Aquarelle

It is no lie that I love French cuisine. I am so happy that Austin now has several French restaurants to choose from that range from reasonable to extravagant. My wonderful friend Casey and I needed our usual date night, and I was pleased as punch that Austin Restaurant Week was in full force. If you live in Austin and go on W. 6th street, you may or may not have noticed the little bungalow that is Aquarelle. This place has been calling my name since it opened, and I've never had the chance to try it. Well, last night was the night. Casey and I were ecstatic. We walked up past the tiny courtyard (perfect for the upcoming Spring weather), and into the dimly lit house. We were seated at a table for two, which had a perfectly set table including China. Our hostess presented us with the Restaurant Week menu and wine list. Aquarelle was offering a 3 course dinner for $35. Amazing. We chose a bottle of Malbec, and enjoyed the crusty bread with butter (French places ALWAYS have the best butter, hands down). We talked life and careers while we were served the Amuse-Bouche, a cold polenta with creamy sauce. Lovely. We then made our menu selections. Casey chose the Tuna Carpaccio for her first course (avacado Mousse, mango coulis, and brunoise of vegetables). I went for the Countryside Farms Rabbit Puff Pastry (with local greens and walnut cream), which was originally a ravioli but changed when we dined. Casey's tuna was cool and refreshing. My rabbit was a surprising combination of deep yet sweet flavors. The walnut cream was to die for, such a great change from typical creams with a slight crunch. For our main course, Casey chose the Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops with potato compote, artichoke nage, and pancetta lardons. Her scallops were extra large and the most perfectly cooked I've ever had. The pancetta lardons were little cubes of saltiness that worked so well with the scallop flavors. I decided on the Boneless breast of duck with pommes Anna, haricot vert (French green beans), and passionfruit rum sauce. While the duck was a tad chewy, it was still great. The sauce was amazing and I soaked up every bit. Our final course happened to be our favorite. Casey chose the Coffee Poached Pear with caramel cake and chocolate ganache. INCREDIBLE. The pear was robust and held up to the coffee flavor. Add caramel and chocolate, and honey you've got one heck of a dessert. I was quite excited about the Parfait of Passionfruit custard and fresh fruit. It was amazing. Tart but sweet, creamy but light, and I wanted more. Passionfruit needs to be used more and more and more. Aquarelle's atmosphere, IMPECCABLE service, and cuisine were top notch. I will visit as much as I can in the future to see what this little house produces. A major NOT to miss opportunity in Austin.

Aquarelle
Twitter: @AquarelleATX

Austin Restaurant Week
Twitter: @AustinRestWeek

Full Aquarelle Austin Restaurant Week Menu

*I decided to refrain from pictures, but head there to see for yourself.



Photo courtesy of www.orthogonalthought.com