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(March 23, 2007)
Some times one tries to look cool, like I'm
doing with these sun glasses.I may not acieve that effect, but I'm sitting
at a table in an establishment that most certainly has. Welcome to The
Belmont, Austin's hottest new bar and dining emporium.The Belmont mixes
early 60's rat pack kitzch with very attentive service, good drinks,
and in my opinion, really tasty and fun comfort foods.
Chef Benjamin Nathan has created a menu that complements the jazzy,
breezy ambience that pervades the Belmont. Kudos to him for bringing
back French Onion Soup to the River City. The taste is rich and classic,
and the mountain of Gruyere cheese is as sticky and wonderfully gooey
as it should be.A perfect atitdote to the culinary blahs. And the Prince
Edward Island Mussels are delightful. Done in a white wine and garlic
herb sauce, these tender mullosks are finished with an almond broth
that gives a slightly nutty flavor that sets this dish apart. I couldn't
stop eating them. I'm also partial to the Calamari. Chef Nathan disdains
the formulaic ring approach (good for him) and uses a batter of 25%
cornmeal and 75% flour. Each piece is invidvually coated (critical)
which creates a uniform qauality to the output. The caper and cucumber
aoli that is served with this dish lights it up.
Salad fans will enjoy the Cedar Plank Salmon Salad as we did. The Atlantic
salmon is marinated and roasted on a cedar plank and served over mixed
greens with a tangy creamy taragon dressing. The nuance that creates
a killer salad is event in this dish. All ingredients sublty complement
creating a totality of interesting tastes.
The entrees at The Belmont are thoughtful and generally well-executed.
Take for example, their Cubano Sandwich. This is far better than the
one at our local cuban restaurant.Why? Because it's moist.In the wrong
hands, a cubano can be dry. But the Belmont's combination of roasted
port butt and country ham with chipotle mayo, swiss cheese and dill
pickles with red onions served on cuban bread has a tenderness along
with subtle taste rewards that will keep you coming back The Ribeye
is another Belmont orignal. The tender certified angus steak is served
with a very cool reduction of red wine and veal and horseraddish sauce
that literally commanded my attention. I 've tried it twice. First time
was tasty but a little too much gristle for my palate. The second time
was absolutely perfect.
Another dish I've enjoyed is the Splt Roasted Chicken. They brine this
in maple syrup, cider and onions for three days. Then it's spit roasted,
deboned, and sauteed in sage and butter finished with lemon juice. The
flavors are instantly evident and compelling with delightful mid palate
sensations from the sauce.I'm not a huge chicken fan as a rule but this
dish is my exception.
One thing that's neat about the Belmont. At a lot of "cool"
places, the service can range from indiffernt to downright aloof. Not
so here. It's always personal and attentive. In the end, there's only
one thing that really ticks me off about this place. Every time I come
here, there are tables full of pretty girls in little black dresses.
Where the heck was the Belmont when I was in my mid-20's? The Belmont
is on W.6th next to Maiko Susuhi. Valet parking is recommended.
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