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(January 20, 2006)
Opal Divine's Freehouse is not, as a recent emailer to Dining Out with
Rob Balon.com adamantly suggested, the name for a safe house on the
underground slave railroad that existed around the time of the Civil
War. Sorry, although the story would be exotic, Opal Divine was the
maiden name of co-owner Susan Parker's grandmother. So there you have
it.
Today we're at the Penn Field location of Opal Divine's
down S. Congress just south of St. Edward's University. And yes, it's
pub food, but the quality goes substantially beyond the universal Austin
concept of pub food. Chef Darin has seen to that.
The appetizers are engaging and downright tasty.
I love the Cracked Pepper Fries. Get them with the chipotle mayo sauce.
Wow, these ain't no wimpy fries with the shelf life of late 90's dot-com
start up. No, they last and deliver a unique flavor throughout their
tenure on your plate. And also try the Battered Mushrooms. I really
like this appetizer. These mushrooms are not greasy and go beautifully
with the dill ranch dip. The Jalapeno Poppers should be on your list
as well. They are artfully breaded, stuffed with cheddar cheese, deep
fried and also go well with that dill ranch.
Whoever heard of a pub doing wraps? Well I'm here
to tell you that the Diablo Wrap, featuring chipotle chicken salad,
Jack cheese, sun-dried tomato aioli, and crunchy sunflower sprouts on
either a whole wheat or chipotle tortilla is absolutely the bomb. Great
flavor and low carbs for those who want to indulge in taste without
the caloric repercussions. And who can resist the Texas Range Burger
also known as the Hill Topper? This is 1/3 lb. of all natural Harris
Ranch beef. Served with mustard, mayo lettuce tomato and onions, this
is a burger that would make DKR proud. And the classic Patty Melt is
given its due at Opal Divine's. Another 1/3 pound of Harris Ranch beef
on grilled rye with grilled onions and Swiss cheese. It does melt, literally
in your mouth. And I am continually drawn to the Wurst Plate. This features
two great local bratwursts with sauerkraut and the ethereal Opal's mustard.
I would also like the option of a Kielbasa plate and would hope they'd
consider that.
And the piece de resistance of Opals's is the Hoagie
Cheese Steak tacos. I like my tortillas filled with onions, sweet peppers
and mushrooms. There isn't a pub anywhere in the US that wouldn't kill
to get a dish with this quality on its menu.
Opal Divine's rocks on its spacious deck when the
weather cooperates. And in Austin lately, that's just about daily. And
the clientele is eclectic: from Hill Toppers to T Sippers, from venture
capatalists to venturous souls and to those who just love good food,
dozens of wonderful beers, and a slice of Austin at its best. Opal Divine's
on S. Congress at Penn Field. I'll see you this weekend.
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