Yeah, that's the name of it. It's a little 44-seat place in the Castle Hill plaza at 11th and Lamar (where El Rinconcito and way back when, Castle Hill, used to be).
Anyway, my wife and I went there last night for our anniversary dinner on a recommendation from a friend. It was spectacular. It is a small, tastefully decorated place -- minimalist, but not overly trendy or polished. They have a great eclectic wine list. We were torn among several choices (we both just wanted a single glass of red -- my wife wanted something full-bodied, I wanted something with more of a bite). The waiter helped us narrow down our choices, then brought out 3 glasses and poured us a small sample of each to help us decide (she got a petite syrah, I got an Argentine malbec -- both were great).
The menu is creative without being overly encumbered by too many layers of flavor. And, it is always seasonal and fresh. The select produce at Boggy Creek farm 5 times a week, and use whatever fish their fishmonger recommends for the day, so the menu changes, sometimes dramatically, from day to day. My wife and I each started with cold celery root and apple soup -- it was fantastic. My wife then had baked cod with a cucumber dill sauce, with thinly sliced rosemary new potatoes and squash. The flavors were all clean and simple. They complemented each other, and did not overwhelm. I had veal sweetbreads (not a common menu choice in Austin) over wild rice and arugula with a zinfandel bing cherry sauce. The surprisingly subtle sweet/tart sauce perfectly accompanied the creamy/salty flavor of the sweetbreads. It was simply and perfectly prepared, and is one of the better entrees I have had in Austin.
Desserts were impressive as well -- my wife had a berry tort which was very simple and very good, and I have a pastry which consisted of filo dough around bitter chocolate and zinfandel-infused cherries -- again, the flavors perfectly complemented each other.
And the prices were not out of line for what we got. The soup was around $6, entrees ranged from $12-$20. With wine and desserts, our tab got up there, but it was just over half of what we recently spent at Kenichi, and we had a much nicer and more intimate experience at Wink.
This is a small, obviously locally owned restaurant. The chef, and much of his staff, came from Brio. The waitstaff (in fact, ALL of the staff) was very friendly and helpful, and enthusiastic about their restaurant. Their enthusiasm was merited. They are not advertising, and are depending on word of mouth only, so I am just trying to do my part. Give this place a shot.
"Behold the bluebonnets!"
-- that new crazy guy who hangs out at 6th and Congress
Anyway, my wife and I went there last night for our anniversary dinner on a recommendation from a friend. It was spectacular. It is a small, tastefully decorated place -- minimalist, but not overly trendy or polished. They have a great eclectic wine list. We were torn among several choices (we both just wanted a single glass of red -- my wife wanted something full-bodied, I wanted something with more of a bite). The waiter helped us narrow down our choices, then brought out 3 glasses and poured us a small sample of each to help us decide (she got a petite syrah, I got an Argentine malbec -- both were great).
The menu is creative without being overly encumbered by too many layers of flavor. And, it is always seasonal and fresh. The select produce at Boggy Creek farm 5 times a week, and use whatever fish their fishmonger recommends for the day, so the menu changes, sometimes dramatically, from day to day. My wife and I each started with cold celery root and apple soup -- it was fantastic. My wife then had baked cod with a cucumber dill sauce, with thinly sliced rosemary new potatoes and squash. The flavors were all clean and simple. They complemented each other, and did not overwhelm. I had veal sweetbreads (not a common menu choice in Austin) over wild rice and arugula with a zinfandel bing cherry sauce. The surprisingly subtle sweet/tart sauce perfectly accompanied the creamy/salty flavor of the sweetbreads. It was simply and perfectly prepared, and is one of the better entrees I have had in Austin.
Desserts were impressive as well -- my wife had a berry tort which was very simple and very good, and I have a pastry which consisted of filo dough around bitter chocolate and zinfandel-infused cherries -- again, the flavors perfectly complemented each other.
And the prices were not out of line for what we got. The soup was around $6, entrees ranged from $12-$20. With wine and desserts, our tab got up there, but it was just over half of what we recently spent at Kenichi, and we had a much nicer and more intimate experience at Wink.
This is a small, obviously locally owned restaurant. The chef, and much of his staff, came from Brio. The waitstaff (in fact, ALL of the staff) was very friendly and helpful, and enthusiastic about their restaurant. Their enthusiasm was merited. They are not advertising, and are depending on word of mouth only, so I am just trying to do my part. Give this place a shot.
"Behold the bluebonnets!"
-- that new crazy guy who hangs out at 6th and Congress
