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2 hours ago, Hank_Hill said:

Nah dude it’s trash because geography 

Precisely.  Everybody knows the best sous chefs, waitstaff, bartenders, and sommeliers drive to Lakeline Mall on Thursdays at 5:00p to setup the best restaurant in town.  I can't tell you how many high-end service industry folks commute from Manhattan each afternoon to work the dining gems of Larchmont.  

Yes, nobody commutes to work ever and everyone good at food stuffs lives downtown 

I've heard from a number of folks that it's a great restaurant.  I just don't think it warranted a "best restaurant in Austin" nomination given a number of factors. Maybe I misread the thread title.  I guess it's about "great places, not the best, but great"  Thread title should have been more fucking clear.  I'm in Houston later this week for work and can't wait to dine in Katy. 

It's possible to find one of the best restaurants in Austin outside of the downtown/central area. It's impossible to find one of the best restaurants in Austin in Cedar Park.

Well there’s one on South Lamar now, so everybody’s right. Everyone pat yourselves on the back, we did it.

Pumped to see the difference in service now that my sommelier isn’t beat down by his/her 25 minute commute.

barley swine is the best restaurant in austin.

you guys have mentioned some nice runners-up, though.

11 minutes ago, Horn21 said:

barley swine is the best restaurant in austin.

you guys have mentioned some nice runners-up, though.

Would rather have Odd Duck but love both. 

Mid have time, try the burger or red fish sandwich at Duck (lunch menu)

No Dart Bowl?  Belongs in places to eat and things to do.

Dart Bowl's sous chefs and sommeliers only have to travel a few miles from downtown Austin, so they should definitely be in the running for Best Restaurant In Austin.

52 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Dart Bowl's sous chefs and sommeliers only have to travel a few miles from downtown Austin, so they should definitely be in the running for Best Restaurant In Austin.

Well that, and they're actually located in Austin.

38 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Well that, and they're actually located in Austin.

So is Soto, now.  Are you having a hard time keeping up?

2 minutes ago, utee94 said:

So is Soto, now.  Are you having a hard time keeping up?

Not at all, Francis. Somebody nominated Soto in Cedar Park as one of the best restaurants in Austin. I'm still ribbing him for that.

Soto is more than one.  Like Nestor.

 

And you'd think someone named South Austin that doesn't live in South Austin wouldn't be so geographically sensitive...

Edited by utee94

4 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Soto is more than one.  Like Nestor.

 

And you'd think someone named South Austin that doesn't live in South Austin wouldn't be so geographically sensitive...

I understand there is more than one Soto.  But the guy said, "Soto up at Lakeline is arguably the best meal I've had in Austin." I find that shit funny.

And if someone starts a thread titled Best Surly Posters Who Live In South Austin, I'll be sure to sit that one out.

Edited by South Austin

36 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I understand there is more than one Soto.  But the guy said, "Soto up at Lakeline is arguably the best meal I've had in Austin." I find that shit funny.

And if someone starts a thread titled Best Surly Posters Who Live In South Austin, I'll be sure to sit that one out.

You're awfully sensitive about it all.  Perhaps you should sit THIS one out, Francis. :)

I hate to get into the middle of this argument, but even though Soto has a Cedar Park postal address, it is actually still inside the Austin City limits. 

The city name in the postal address only denotes which post office delivers the mail and does not mean it is in that incorporated area.

Carry on.

Chili’s at 183 and Burnet has made some great changes to their menu. Really stepped up food game. 

Service is always full of flair, and if there is a better meal than fajita shooters in this town, well fuck me. 

1 minute ago, ChickenSandwich said:

Chili’s at 183 and Burnet has made some great changes to their menu. Really stepped up food game. 

Service is always full of flair, and if there is a better meal than fajita shooters in this town, well fuck me. 

That was a go-to place for taking my high school dates, when I didn't have enough scratch for TGI Friday's at the Arboretum, so this hits close to home.

 

 

In the spirit of almost entirely missing the point of this thread, I'd like to nominate the Leaning Pear then.  Just outside Austin and not the best, but damn fucking good.  

9 hours ago, utee94 said:

You're awfully sensitive about it all.  Perhaps you should sit THIS one out, Francis. :)

giphy.gif

15 hours ago, Horn21 said:

barley swine is the best restaurant in austin.

you guys have mentioned some nice runners-up, though.

What he said.  I have never walked out of Barley Swine without being completely blown away by what I just ate.

15 hours ago, Horn21 said:

barley swine is the best restaurant in austin.

you guys have mentioned some nice runners-up, though.

SWAY would like a seat at this discussion table, please.

17 minutes ago, chitwood said:

What he said.  I have never walked out of Barley Swine without being completely blown away by what I just ate.

Had the chef's tasting for my birthday dinner in December.  It was excellent, but one complaint -- it all felt incredibly rushed like they were obviously trying to turn a table.  About three courses in we had to tell the waitress to please slow down.  But the wine pairings with the food were outstanding. 

9 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Had the chef's tasting for my birthday dinner in December.  It was excellent, but one complaint -- it all felt incredibly rushed like they were obviously trying to turn a table.  About three courses in we had to tell the waitress to please slow down.  But the wine pairings with the food were outstanding. 

That's a bummer.  Never had that happen there, and it shouldn't happen. 

1 minute ago, chitwood said:

That's a bummer.  Never had that happen there, and it shouldn't happen. 

But it was still a great experience that we'll be back.  But we might hold off on the chef's tasting.  With so many courses paired with wine and beer, we were pretty shitfaced at the end. 

Yeah, I've never felt rushed at Barley Swine either, and I've typically done the chef's tasting menu.  They definitely shouldn't have made you feel that way. 

 

That place is great, maybe my favorite in Austin.

they only have two seatings for the chef's tasting, so they probably do have you on a schedule. i did the a la carte when i went and loved it but thought bullfight was a tad better.

2 hours ago, thrillhammer said:

they only have two seatings for the chef's tasting, so they probably do have you on a schedule. i did the a la carte when i went and loved it but thought bullfight was a tad better.

Their chef's tasting option is actually scheduled out the same as the a la carte option.  You just let them know which one you're doing.  They have reservations every 15/30 mins from 5-8:45p during the week and 5-10p on the weekend for both options.

We've never been rushed there.  That's unfortunate that it happened to South Austin because it's the kind of place that makes for a really enjoyable 2-3 hour meal, and by and large the staff is aware of that.

Pro move: Ask for the mini spatula for plate-cleaning purposes.

Yeah, we just showed up a few weeks ago and sat down and they let us order the chef's tasting.  Pretty sure you can get it whenever you want.

11 hours ago, capnamerca said:

SWAY would like a seat at this discussion table, please.

I’ve always been more impressed at Sway versus Barley Swine. 

Kemuri Tatsu ya was really good the other day and I thought Loro was really awesome. I still always find Uchi pretty unbeatable though.

Little Deli. Harry's Perfect Pastrami. Heaven. 

while i think i could easily name what i think is best thai, or best italian, etc., i don't know that i could say "best restaurant" since i think my experiences at say, sway are different than they are at jeffrey's or wherever else and not really comparable in a one better than the other sense.   

that said, the places where i have been consistently impressed to blown away, in a "i don't think anything could have been improved" from food to service to atmosphere, every time i have been there:

sway

uchiko

odd duck

chez nous

 

moo sway roast pork shoulder from sway last night - to add a pic to the thread - pretty incredible.  easily enough for 3 people

 

IMG_1252_zpsvwhfrmpe.jpg

Yea it’s amazing, but communal seating can S my D

0_F050303_0_F3_F_4965_8_A1_A_C73_BF0_AFD
 

Edited by Hank_Hill

13 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Yea it’s amazing, but communal seating can S my D


 

i'm not a fan either - that said, we walked in to the new domain location at 7:30 pm and had our choice of seats (with no wait) - a table to ourselves on the small patio on the side, or by ourselves at the counter along the big windows facing the street, so that was great.  granted, nothing like that has ever happened at the main location on S. 1st

21 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Yea it’s amazing, but communal seating can S my D

Communal seating has a time and place for me.  I've really enjoyed it, and I've also not been in the mood for it.

What gets me more than the communal tables at Sway is not being able to hear the person next to me because it's so loud in there.  I'll sit at a big table with people, but I'm not into yelling in a restaurant in order to have a conversation.

Unless things have changed, if I'm not sitting outside or at the bar, I'm pretty out on Sway.  Which sucks, because I think the food is top notch.

56 minutes ago, Jack Straw said:

while i think i could easily name what i think is best thai, or best italian, etc., i don't know that i could say "best restaurant"

I'm pretty sure the best restaurant in Austin has never been an Italian restaurant.  Vespaio, Siena, Andiamo and La Traviata are good.  Mezzaluna and Stelline were good.  None were "best" (unless I'm missing something).

3 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm pretty sure the best restaurant in Austin has never been an Italian restaurant.  

right, i agree, but i didn't say that it is or has been.  

25 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'm pretty sure the best restaurant in Austin has never been an Italian restaurant.  Vespaio, Siena, Andiamo and La Traviata are good.  Mezzaluna and Stelline were good.  None were "best" (unless I'm missing something).

Olive & June got close for me, but I agree, my best restaurant in Austin choice was never an Italian place.

On 5/1/2018 at 9:02 PM, ChickenSandwich said:

Chili’s at 183 and Burnet has made some great changes to their menu. Really stepped up food game. 

Service is always full of flair, and if there is a better meal than fajita shooters in this town, well fuck me. 

This holds a special place in my heart....I waited tables there 1986-1990.  Good times.

35 minutes ago, Jack Straw said:

right, i agree, but i didn't say that it is or has been.  

Sorry, didn't mean to imply otherwise.  It's just a missing piece of the Austin food puzzle.

26 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Sorry, didn't mean to imply otherwise.  It's just a missing piece of the Austin food puzzle.

No worries.  I really like La Traviata and ASTI, and have had a couple really good experiences at L’oca D’ora (and one not so great) but I think you and I share the sentiment of “how can a city this size not have more/better Italian” 

Forgot ASTI.  It's grown on me.  Haven't tried the other one.

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