Austin

(From June 2009) Though best known for its steaks, Finn & Porter—the Hilton’s recently remodeled upscale restaurant—also offers an extensive sushi menu. A plate of complimentary edamame (here served cold) is a pleasant way to start your meal, as is the Chuka salad, a tangle of green seaweed served over ponzu-marinated sliced cucumber. Standout sashimi includes the house-smoked escolar, so buttery it all but melts on your tongue. Overall, we found the rolled sushi a little fussy, though; the Finn Roll was a smorgasbord all by itself of spicy assorted fish, avocado, and tempura flakes on the inside, with thin-sliced tuna and salmon wrapped around the outside, plus a dusting of chives. Given that fresh fish is flown in three times a week, the sushi chef could make us happy simply by observing the adage “Less is more.” Bar.

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(From August 2009) Undoubtedly some people will resist ordering a boring burger from a menu that boasts twelve kinds of oysters flown in daily from all over creation, but, well, those people are fools. This extra-juicy patty comes covered with white cheddar and perched on a toasted, house-made bun. The meat is so well seasoned you’ll scavenge the little beef nubbins that fall on your plate. If there’s a drawback to this burger, it is that it’s petite (6.5 ounces), which seems downright cruel when you’re licking the plate. Crispy potato slivers powdered in chopped garlic, shallot, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper will ruin you for all other fries.

November 7th, 2009 at 8:39am
Charlie says:
My wife and I had an amazing meal here last night. Utterly memorable. A dozen Malpeque oysters, champagne, the raw salmon, squash soup, brussel sprouts, finished off with chocolate sticky toffee pudding. If you are looking for a special place for a beautiful meal, this is the place!

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(From November 2009) We’d barely begun to enjoy the canopy of ancient oaks over the deck and the crisp rosé in hand before we were escorted indoors to our table, just beyond the supercool saltwater tank aswim with colorful fish (we thought it a true piece of art). Our starters were heavenly: a seared scallop with apple slices, jícama, lime, and jalapeño and a cluster of New Orleans–style barbecued shrimp with grilled ciabatta for sopping (did we really say that?). But it was the crispy Gulf snapper with warm lemon spinach and spicy sofrito that really took us to the next level. All around, the best seafood restaurant in town. Bar.

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(From June 2009) Succulent mounds of lobster nestled in the center of a buttery bisque proved a delightful beginning at this upscale restaurant overlooking the banks of Lady Bird Lake. New chef Scott Szekretar has revamped the menu with a lengthy selection of seafood dishes, one of the best being a plump seared halibut filet surrounded by crisply fried potato gnocchi on a bed of wilted Swiss chard and roasted-tomato purée. The turf lover at our table found the tender braised short ribs (atop a fluffy cloud of mashed potatoes) a soulful treat. Bar.

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(From November 2009) Although the shingle out front proclaims shrimp and “seafoods,” it’s the lush patio with swaying palm fronds and towering bamboo that adds more of a Gulf Coast feel to this hipster hive in the former Azul. The best approach is to enjoy the package as a whole, because the food still needs some work. While playing bocce or sipping a fruity rum drink, start with oysters broiled under a copious Parmesan crust, then follow them up with a few bacon-wrapped shrimp heavily dusted in Cajun seasoning. You might add a bite of the Texas caviar (oddly including hominy and seasoned with cumin). Best bet: tender hushpuppies with a spicy ranch dressing. It all comes in paper food trays, reinforcing the casual vibe. On our visit, the kitchen was housed in an adjacent trailer, perhaps prohibiting the actual service of raw shucked seafoods.

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