Austin City Bites

By Bob & Sue

A weekend in the country’s fastest growing city (which embraces its reputation for being weird, as well as the Live Music Capital of the World) included memorable dinners at a prominent food critic’s three favorite restaurants:

Qui

Credit: Nicolai McCrary

Philippine native Paul Qui delivers an eclectic combination of flavors with his kare kare Filipino stew with peanut curry and seasonal vegetables; a crispy pig’s head sisig with fried egg, cilantro and jalapeño vinegar; and a dinuguan pork stew with pork blood, crunchy rice, coconut vinegar and red onion. The green curry fried chicken, smoked wagu beef short rib and cheddar cheese ice cream are also recommended.

1600 e 6th Street, Austin, Texas 78702  /  512.436.9626  /  quiaustin.com

Lenoir

Bouley-alum Todd Duplechan and his chef wife Jessica Maher intermingle a variety of flavors and ingredients in dishes such as cashew ginger soup with wheat berry sesame granola and black olive oil; a refreshing cold crawfish salad with pickled kohlrabi on smoked chili cornbread; and a yakatori antelope heart cooked rare, with bitter greens and Sichuan raisins. The almond raisin tart with Meyer lemon ice cream is a nice finish.

1807 S 1st St, Austin, Texas 78704  /  512.215.9778  /  lenoirrestaurant.com

Uchiko

Credit: Erica Wilkins

James Beard-winning Tyson Cole elevates traditional Japanese dishes with his creative touches, including tempura Japanese eggplant crisps with a sweet chili sauce; karaage fried marinated chicken with cucumber and seasonal pickle; big eye tuna sashimi with goat cheese and pumpkin seed oil; Japanese yellow tail crudo with ponzu, Thai chilis and orange supreme; and thinly-sliced wagu beef marinated in ponzu and cooked briefly on a hot rock.

4200 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas 78756  /  512.916.4808  /  uchikoaustin.com

Stubb’s BBQ

We also enjoyed lunches of great tacos at Torchy’s Tacos and traditional Austin barbecue at Stubb’s with tasty beef brisket, pork ribs, slaw, fried green tomatoes, okra, and mac and cheese.

801 Red River St, Austin, Texas 78701  /  512.480.8341  /  stubbsaustin.com