almond-crusted fritters with a sultry dollop of orange-mascarpone cream and poached vanilla bean–scented cherries alongside. Bar.
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Street Smarts

Natsumi Gelato + Frozen Yogurt

I-am-what-I-eat M Street pedestrians and Lakewood families park it here for the stellar organic treats, made daily on the premises. Relax on white Barcelona chairs and ottomans inside the futuristic lounge and nosh on tangy all-natural yogurt or the exotic gelati. By Kristie Ramirez

New and Noteworthy

Max’s Wine Dive

No more “divey” than the Houston original, this hot spot has taken Austin by storm. Obviously not trying to fit into a summer maillot, Max’s augments its well-selected wine list with classed-up comfort food like fried chicken and Max & Cheese.

Vineyard Hopping

Texas runneth over with wineries; more than 160 are scattered from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. But for a doable weekend that blends good wine and well-run tasting rooms with wonderful scenery, side trips, varied shopping, and restaurants both fabulous and funky, the Hill Country is hard to beat.

Pat’s Pick

Perla’s

Why do some restaurants have you at hello and others never get to first base? The campaign starts with good PR. And then there’s the mysterious mojo that results when the crowd, the mood, and the food all mesh. Whatever the combo, three-month-old Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar has it. By Patricia Sharpe

Texas Primer

The Chilipiquin

More fiery than the jalapeño, it answers the burning question: What’s the best chile in Texas? By Patricia Sharpe

Books That Cook

Great Bar Food at Home

Life is too short to enjoy cocktail hour with a bag of Doritos. In Kate Heyhoe’s new book Great Bar Food at Home, we learn that you can have a sophisticated bar atmosphere in the comfort of your own pad. You just have to plan. Review by Ashleigh Whaley

Get Cooking

David Bull’s Green Been and Prosciutto Salad

French green beans wrapped in thinly sliced prosciutto top a lovely green salad with orange-cucumber viniagrette. David Bull tells you how to make it.

Column

Mix Masters

Mexico has always been passionate about its native cuisine, but it has never quite believed that anyone else shared the conviction—at least, not anyone who counted. That attitude is now under siege. A small but dedicated cadre of reformers is fashioning a credo that says Mexican cooking is not just a peasant, stay-at-home cooking style but an international one. By Patricia Sharpe

In Memoriam

Norman Brinker

The restaurateur credited with popularizing the salad bar and casual dining died June 9, 2009, at the age of 78. Brinker, who founded Steak & Ale and Bennigan’s, eventually started his own company, Dallas-based Brinker International, which has bought and sold restaurants including Chili’s and On the Border. He stepped down as chairman in 2000.

Video

Bull’s Eye on Food

Patricia Sharpe talks with chef David Bull, of Dallas’s Bolla (one of Texas Monthly’s ten top places to eat this year), about his new interactive cookbook.