Rob’s Best Dishes: The Best in Austin

After 14 years of dining and wining around the River City. I’ve become very partial to a number of great dishes at a variety of restaurants. To me, these offerings are the best in category. Of course, the list is subjective: no attempts at the various “polls” (and I’ll take that word under advisement) that one sees about Austin area restaurants have been made. This is strictly a personal and very passionate series of choices. So with that said, enjoy this article and I hope you get to sample as many of these fantastic dishes as you can. After all, isn’t the love of great meals what this is all about.

Best Huevos Rancheras

Without question, Joe’s Bakery on East 7th is the very best for this wonderful Mexican breakfast. The homemade ranchera sauce and the flour-coated and grilled bacon set this dish apart. I think it works best with eggs over easy. The flavors are wonderfully mellow.There’s not even a close second in the area.

Best Pork Chops

Perry’s Steakhouse has a gigantic 32oz three-rib chop that is the standard in this genre. The chop is melt-in-your-mouth amazing and they offer a special version of it for Friday lunch. The dinner version can easily be split by two: Marge and I couldn’t finish the last one we ate. But it was truly delicious. The caramelized flavor nuances set this beauty apart.

Best Steak Frittes

I am a huge fan of Justine’s on East 5th St. The simple, train-station like menu is vintage French and the steak frittes is an exemplary dish. The fries are crisp and the first bite of the steak just blew me away. Massive flavor. Justine’s is another great example of how “location-location” is overrated.

Best Eggplant Parmesan

There are many fine Italian restaurants in Austin but the winner of the best eggplant is a little strip mall place called CraigO’s. The eggplant and the marinara sauce are always damn near perfect and I never get any bitterness from their version (often a problem with eggplant dishes). The texture is always smooth and that’s another huge variable.

Best Charcuterie Plate

I am a huge fan of this dish which has been undergoing a resurgence in popularity at fine dining restaurants. My favorite in Austin is the version presented by Vince Young Steakhouse. The flavors of the smoked meats are singular and the presentation is always spot on. The duck prosciutto is to die for as is the house-made sausage. A nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon (Silver Oak perhaps) goes nicely.

Best Bone-In Fried Chicken

This is a dead heat between Max’s Wine Dive downtown and Hyde Park Bar and Grill. Chef J.P. Lacosste and Tony Heller work some serious magic with what used to be the south’s favorite Sunday dinner. The advantage is to Max’s because they serve the dish nightly while Hyde Park is thus far limited to Mondays and Tuesdays.

Best Pasta Dish

This has to be the incredible Linguine Carbonara at La Traviata downtown at 3rd and Congress. Chef Marion Gilchrist dishes up some amazing flavors at this tiny restaurant that bears more than a passing resemblance to the one in The Godfather where Michael Corleone shot Solozzo and Cpt. McClusky. The sunny-side egg atop this dish is old style but the flavors of this genuine carbonara are spot on.

Best Maine Lobster

My favorite spot for fresh Maine lobster is McCormick and Schmick’s at the Domain. I always prefer to order ahead and get a 3 or 4-pounder. They are always inordinately fresh and perfectly steamed. Actually had a 5-pounder for my birthday last year: the claws were so big that they had to be taken back to the kitchen and blown open with C4 (just kidding). It was magnificent. I like the fact that M&S doesn’t serve any frozen fish. I think the only thing they use the freezer for is ice cream!

Best Rack of Lamb

This was a tough one but Cool River Café came out on top. I’ve had nothing but perfect flavors and textures from the Australian lamb at this Parmer Lane eaterie. A little mint and voila! This is one example where gnawing on bones to extract the last bit of flavor is not only allowable but expected!

Best Cubano Sandwich

Since chef Ben Nathan joined the team at the always popular Café Blue, his Cubano gained instant recognition. It’s melt in your mouth good, and importantly, is never dry. But there’s another very strong contender: hence, another dead heat. The Gnarly Gar on Lake Travis serves up a fine Cubano as well. There’s nothing more enjoyable than sitting on their deck watching the boats go by and sipping a cool one while munching on Todd Hynes’ great sandwich. ironic that they’re both better than the version presented by Austin’s only ostensibly true Cuban restaurant.

Best Sushi

Apologies to fans of Uchi, but I have to go with Musashino on Greystone. Proprietor Smokey is a master and has mentored both Tyson Cole and Tatsu-san (of Imperia). His blue fin toro is without equal in the city: breathtaking flavors and butter-like texture. Smokey has sauces that only he can prepare (a symbol of his master status) and he is also one hell of an altruist. Honorable mention to Uchi and Uchiko and a strong nod to Piranha Killer Sushi.

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