Rob Reviews The League Kitchen & Tavern at Belterra Village
I have known The League Kitchen & Tavern co-owner Tony Ciola since he worked for his father Dan at the family owned Italian restaurant Ciola’s in Lakeway. Back then his goal was to be a high-level baseball pitcher, but an injury caused him to put that dream on hold and immerse himself in the restaurant business.
This led to the opening of Tony C’s at the Galleria in Bee Cave and the transformation of the former Ciola’s into a comfort food concept called The League Kitchen & Tavern. Tony C‘s focused on coal-fired East Coast style pizza and was a frequent member of the top ten list in our yearly Pizza Wars feature.
But Tony C’s was about more than pizza. They had (and still have) terrific pasta dishes like the classic penne with vodka sauce along with my favorites like the Italian chopped salad, the crispy calamari, the savory eggplant Parmesan, the coal-fired ziti, and my wife’s favorite bacon-wrapped figs.
As Tony C’s grew and flourished, the recently completed Belterra Village near Dripping Springs opened and drew the attention of Tony and partner Creed Ford IV. And so the Dripping Springs version of The League came on board soon after. The restaurant deprived citizens of the area immediately embraced The League. My wife and I were in that group because our home in Highpointe was barely a mile away.
The menu offers very palatable fare. On the appetizer side, the spicy meatloaf bites with chipotle sauce offer a great place to start and the tender and tasty grilled chicken wings complement them well. I’m also partial to the poached lobster (the real deal) sliders and the stuffed jalapeños.
Moving to the entrees, the Fat Tire Fish and Chips make for an absolutely riveting flavor profile. The chicken pot pie offers something that those expecting the usual version of this favorite will find surprising: the dish is zipped up with chili bechamel potatoes and English peas, all atop a buttermilk honey biscuit. This is a Balon family favorite.
Another exceptionally tasty dish is the herb infused rotisserie chicken accompanied by a perfectly cooked sweet potato. The chicken fried pork chop with Yukon mashers and a lovely jalapeño cream sauce is another favorite. The pork is exceptionally tender and has terrific mouth feel. I could easily make this a nightly supper choice, as I could the
pappardelle Bolognese. A dash of truffle oil and a beef and pork ragu and voila!!
And lest we lose ourselves in the sumptuous entrees, let‘s not forget the burgers and sandwiches. The society burger tops our list. All the standards plus horseradish make this one irresistible. Likewise the southern burger with sugar-cured bacon, cheddar cheese and Tabasco shoestring onions, and a Brooklyn barbecue sauce.
Keeping with The League’s wry sense of humor is the Grown Up Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This comes with cheddar and American cheese along with Muenster on sourdough. And we like to add bacon and avocado. That really works! We also enjoy The League’s take on a comfort food favorite: their mac and a cheese with a hint of truffle. They don’t overdo the truffle as can often be the case with this dish, thus making it work nicely. For dessert try the classic dump cake. Strange name, yes, but moist and pleasant chocolate
flavors abound.
My only gripe with The League is the disappearance of the baby back ribs from the menu. That being said, The League is a welcome addition to the Dripping Springs area. They’ve proven that creativity and comfort can work together!
The League Kitchen & Tavern
Belterra Village – Dripping Springs
166 Hargraves Drive
Suite B300Austin, Texas 78737
(512) 595-7477
