Austin

(From February 2012)

The more things change, the more they stay the same. In the case of Mirabelle, the changes come in the form of new owners, a new chef, and an authentically French menu, while the friendly service and warm neighborhood vibe remain. Duck rillettes pleased us more in taste than in presentation, but butter leaf lettuce with an herbed vinaigrette achieved both eye and palate appeal. Classic trout meunière hit the right notes (citrusy, savory, and buttery), and a merguez sausage sandwich with crispy french fries made a lasting impression. We swooned over a chocolate custard tart sprinkled with sea salt and an apple galette served with brown butter ice cream. Beer & wine.

Leave a Review

(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.

Leave a Review

(From April 2012)

Don’t let the nearby Taco Bell and cigarette shop deter you from dining at this delightful Mediterranean spot. We were charmed the minute we walked in and surveyed the long, stylish bar and small tables dressed in white and topped with brown parcel paper. Our congenial waiter walked us through the specials—we couldn’t resist the roasted apple and radicchio salad (delicious)—and clued us in to all the house-made breads, pastas, and gnocchi. We approved of the lightly toasted baguette (baked early that morning), which proved to be the building block of our scrumptiously comforting croque-monsieur. But the honors went to the lovely house-roasted pork shoulder over roasted apple couscous and warm ratatouille. Bar.

Leave a Review

(From January 2012)

Yet another Dallas import has hit the Seconf Street District. Cool and dark, Coal Vines' interior is complemented by a wall of glass doors that open onto the street-side patio. We came for the thin-crusted pizzas cooked over hot-hot coal fires and immediately fell in love with the bolognese and bechamel versions. Branching out, we found an American-Italian penne with vodka sauce pretty predictable, but the seafood risotto cake was an addictively tasty surprise. Beer & wine.

Leave a Review

(From May 2012)

When everything—cutting-edge food, an impressive wine and cocktail list, intelligent service, and a setting of quiet luxury—must come together, Congress is the place. Depending on the night, chef David Bull’s scintillating set menus might include an irresistible burrata salad (a voluptuous marvel set off by squares of earthy golden beet and dabs of blood orange agrodolce). Or, just for fun, he might do a smashing send-up of a New York deli plate: luscious beef tongue pastrami with mustard-miso dressing and crispy fried rye toast strips. Fine surf (lobster salad) and turf (ribeye cap) are offered, of course, but it would be a shame not to have the lovely signature ravioli filled with a purée of Thumbelina carrots under a heady cap of lemongrass foam and a garnish of bright shiso leaves. Congress is a showstopper. Bar.

Leave a Review

(From May 2012)

Can a beer garden and watering hole serve cuisine, not just pub grub? Obviously yes. The parking lot view reminds us the site once housed a car rental operation, but the gravel patio now holds picnic tables, and the covered open-air seating area is outfitted with tall community tables. Best, the menu manages to be both up to the minute and comfortably homey at once. Rich porchetta de testa (slices of head cheese—sounds better in French, doesn’t it?) is cooked sous vide and comes out buttery with a slight chew. A terrine of rabbit, with breast meat on top, was mild and moist, with stunning Poteet strawberries (in season when we visited) that really made the dish sing. The farm-to-table ethos also produced beets and creamy potatoes topped with a salad of arugula and dill, and a bowl of pickled green tomatoes balanced the richness of homemade chicharrones. Bar.

Leave a Review

(From February 2011) It proved a little too breezy for alfresco dining on a recent outing to this bustling Second Street wine bar, but we slipped into a comfortable corner table with a street view and watched the passersby as we sipped a divine and not-too-pricey pinot from Oregon and noshed on lamb lollipops (jazzed with goat cheese, mint, balsamic reduction, crispy prosciutto, and a fig demi). The Cru house salad—wild arugula, cherry tomatoes, candied walnuts, and ricotta—came dressed with a nice apple cider vinaigrette and provided the just-what-we-needed light dish. Our companion’s grilled salmon in a basil-citrus sauce was as close to perfection as it gets. Beer & wine.

Leave a Review

(From June 2012)

The gastropub, as ubiquitous as skinny jeans, has a new iteration in north central Austin, creating a hipster food node with nearby Foreign & Domestic. The comfy mid-century-styled space demands that you order one of the cheeky cocktails, but there’s also wine and craft beer (or Coors Light, on a list entitled “We Don’t Judge”). Menu items are more elevated than the usual sponges with which to soak up drink, like pickled eggs, subtly vinegary and enhanced by a hot paprika sprinkle. The brussels sprouts bored us, but soft pillows of grit cakes topped with an intense crawfish gastrique were surprisingly fine. The burger, with house-cured pickles and a subtly sweet bun, is great, but Crack and Cheese, orecchiette pasta with
sprinkles of duck cracklings in cheese sauce, was grainy
and less than addictive. Bar.

Leave a Review

(From February 2012)

Those who feared that the dining room’s recent renovation might diminish its charm can relax. The historic hotel still delivers on gracious atmosphere and gold-star treatment. Though tempted to indulge in the seven-course tasting menu, we opted to order à la carte. Soy-glazed-ahi tartare was a fresh start that came alive with lemon and yuzu-ginger sauce, and a beet and goat cheese salad (with crisp slices of Fuji apple drizzled with honey) gave the feel of healthy decadence. A beautifully grilled filet mignon pleased, but creamy risotto with chanterelle mushrooms and creamy pumpkin purée stole our hearts. Bar.

Leave a Review

(From May 2012)

Taking a stately historic building nestled against Waller Creek and doing it justice, the folks behind this bastion of bread, brats, and beer have upped the class factor of East Sixth Street by a mile. If you can make your way past Coyote Ugly and Peckerheads (better yet, approach from the I-35 side), you’ll find a stylish French bakery upstairs and a German biergarten downstairs, where the menu is populated with snacks like soft pretzels and beer cheese, a variety of sausages (the garlicky classic Italian is our favorite), and an array of extras (whole-grain mustard, excellent potato salad, peperonata, sauerkraut). Also on deck are nice cheeses curated by Antonelli’s and baguette sandwiches like smoked salmon and goat cheese and pear. Boutique beers are the thing here, but this being Austin’s Bourbon Street, there’s a full bar too. Service is responsive and refreshingly grown-up. Bar.

Leave a Review