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(June 22, 2007)
One of the really fun restaurants in Austin, a paean
to everything that we cherish about keeping Austin weird, is the iconic
and delightful Bakehouse on Manchaca just north of Stassney. The Bakehouse
dates back to the early 80's when South Austin was a wasteland for any
kind of decent food. Owner Carl Zapfe has been at the helm for all those
years and has presided over the restaurant's truly amazing run.
The Bakehouse, while it may seem at first glance
to be a little South Austin joint, is much more than that actually.
Where else can you find Sausage Crisps? This delicious treat begins
with prime smoked sausage, the addition of some cheese, a wrapping in
homemade dough, and then a plunge into the deep fryer. Add a dab of
their creamy horseradish sauce and you've got the perfect comfort food.
The Escargot Stuffed Mushrooms are also a blast. The escargot have a
mellow flavor accented with the garlic butter and the mushrooms retain
their moisture and texture. Good dish. And how about the Zucchini Tempura?
The key to this dish is the crispy lightness of the squash and the subtle
batter. Again, it goes wonderfully with the creamy horseradish sauce.
The Bakehouse has a large and international selection
of entrees. Craving Moroccan cous-cous for example? Well the Bakehouse
just happens to deliver a very flavorful mix of garbanzo beans, curry,
cumin, black pepper, raisins, and black olives with your choice of shrimp,
chicken, beef, or vegetarian. And if a Cantonese Stir Fry is for you,
then I recommend the shrimp with a slew of sautéed vegetables
with a lip-smacking ginger soy sauce. There's plenty of American dishes
as well. You've gotta try the classic South Austin Beef Wellington.
This is close to the original except the Bakehouse uses chopped sirloin
instead of London Broil. Well, it is, after all, called South Austin
Beef Wellington. And it's good. The Beef Stroganoff is also a good choice.
The beef and mushrooms are tender in the sour cream sauce. I recommend
it served over pasta.
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And that brings us to an obvious
choice at the Bakehouse: burgers. The Avocado and Mushroom Burger
is a fav of mine. Great taste. But all roads must eventually lead
to THE REALLY BIG BURGER. Eat this pound and a half monstrosity
in 20 minutes (along with the fries) and you get to name it. You
hear that burger eaters: I'm laying down the gauntlet. Have you
got what it takes? |
The Bakehouse also has some of the best desserts
in the city: assuming you have room left. The lemon bars, the oatmeal
and raisin cookies… I could go on.
One of the most appealing benefits of the Bakehouse
is that there is precious little on the menu over ten bucks. The owners
have really put their money where their mouths are when it comes to
customer consideration.
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