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(June 13, 2008)

The careful pairing of fine foods with excellent wines has always been a siren's song to foodies everywhere. And such is the case with the newly opened Taste Select Wines on Cesar Chavez. Two young Austin couples have pooled their resources to come up with a very interesting and very tasty concept.

You can purchase a debit card and browse the wine bar. Suppose you wanted to sample a Penfolds or a Rubicon but were reluctant to pony up a couple of hundred smackeroos for the entire bottle. Taste's system allows you to order a 2 oz pour for just a fraction of the price. It's a great way to try new and classic wines.

Or you can sit at your table, order from the extensive food menu, and match your various courses with glasses or half glasses from their extensive wine menu. And let me tell you, Taste has food that is worth pairing with good wines. Chef Bill McGrory IV is a serious talent. He's worked at the famous Craft in New York and we are lucky to have him in Austin.

I love his appetizers. They are on the lighter side but very skillfully executed. The Wild Boar Sausage with baby peppers, Roma tomatoes, and onions is a delight. It came out once a bit on the rare side and had to be sent back. But they quickly fixed it. I've ordered it several times since then and its been spot on. The flavors are decidedly mellow and the dish simply sparkles. Another seriously good appetizer is the Braised Berkshire Pork Bellies with caramelized fennel. Not since the demise of Cibo have I tasted anything with such immediate appeal. This is a major "a ha" dish. I'm also very partial to the Salumi Platter. The two key features of this plate are a very tasty speck (a lean prosciutto) and salami. There are a variety of other smoked meats that accompany the two stars along with a house mustard.

The salads and paninis are full of promise and go wonderfully with the vast selections of wines. I'm very fond of the Arugula with roasted wild mushrooms, a delicious candied bacon, ricotta salata, walnuts and mushroom vinaigrette. The mélange of tastes and flavors in this dish are very well-conceived. And the House Bacon Panini with roasted tomato aoli and arugula with fontina cheese is an explosion of flavor. Chef McGrory makes the bacon himself and is irresistible. This is a sandwich that screams out for a nice Cab to go along with it.

The large plates continue the mastery that McGrory has established. The Roasted Poussin (young chicken) is a compelling demonstration of combining flavors and ingredients that complement each other. It's served with house bacon, corn chowder, potato gnocchi, and patty pan squash. You MUST try this. Likewise sample the Colorado Lamb Chops with calypso beans, spring onions and a subtle side of lamb sweetbreads. I could see this paired with a good Pinot Noir.

And I could go on paring and tasting. The hardest part of the dining experience at Taste is leaving. The urge to linger with that last glass of port, or to make one more pass at the wine bar. Taste has brought sophistication and class with approachable prices to Cesar Chavez.

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