Austin Restaurant Week

Haddingtons

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:06:27 +0000

Haddingtons is an American Tavern in downtown Austin serving thoughtfully interpreted traditional American cuisine & carefully crafted cocktails, wine and beer.

Braise

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:05:16 +0000

Braise is a Chef driven, wine centric, modern American cuisine that is based on the finest European culinary traditions by a four diamond rated chef Parind Vora.

With Chef Frederick Carneiro at the helm Braise is showing off big flavors, bold presentation & balanced cuisine. Friendly, professional service that completes the experience. Exciting, Fun & Tasty. An adventure in food & wine with the edge of the east-side energy

Finn & Porter

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:59:00 +0000

Chef Ryan Gossett hails from Chanute Kansas, with 15 years of culinary experience before joining Finn & Porter in 2009. His talent for creating Asian, European, and Mediterranean inspired dishes has made him an extraordinary addition to our restaurant. Expect to be visually delighted, as his dishes are as wonderful to look at as they are to eat. Chef Gossett cooks with passion because he sees how the food experience brings diners such great satisfaction. His promotion of ‘direct from farm to table’ food preparation has resulted in fresher foods, and the use of locally-grown products. This conscientious ideology was influenced by the fresh vegetables from his grandmother’s garden he had the unique pleasure of tasting as a child. His family also influenced his unrivaled creativity, as watching his big brother create delicious meals as a child lead to him to do the same. He would later go on to develop his skills as a leading chef, including cooking in fine-dining establishments in Minneapolis-St. Paul, prior to joining us.

Garrido’s Restaurant

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:37:17 +0000

ALC Steaks (Austin Land and Cattle Co.)

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:37:01 +0000

Enjoy a delicious steak and a taste of Austin.
You haven’t experienced the best of Austin until
you’ve been to ALC Steaks. The capitol city’s only
independent, family owned steakhouse serves
sizzling, hand-cut, aged beef the way Austinites have
loved it for over 18 years.
From our rich, antique wooden bar to our relaxing,
unpretentious dining room, everything about us says,
“welcome.” Our exceptional service and genuine
hospitality are as inviting as the many signature items
on our menu.
Tonight’s the perfect evening to discover something
else great about Austin.

360 Uno Trattoria & Wine Bar

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:36:48 +0000

360 Uno Trattoria & Wine Bar is a place to be lived, a spirited environment to be part of your life and taste. An environment suited for an individual as well as gatherings; for today and tomorrow. We bring this like an art to be shared with passion in every detail.
The one and only with Ciao Italia Award in Austin for True Authentic Italian Cuisine.
Recipient of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator 7 years in a row and running.
Recipient of Award of Distinction from Wine Enthusiast.

TRIO

editor — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:36:33 +0000

Grant Macdonald / Chef de Cuisine If variety is the spice of life, then one could call Chef de Cuisine Grant Macdonald’s restaurant experience perfectly seasoned. Want Italian? Been there. Craving French? Cooked that. Greek, Pan-Asian or Seafood? Check, check and…check. Truly, his culinary history is as well-rounded as a chef’s toque. And with his addition to the TRIO team in December 2011, he’ll soon be able to formally add “steak” to his areas of expertise. Born in Vancouver, Grant moved to Tromsø, Norway with his family when he was eight years old, giving him early exposure to international food and the concept of knowing exactly where your food is sourced. “Tromsø was rural, so we literally grew our own potatoes and caught our own fish,” says Grant. Although his family lived in Norway for only a year, Grant’s first foray into the farm-to-table concept seems to have created an appreciation for fresh ingredients that provide a sense of place. “As a chef, for inspiration I look to my local environment – the farms, ranches and orchards,” says Grant. “I like to see what’s coming out of the earth and to think about how I can put it on a plate.” With such a keen interest in how things are made, it’s no surprise Grant originally pursued a degree in chemistry at McGill University in Montreal. Selecting the major because he “was good at it,” he soon determined he didn’t love the idea of a future holed up in a lab working with chemicals. Forced to choose between starting a different course of study and finding a job to pay the bills, he headed across the street – literally – to a brand new restaurant, hoping his summers in food service would pay off. As luck would have it, the chef, Michel Ross, had worked under Gordon Ramsey in England and, finding Grant to be “a nice guy,” he was willing to take the relative novice under his wing. Grant was given the role of prep cook, and within a short year and a half he was promoted to saucier (lead cook). After helping Ross open a new Pan-Asian fusion restaurant called Baila, Grant went to work for Claude Pelletier, one of Quebec’s top chefs and Chef Ross’ culinary mentor. As garde manger cook at Cube at the Hotel St. Paul, Grant learned how to re-create old school classics in a modern way. He says of the experience, “I didn’t realize at the time how ahead of the curve we were, but I see restaurants today doing what we pioneered back then.” In 2003, Grant left Cube to help a co-worker open Bronte, an Italian fine dining restaurant that was soon named the “Best New Restaurant in Canada.” The following year, he moved to the venerable Le Club des Pins, a southern French restaurant that had been around for 20 years but had slipped from its glory days. “Some of the best chefs in the city had worked in that kitchen,” says Grant. “I was lucky to get in there.” Unfortunately, after Grant built it back up to glowing critical reviews, the restaurant’s owner decided to sell. The following year of 2005 would be a busy one full of new experiences for Grant. Intent on expanding his skills, he stepped out of his comfort zone and took the role of pastry chef for Brunoise, a top Zagat-rated restaurant in Montreal. Mastering that, he ran a high-end market for a four-star Greek restaurant group. The year would also introduce him to another side of the restaurant business: catering. As the chef at a high-end caterer, Grant oversaw some of Montreal’s most logistically complex events, ranging from seated dinners for 700 to receptions that required 60,000 canapés. This catering knowledge would come in handy when Grant and his wife catered their own wedding that October. In 2006, Grant returned to the restaurant world to work as the daytime chef de cuisine at Tavern on the Square. The schedule was perfect for his most important role to date as dad to his newborn daughter. After over two years at the Tavern and six months of Canadian paternity leave following the birth of his son, Grant was ready for a real change of scenery. In 2009, he packed up the family and moved to New York to assume the chef de cuisine role at Bouley Upstairs and two other David Bouley restaurants. At the end of 2009, Grant made the decision to move back to his hometown of Vancouver to accept the position of chef de cuisine at YEW, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver’s restaurant. Although born there, Grant says “it was cool to see what a world-class dining city it had become.” That said, he quickly made his own mark by modernizing brunch – increasing the covers from 30 to 300 a day in the process – and helping change the branding from a generic restaurant to a seafood concept complete with a raw bar. He also oversaw the restaurant’s food operations during the 2010 Olympics, a high-profile gig that saw him serving everyone from heads-of-state to media and celebrities. Armed with a dozen years in the kitchen and a variety of experiences, Grant moved within the company to take the helm in TRIO at Four Seasons Hotel Austin in December 2011. The furthest south he’s yet travelled in his career, he’s excited to create new dishes using local ingredients like pecans and olive oil. “I was thrilled to hear Texas is the second largest producer of olive oil in the U.S., since it’s never been a local ingredient for me,” says Grant. “I look forward to exploring even more Texas ingredients since I really love the idea that you get a sense of place based on what you’re eating.” Just like he did back in Norway. Coming full circle? Not surprising for such a well-rounded chef.

Restaurant Roundup Winds Down: #’s: 1886 & 360 Uno

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:37:06 +0000

Tonight’s the last night of the Fall run of Austin Restaurant Week! It’s been a delicious success since our kickoff party just two weeks ago! We’ve even accomplished the feat of feat-uring all 57 participating restaurants IN alphabetical order in just 16 days! Thank you to all of our participating restaurants and to you lovely Austinites who have eaten your way through our event, shared your stories and photos, and helped our local restaurant economy! The last two restaurants (but NOT least) in our A-Z roundup are the restaurants starting with… a #!

1886 Café and Bakery

Located in the beautiful Driskill Hotel, 1886 was named the “Best Traditional American Cuisine” by Zagat and was awarded “2007 Best Hotel Dining” by CitySearch. 1886 uses fresh ingredients that produce an array of flavors. Their Restaurant Week menus were crafted for dinner, lunch, and brunch. The dinner delectables include comforts like fried chicken, chili, and brown sugar rubbed short ribs. 1886 is well known for their incredible brunch which they shared with us this Restaurant Week. If you missed it, put it on your to-go brunch list for a rainy (or sunny) Sunday morning! Executive Chef, Jonathan Gelman has over 20 years of experience in restaurant fine-dining and Executive Pastry Chef, Tony Sansalone was named “Austin’s Premiere Pastry Chef by the Austin-American Statesman. 1886 is gluten-free, and has a vegetarian option for any time of the day those hunger pains strike you!

360 Uno Trattoria & Wine Bar

360 Uno Trattria & Wine Bar offers the ultimate Italian experience “where culture, quality, atmosphere and design come together.” The atmosphere is just as bright and flavorful as their food (which is gluten free!) and award-winning wine selection. Their Restaurant Week menu features Italian-influenced dishes from Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms (a perfect vegetarian option!) to Chicken Breast to Salmon with Shrimp. Complement your dish with a glass of wine as they’re also offering wine pairings! In addition to their impressive vino list, they have their own wine label! I guess you’ll have to discover the best of Italy firsthand by trying 360 tonight – the last night of Restaurant Week, or stop by to catch their flavors during their normal hours- you can make any day a special occasion here!

Restaurant Week Roundup A-Z: U Know U Want To Try Them!

admin — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:27:07 +0000

Uchi
What do you get when you put fresh fish, candied citrus, grilled asparagus, oak-grilled escolar, bacon, thai basil, coffee, peanut butter, and lemon on a menu? Uchi, of course. Acclaimed culinary genius leading both Uchi and Uchiko, Tyson Cole, is so skilled at his craft, the flavors on his menu can be subtle, or bold, spicy, or citrus-y, earthy, or oceanic, and still jive symphonically. He has a way of adding the element of surprise just when you think you’ve had him figured out. So, it’s no question you must experience Uchi at least once, it will grab you and take hold. Restaurant Week is an unbeatable time to taste Uchi’s world-class menu at a hard-to-believe price!

Uchiko
Uchiko’s fried marinated chicken, beef tongue, and sea bass, infused with flavors like grapefruit and lemon chili are tantalizing. Its hot and cool plates and creative flavor combos provide a familiar yet distinct enough experience from Uchi that you need to try both to feel complete. The Restaurant Week menu also includes crispy brussels sprouts that are to-die-for, and their signature sweet corn sorbet, fried milk, and tobacco cream desserts are each one of a kind, difficult to choose from, and will force you to start thinking about your next visit on your last flavor note.

Urban an American Grill
Another gem in one of Austin’s most polished hotels, this time in North Austin at the Westin Domain, Urban an American Grill’s menu is inventive and locally-influenced. In fact, if you notice upon walking into the hotel, lights hang over and behind the bar resembling the curvy shape of those longhorns we all know and love. The menu also feels close to home, yet exciting and enticing. Their Restaurant Week menu features squash soup, beets with local chevre (cheese) with a truffle vinaigrette, and crab salad with pistachios and maple balsamic for some mouth-watering starters. Short ribs with blue cheese, Trout with carrot butter (this is a first for us!), and the esteemed Pork Belly with sundried tomato jus for savory main courses. If a Bacon Bourbon Brownie doesn’t scream Texas, Nicole’s Carrot Cake (the second dessert option) with creme brulee batter and Amy’s Mexican Vanilla ice cream is there to put us in our place. You might be able to squeeze in a reservation for the final evening tonight…what are you waiting for??

Restaurant Roundup A-Z: T-rrific Hotel Eats

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:15:53 +0000

We’re nearing the end of the alphabet in our Restaurant Week A-Z Roundup, but that doesn’t mean our final features are anything less than superior! And, you still have time to make reservations since our local three-course restaurant celebration runs until Wednesday!

Both ‘T’ restaurants are housed in hotels, and they make it a point to be an integral part of the Austin community (exhibit A: both participants in Austin Restaurant Week!) Here we go:

TRACE
Catch traces of local flavors and ingredients featured on the ground floor of the urban-chic W Hotel downtown at TRACE. With an exotic menu that sourced close to home, TRACE even has its own Forager (that’s what we want to be when we grow up!), responsible for making sure nearby farms and Austin-area-originated products make their way onto your plate. The Restaurant Week lunch menu has southern, Asian, and Indian influences, and includes light fare like Tomato and Bell Pepper Gazpacho, to savory Kim Chi Pancakes, and even heartier grilled beef and veggie burgers, and several sweet treats for dessert. You can choose two courses for just $15! What a deal for a meal you’d expect to be priced for the trendy, spendy tourist. The dinner menu includes Mac n’ Cheese with sweet corn, sharp cheddar and bacon crust, salmon and summer risotto, and again, irresistible desserts to choose from including Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding (um, yes please!).

TRIO
TRIO, the restaurant destination housed inside the Four Seasons Austin drawing in visitors and locals alike, it defines itself as offering “fine dining in a contemporary atmosphere both relaxing and sophisticated” and we’d say they’re spot on. With natural light pouring in the windows bordering the restaurant and providing a view of Lady Bird Lake, TRIO offers an impeccable and simple menu that is precisely thought-out and refined. Minimal ingredients are used to focus on flavor and quality, while offering an element of mystery. Take, for example, the Crab Toast on the Restaurant Week menu. We’re intrigued by it! Smoked Texas Ribeye, Gulf Flounder, and Dewberry Farm chicken (from Texas!) are the main course stars. Molten Chocolate Cake and Texas Olive Oil Cake present a difficult dessert choice, so make a reservation and take a buddy so you can order both!