Wink

I have been wanting to try Wink in Austin for years now. It literally is down the street, and I've never made it surprisingly. Well hello to restaurant.com again, and an official good-bye dinner for my dear friend Casey. She was off East for her career promotion and the thing we do best together is eat. We headed to Wink and got ready for all the rumors of greatness to be true. The restaurant is split in two separate sections. The right entrance is for reservations, the left for the bar and other come and go seating. We sat at the bar, which may be the best seat in the house. We had the bartender at our beckon call to answer all questions drink related. We fortunately ended up sitting next to the Wine selector for the restaurant. He gave us suggestions and tastings from his perfect personal choices. Seriously good start and ultimate finish to the night. Back to the middle of the culinary story. The menu changes daily, so we jumped right into the night's offerings. We ordered the cheese plate of the bar menu. I swear I've never had a full on bad cheese plate. It was excellent of course with one of its favorite partners, wine. We chose a Malbec, well the only Malbec on the wine list. Affordable yet satisfying. Then we got down to business. Casey chose the Dayboat Scallops (arugula, pattypan squash, sorrel emulsion, lemon grass vinaigrette). Cooked to PERFECTION. Light, sweet, the bounce back but softness you should get with good execution. I chose the Braised Rabbit leg (herbed gnudi, baby squash, lemony peashoots, and squash blossoms). Stick a fork in me and call me DONE. This was one of the best food marriages I've had. The vows exchanged by each flavor made my tastebuds tear up with love and adoration. Excellent. The rabbit tender, the lemony peashoots such a surprise, and gnudi a new fav. We chose desserts as if it could get any better. Well soldier, it DID. Caps are needed for this one. We selected the El Rey Chocolate cake (warm flourless chocolate cake, el ray chocolate, zinfandel infused cherries), and the Lemon Meringue pot (tart lemon curd, crisp meringue cup, candied lemon zest and berries). The chocolate cake was fantastic, but let me say the meringue pot stole the show. One of the best desserts ever. So light, so tart, so creamy. The candied lemon zest was out of sight. I could snack on it all day long. Wink is definitely one of my top picks in Austin after the visit. Go in for a drink at the bar, but don't forget the dishes that you can experience. It's worth every bite.

Wink Restaurant
Twitter: @winkrestaurant

It's My Birthday, Let's Eat! - Crawfish, Jack Allen's Kitchen & Perla's

My 27th Birthday rolled in and took me by surprise. Late, late twenties...wow. My wonderful newly married friends Bradley & Lindsay offered to throw a crawfish boil for my bday, and a newly graduated friend with her MBA! It was absolutely perfect, especially since all I really wanted for my bday was to eat, all weekend. We gathered at their adorable abode and the festivities began. Bradley, master chef/boiler rallied up his new pot, crawfish from Quality Seafood, and let the good times roll. While he was cooking away, we snacked upon my fabulous friend Laura's homemade crab cakes. Uh, ah-mazing! It was her first attempt, and may I say they were a home run to the max. The perfect amount of crab, seasoning, and bite. I could have eaten them all day, but they were gone in about 2.5 seconds. Lindsay busted out some fantastic Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting for the occastion as well. Delish! We drank our cervezas and Bradley's killer margaritas (we'll call them tequilla with a little lime and ice) and enjoyed the sunny May day. I couldn't imagine a better way to start a new year of mi vida, and celebrate such a major accomplishment as getting an MBA. It was fabulous. The next day, I awoke with an oh so friendly hangover, but ready to jump on the food trail again. My mom, brother and I started with appetizers at Jack Allen's Kitchen in South Austin. The restaurant was opened by Jack Gilmore and Tom Kamm. Jack was the founding chef at Z'Tejas in Austin. Not knowing what to expect, I went in wide eyed and hungry. We sat outside on the fantastic patio and were served a complimentary plate of the House made Pimento Cheese with flatbread. Delicious and creamy. After scarfing that down, we decided on the Bacon Wrapped Texas Quail (Jalepeno jam, peach jam, and micro green fig salad), as well as the Smoked Beef Rib Quesadilla (Pepper Jack, cotija cheese, and Jack's Slaw). They were both like a birthday present to our mouths. The quail was tender, juicy and soaked up every bit of its bacon wrapped flavor. The jellies and fig were outstanding with the meat. I could have licked the plate clean. The quesadillas were filled with moist beef rib in a sauce that was finger licking good. I could have stayed all day and eaten everything else on the menu. Jack's prides themselves on using local farm foods, and it definitely shows. The chefs put everything into each dish, and it makes you stop and appreciate their efforts. As if that little meal weren't enough, I was craving seafood for the big bday dinner. The three of us headed to Perla's on South Congress for the feast. The weather was perfection, so we sat at one of the picnic tables on the front patio. The trees, sunset, and strings of lights were like eating in a friend's backyard. So wonderful. I had been craving the restaurant's Crab Louie (Lump Crab with Cornmeal Fried Green Tomatoes, and Russian Dressing) for weeks, and immediately ordered it with a glass of Pinot Grigio. For our entrees, I ordered the Maine Sea Scallops a la Plancha with poached garlic drawn butter, Mom and brother both got the Oak Grilled Trout (one with Salsa Verde and the other with poached garlic drawn butter), and to top it off we got a side of Shells & Cheese. I have to say my scallops were the most perfectly cooked scallops I've ever had. They were large and in charge, perfectly tender and succulent. The fish was fresh and excellent. The Shells & cheese, heaven with a kick of jalapeno. We finished the happy birthday to me celebrations with an order of the Strawberry Rhubarb Tart, and the Banana Split. The tart was a blissful marriage of tart and sweet with a flaky crust to bind it together. The banana split was kick ass. The BEST chocolate ice cream I've ever tasted, which is handmade at the restaurant in an old fashioned ice cream maker. Rich, creamy, and the most pristine chocolate flavor, ever. It was one fantastic birthday and I loved every minute during every meal. Grateful for another year, and grateful for many more meals to come. Cheers!

Quality Seafood

Jack Allen's Kitchen
Twitter: @jackallens

Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar

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

Peche, Si Vous Plais

I am very fortunate to have a great group of single girlfriends in Austin. We decided to get together recently and treat ourselves to good food, drinks, dancing, and other delights. Our night began with dinner at Peche, one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. Peche is promoted as an absinthe bar, and has some of the best cocktails in town. Though we didn't meet the green fairy, we did our best to sample the cream of the crop from the bar. I began with one of my favorite cocktails in town, the Cucumber Martini (Hendrick's gin, cointreau, cucumber juice, rosemary, and cayenne pepper). You may have a furrowed look on your brow, but let me say it is heaven. I'm not even a fan of gin, and this one gets me every time. It is the perfect "let's start this weekend off with a bang" mixture. Really great especially if you're not into sweet drinks. My friend Jessica ordered the Jade (Pineapple, vanilla vodka, lime & lemon juice, Midori and bar syrup). It was tasty, but also reminded us of a jolly rancher. Good for those who like the sweet stuff. Deanna ordered the French 75 (St. Germain, lemon juice, champagne), which also happens to be another one of my favorites. Love champagne? This will kick your love into a full on affair. The perfect balance of bubbly and citrus. St. Germain is made with elderflower, which has a slight grapefruit taste. We made our menu selections, which happened to be a special Valentine's selection and were talked into the Lobster empanadas for starters. They were great, but we wanted the stars of the show. I got the Bay Boat Scallops with celery root, fingerling potato chips, and brown butter hollandaise. Holy (insert whatever word here) it was so incredibly good. Creamy, rich, perfectly cooked scallops, finished with the crunch of the chip. Jessica got the Prime Beef Tenderloin with roasted cippolinas (onions), pommes frites puree, and jus. Really tender and deep flavors. Deanna decided on the Homemade potato gnocchi, which was filling and rich. During dinner we each ordered a few more cocktails. I decided on the Fig Manhattan (Rye Whiskey, Vya sweet vermouth, house made cherry vanilla bitters, and fig foam), well because I love whiskey. It was intense with a balance of fruit and whiskey burn. I loved it and the fig foam was a great finish. Jessica got a Cucumber martini after sampling mine, and Deanna got a French 75 (Gin, champagne, bar syrup, and lemon juice). We finished our indulgence with the Mascapone Tart with late harvest vinegar strawberries and cool sweet gelatin. So nice after rich, delicious meals. As if we couldn't celebrate enough, both Jessica and I decided to try the Pink Lady (Gin, applejack, lemon juice,house grenadine, and egg white). Though sweet, I really enjoyed the egg white finish and the slight tartness of the drink. It was of course the first cocktail designed for a woman, we had to try. The night was exceptional, we talked, laughed, and went on to have a dance off at our first stop. Fantastic. Peche is definitely a place you can unwind, take your time, and enjoy the talent it hosts. Try their regular dinner menu with daily specials whenever you get the chance.

Peche Austin
Twitter: @Peche_Austin