Austin

(From October 2009) Paris meets Austin in this new bistro (a reimagined Apple Annie’s), with its banquettes, soothing creamy-white color scheme, chalkboard specials, and lively recorded jazz. A beautiful halibut filet perched atop pea-and-corn risotto with perky tomato relish, while succulent roasted chicken was accessorized by perfectly plump herbed gnocchi, carrots, and summer squash. Bar.

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(From February 2009) It may feel like a vast, albeit attractive, corporate dining room (and it kind of is), but the food is far, far better than you might expect. Why? Josh Watkins, formerly of the Driskill Hotel, is the executive chef. Crab cakes with a roasted-corn-and-tomato salsa and a dollop of avocado mousse were delicious even though not pure lump meat. Berkshire pork tenderloin, bursting with flavor, came with cannellini beans and a topping of smoked tomatoes. The Apple Blossom, a rustic tart, had a tender, buttery crust and a pretty garnish of candied pecans. Bar.

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(From August 2009) During any given lunch hour, more than half the customers are having burgers, despite a menu with first-rate crab cakes and fried oysters. That’s what happens when you have a monster hit. This simple, flawless burger is like an expertly composed three-minute pop song: There are no wrong notes. The hand-pressed patty is six ounces of plump and succulent Niman beef from Colorado, cooked to order. The sweetness of the bun plays treble against the meaty bass line, and the toppings all contribute excellent backup. The lettuce is Boston, the onion is Bermuda, the cheese is very good cheddar, and the tomatoes are ripe. Elegant, uncomplicated, addictive.

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(From August 2009) Can this really be a sports bar? The joint’s too classy, and so’s the burger. Half a pound of freshly ground beef cooked to rosy perfection rests regally on a square ciabatta bun. The bread is toasted, and if you lean in close, you can sniff the buttery aroma. The cheese is good Longhorn cheddar, and the bacon is just about as supreme a sliver of pig as we’ve ever encountered. Shredded lettuce and slices of ripe red tomato and purple Bermuda onion round out the plate. The fries—delicate potato shoestrings dusted with Parmesan and chives—underscore the better-than-it-has- to-be philosophy here.

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(From December 2009) Mad food scientists have converted Starlite into an intriguing if disjointed wiener-oriented pub. The place recalls Hot Doug’s, the “sausage superstore” in the Windy City, evidenced by the Chicago Dog, with real-deal sport peppers and Day-Glo relish. But there are upscale items, like the aptly named Jackalope, a tasty antelope-and-rabbit sausage smothered with unlikely toppings of huckleberry jam and sriracha; it starts sweet, finishes spicy. The Frank Flapjacket—a dog in a corn-batter jacket—tastes more tamale pie than regulation corn dog. Provocative cocktails, like the Red-Headed Stranger (vodka, bacon, and cheese), co-exist with Lone Star tall boys. Bar.

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(From August 2009) Maybe it was the candlelight or the paintings of semi-clad women. Or perhaps it was because we started with a glass of ripasso. Whatever the reason, our dinner at this downtown place was just plain sexy. Happily, the mood did not abate with the arrival of the food: Rare elk (crusted with pepper and served on a bed of Puy lentils) was earthy and sensual, while long-braised lamb shank had us fighting for bites. A filet of Chilean sea bass (served with a creamy mango sauce flecked with curry leaves) wore a candylike crust with a hint of spice; chef-owner Parind Vora does have a sweet tooth. Beer & wine.

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(From July 2009) You no longer have to wait a year and then queue up at the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival to score a Hudson’s on the Bend crunchy-chicken cone. Now you can get the warm chicken tenders—coated with crushed almonds, corn flakes, sesame seeds, and chile flakes, fried, and served in a tortilla with mango-jalapeño coleslaw—six days a week at this kitschy trailer on South Congress. The avocado and shrimp versions are almost as tasty as the chicken (the first two are deals at $5.45, the latter an equally economical $6.45).

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(From August 2009) This sleek new fast-food franchise—which boasts sanitizing “hand Jacuzzis” in the dining area—looks too squeaky-clean and corporate to produce a good burger. Luckily, it serves up chow that has the heart and soul of a greasy spoon. The mouthwatering made-to-order half-pounder is hand-formed from all-natural beef that’s ground in-house daily. The hand-squeezed lemonade has just the right balance of sweet and sour, and the crinkle-cut fries, which are dusted with sea salt, are homemade.

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(From January 2009) This newish wine bar is small (intimate is in), sleek (mod is cool), and stylish (Michael Hsu, of Olivia fame, is the designer). As we watched the smartly dressed crowd of twentysomethings catching up on the day, we noshed on meatballs in a delicious broth tinged with white wine, lemon, and bay leaves. We also approved of the braised veal atop creamy polenta with fennel-apple salad (though a tad bit-ter), and a smooth white Bordeaux left us glowing. Kudos to the staff for wine knowledge and friendliness. But beware if you sit at the table in the back corner (the one with the derrière-numbing benches), because you could die over there before a server notices. Beer & wine.

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(From November 2008) With a new lunch menu featuring bistro-style fare, you don’t have to wait until dark anymore to enjoy what Starlite has to offer. Seated in the spare and airy dining room, we started with the surprisingly creamy onion tart and found ourselves devouring every crumb. The steak-frites pleased with crisp french fries dusted with sea salt, but the beef had a little too much salt in the dry rub. We finished with a rich milk-chocolate pot de crème. Bar.

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