Austin

(From November 2010)

Farther from downtown than the hip East Side Showroom but not as far out as Justine’s, Braise has appeared on the scene from chef Parind Vora, of (the late lamented) Jezebel restaurant and Simplicity wine bar. An amiable neighborhood bistro staffed by eager servers, it claims to offer food for the soul as well as the belly. Speaking of which, a starter of thick-sliced pork belly with bright green collard greens was a welcome interpretation of soul food, besting the overly seared carpaccio of beef tenderloin. Entrées are happily offered in half portions. Although cubes of sweet potato on black beans recalled a bland hippie potluck, the creamy brussels sprouts gratin had us wishing for the full plate. Blackened bass over grits was perfunctory, but we needed no prompting to polish off the fluffy whole-wheat yeast rolls. Liquor license pending.

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(From March 2011) This popular Houston fast-casual restaurant initially developed by renowned chef Robert Del Grande has made its way to Central Austin (it occupies a former La Madeleine location, utterly modernized and transformed). The bright, cheerful setting makes for an inviting lunch or dinner stop, especially for those on the go. We got off to a shaky start with watery baked potato soup and an overdressed Greek salad, but the bacon blue cheese burger on a toasted kaiser bun hit the spot. So did a warm and gooey molten chocolate–cream cheese cupcake. Beer & wine.

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(From December 2010) This Warehouse District lounge (a dimly lit room with sea green walls, chandeliers, and a long skinny bar) makes us think of New Orleans. A local champion of the absinthe craze, Péché also offers a variety of adult beverages that would make any mixologist take notice; we fought over the Old Cuban (rum, mint, lime, champagne, and bitters). The food proved to be just as rewarding: Pan-roasted scallops arrived perfectly seared and flavorful without a hint of grittiness. Accolades went to the flatiron steak with avocado-herb butter and a ragoût of scallops, local red potatoes, and Sun Gold tomatoes. The hipsters began to wander in as the evening came to a close—for us anyway. Bar.

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(From May 2011)

Nothing if not ambitious, chef David Bull commands both new restaurants on the ground floor of the Austonian condo complex. Congress (see above) is the formal dining room and crown jewel, while Second is the stylishly casual haunt, complete with communal tables. The food here is eclectic American and well presented, as if de-signed by an architect. But we think it’s best viewed as a pleasant adjunct to a round of drinks rather than the point of the evening. A case in point are the terrific deep-fried pickles offered with Buffalo wing sauce. We also liked the diminutive, toasty veal meatballs, offered in a tiny Staub cast iron pan. Pizza with pulled pork and green chiles sounded interesting but proved ordinary. Best dish (and it was fabulous): delicate robiola-filled agnolotti. Bar.

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(From May 2011) The dinner menu at Trace, the cleverly designed new restaurant in the W Hotel, is decidedly compact—fewer than twenty items sorted into trendy categories like “farmed,” “foraged,” “crafted,” and “hunted.” We sipped a sparkling jalapeño-and-cucumber lemonade and a black peppercorn martini while perusing the choices. Good thing we did, because cocktails were the best part of the evening (there’s a reason they call the offerings “beverage & food”). We noshed on Market Snacks: a sampler of fried olives, pickled veggies, bland pâté grand-mère, and two cheeses, Pure Luck chèvre and drunken cheddar. A fricassee of wild mushrooms sounded promising, but its polenta base was watery and flavorless; a crispy snapper filet with cauliflower purée and pistachio pesto proved equally lacklus-ter. The ideas weren’t bad at all, but the kitchen needs time to mature. Bar.

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(From June 2011) Cooled by the breezes of supersize fans, the delightful patio at Zed’s provides respite for those in the Tech Ridge area of North Austin. Rounding out the picture is a menu of tasty nibbles like sweet and savory almond-crusted goat cheese (served warm with honey and grilled toast) and a small plate of saucy baby back ribs. Beef tenderloin with roasted vegetables was perfectly prepared, but the grilled mahimahi could have used a little more punch. The mac-and-cheese was, strangely, in need of much more cheese. Bar.

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(From February 2012)

Yes, the tucked-away setting off Lamar has been inauspicious for many a restaurant. And, yes, a few of us are suffering from pork fatigue. But it’s hard not to be charmed by this cheerful yellow house, with its hodgepodge of porcine decor and enthusiastic young staff. And it’s also hard not to wonder if this place got named for the wrong animal. Sure, the ubiquitous bacon was great—sprinkled atop a mound of cheesy fries, sandwiched with juicy tomatoes between thick slices of toasted bread. But what really got our attention were the massive chunks of golden-battered fried chicken, in an appetizer (strips served with bacon gravy, of course) and in the chicken BLT, in which the B, the L, and the T got seriously upstaged. Beer.

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(From January 2012)

The more things change, the more they change. Longtime central Austin restaurant Zoot moved way out to Bee Cave Road two years ago but never really thrived. Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul put it out of its misery, and about a month or so later, reopened as BC Tavern. Intelligent move. Within two weeks, the nice but less dressy restaurant and bar was busy most every night. What's bringing in the customers are backyard and down-home dishes like four different burgers and fried chicken on Sundays. But because the owners are chefs, not just cooks, they can't resist French bistro favorites like an excellent duck confit with al dente vegetables and moist, if dense, quenelles (which they disguise under the name Duck-n-Dumplins). Also very fine: a ribeye with new potatoes and a balsalmic-drizzled broiled tomato. In need of a thnk-over: clunky onion rings and delicate but disturbingly nugget-size sweetbreads.

See also Pat's Pick, page 133.

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(From January 2012)

You can't help but feel a tinge of Paris at the turn of the twentieth century when you're dining in this gothic basement-level restaurant, especially tucked away in a cozy booth beneath an antique chandelier. Gulf shrimp simmered in a garlicky tomato broth and served with a slice of crisply grilled ciabatta started the meal out on the right note. Easily keeping pace was a hearty chicken potpie with a puff pastry shell. Grilled tenderloin in a mushroom reduction with a pat of foie gras compound butter tasted as decadent as it sounds, but a seared scallop dish laden with butter and salt was too much of a good thing. Bar.

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(From December 2010) Seated in this upscale, contemporary-meets-rustic locale, you soon forget you’re at a conference center on a university campus—especially when the parade of seasonal treats starts arriving from young chef Josh Watkins. A miso-marinated Japanese mero (snapper)—served over a bed of wilted spinach, sautéed maitakes, and a carrot-ginger reduction—impressed us, as did seared wagyu paired with crisp sweetbreads and brown-butter apples. But sweet and savory grilled foie gras with roasted figs, a fig reduction, and a cloud of vanilla French toast was the dish that made us think of holiday parties to come. Bar.

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