July 3, 2009 - The Austin Chronicle
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July 3, 2009 - The Austin Chronicle

July 3, 2009 - The Austin Chronicle July 3, 2009 - The Austin Chronicle

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FOODLake Eats RevisitedWe take a trip down Ranch Road 620 for new bites on the sceneBY VIRGINIA B. WOODDriving the length of Ranch Road 620 recently, I was amazed by the development explosion sinceour last big feature on lake-area eateries five summers ago (see “Water Tables,” July 2, 2004). Manyof our old favorites remain, some with new enhancements, such as more cascading decks below thevenerable Oasis, the beautifully landscaped full-service party pavilion behind the Hill Country PastaHouse, and a busy Hey Cupcake! trailer in the parking lot between the Boat House Grill and SmokyJ’s Bar-B-Q. Lake-area demographics now support more chain restaurants, a few national retailers,and more than one Pan-Asian sushi bar. Four new places really captured our interest on this mostrecent visit, and we consider all of them worth a return trip.Rodolfo and JessicaBuonocore, ownersof Ate.CafeJAVA DIVE CAFE1607 RR 620 N., 266-5885www.javadivecafe.comOwner Ronnie Lieberman started with a smallcoffee shop four years ago, slowly adding pastriesand savory foods to his menu. Customerresponse was so positive that the original JavaDive outgrew its little place and now resides ina spacious corner of the attractive Oak GrovePlaza. In addition to excellent coffee roastedon-site, Lieberman’s eclectic menu also featuresbreakfast, soups, salads, wraps, panini, pastries,and smoothies made with organic and gluten-freeingredients whenever possible. Health-consciouslake-dwellers are certainly taking notice.HONEY BEE HAM & DELI1700 RR 620 N., 266-7426www.honeybeehamlakeway.comHoney Bee franchise founders Gayle and NeilLaminack retired to the lake area a few years agoand opened an expanded version of one of theirstores in the neighborhood. The deli/store offersgourmet spiral-cut ham; roasted, smoked, andfried turkeys; barbecue with traditional sides;deli meats and sandwiches; daily, hot blue-platespecials; and party trays. The friendly spot providesboth eat-in and takeout service and will addbeer and wine to the menu later this summer.We’re also told that it does huge holiday businessin hams and turkeys.ATE.CAFE2127 Lohmans Crossing, 263-4933www.atefoods.comI was a big fan of Jessica and Rodolfo Buonocore’sthe Daily, a sandwich-delivery business, afew years back, so discovering their cheery cafein the lake area was a genuine treat. The new eateryis a recent outgrowth of their popular weeklydinner-delivery service. The cafe now offersbreakfast and weekday lunches, and long-rangeplans include the addition of Spanish tapas inthe evenings, complemented by beer and wine.The food we sampled here – sandwiches, salads,sweets, and fresh lemonade – was by far the bestwe had on this lake visit, and we look forward toreturning.MIZU PRIME STEAK AND SUSHI2422 RR 620 S., 263-2801Former Finn & Porter chef Chris Bauer expectsthis new venture to debut in late July. Theexpanded Mizu will feature a New Americanmenu enhanced with some Asian-inspired dishes,five prime steaks, sushi, an à la carte weekendbrunch, and a full bar with late-night food andhours. Bauer’s ambitious plans also call for anorganic herb and vegetable garden complete withsugar cane and exotic fruit trees. Check out prospectivemenu items and the progress of the newrestaurant at www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-TX/Mizu-Prime-Steak-and-Sushi/75853587777.PHOTOS BY JOHN ANDERSONSTEINER RANCH STEAKHOUSE5424 Steiner Ranch Blvd., 381-0800www.steinersteakhouse.comBar opens daily at 4pmSunday-Thursday: dinner, 5-10pmFriday & Saturday: dinner, 5-11pmAs a descendant of Texas-borncowboys who actually rode theChisholm Trail, I’ve always appreciatedan authentic representationof the American Western aesthetic,and it just doesn’t come any moreauthentic than the Steiner RanchSteakhouse. After ranching for wellover half a century on the WesternTravis County property, the Steinerssold the ranch for developmenta few years back, saving a primehilltop location for the very impressiveedifice now bearing the family name. The14,000-square-foot, multistory restaurantis all stone, glass, and dark woods –it wears the Steiner family’s century ofranching and rodeo history with classystyle. My cousins who competed againstthe Steiners on the rodeo circuit back inthe day recall that they always had thebest trailers, trucks, and livestock, plusthe best-looking hand-tooled boots, belts,and saddles. (Those were probably courtesyof another Steiner family business, thelegendary Capitol Saddlery.) Many familyitems are now decorative accents in therestaurant: Tasteful leather furniture in the“tack room” waiting area, artfully framedphotos of family and Western movieand rodeo stars, elaboratelyengraved belt buckles andother trophies, and beautifullyaccented boots, belts,and saddles all evoke theatmosphere of a successfulranch estate.Each of the restaurant’sthree floors features indoor andoutdoor eating areas, party rooms,and full bars. All of the patios and most ofthe rooms offer a panoramic view of LakeTravis, especially the third-floor observationdeck. Proprietor Bobby Steiner is agracious host, and his well-trained staffmakes guests feel right at home. Thepositive response from families in the surroundingarea is obvious. The first-floorpatio is always full of folks enjoying drinksand live music, and weekend reservationsare a good idea if you don’t want to waitfor a table. Steiner Ranch Steakhouse hasthe potential to be an outstanding restaurantwith many important key elementsalready in place. Unfortunately, I didn’tencounter anything on the table that wasas impressive as the place itself.Family and friends joined me at SteinerRanch for dinner recently. Of our appetizerchoices, a platter of Elk Toronadas($13 for six) suggested by our serveroffered delicious slivers of tender elkmeat on toasts with a snappy sauce, butthe seafood cake ($13) of shrimp, crab,RESTAURANTreviewand lobster had the unappealing textureof shredded paper. The Steiner Greens($5 for a side salad) were simply dressed,cool, and crisp. However, an assertivesauce on the tomato and Gorgonzolasalad ($8.50) could not resuscitate thethick slabs of tasteless, underripe tomatoes.Entrée choices delivered hits andmisses as well. Our server encouragedthose of us who had ordered steaks tocheck their doneness while she was stillat the table, a smart and courteous acton her part. Although my 7-ounce filetmignon with Oscar sauce ($35) wascooked medium rare as ordered, the beefhad a strawlike, pre-tenderized texture,and the pasty sauce included the sameshredded-paper (frozen?) crabmeat thatmarred the appetizer. The housemashed potatoes and pencilthinasparagus paired withthe steaks were fine. Friendswho ordered the New YorkStrip ($34) and the Texanrib eye ($39) fared muchbetter, pronouncing theirsteaks satisfying. My cousin’scedar plank salmon ($21), onthe other hand, was too salty tofinish. For my money, the best piece ofmeat on the table that evening was mysister’s double-bone pork chop ($19), athick slab of perfectly cooked pork shellackedwith a marvelous Port wine demiglace,nestled against a tasty rice pilaf.The meat and sides were delicious andmade two hearty meals.As the sun set on our evening, weordered three desserts to share aroundthe table and hoped for better results.The bread pudding ($7) was rubbery andgelatinous, and the crème brûlée ($7) wasdense and grainy. Only the softball-sizedscoops of commercial raspberry sorbet($4) provided a refreshing note to theend of a heavy meal. Don’t get me wrong:We did enjoy the company of family andfriends in a beautiful setting with a convivialatmosphere and very good service. ButI think that when a group of six spendsmore than $400 on dinner, the majority ofthe food should at least be as impressiveas the saddles.–V.B.W.36 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E JULY 3, 2009 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m

2 for1entréessuperb view. superb seafood and steaks.order any entrée and receive another entrée of equal orlesser value with this ad. excludes alcohol and gratuities.offer good through july 31, 2009. limit one per table.GriLa BrissaAuthentic Mexican Cuisineopen daily, 7am-10pmbreakfast all day longlunch specials 11am-2pm: $6.99catering and party/meetingreservations availableHAPPY HOUR$4.50 MargaritasmportsOPENvery Day2008the austin chronicleRESTAURANTPOLL 2009 14735 Bratton Lanein Bratton Square at thecorner of Merriltown &Bratton Ln, 4 blocks eastof Mopac989-5748HappyHourBuy 1 plate and get the 2 nd at 1/2 price**lesser or equal valueMon-Fri, 4-7pm$2 drafts$2 domestics$2.75 imports$4.50 margaritasfrozen/rockspresentsEasy like Sunday morning Brunch 10am-2pm Happy Hour Blood Marys, Beer & Wine Selections, and Dine Al Fresco, and enjoy the “Best in Austin” view of theCapitol and people watching on Congress Ave RANTa u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m JULY 3, 2009 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E 37

2 for1entréessuperb view. superb seafood and steaks.order any entrée and receive another entrée of equal orlesser value with this ad. excludes alcohol and gratuities.offer good through july 31, <strong>2009</strong>. limit one per table.GriLa BrissaAuthentic Mexican Cuisineopen daily, 7am-10pmbreakfast all day longlunch specials 11am-2pm: $6.99catering and party/meetingreservations availableHAPPY HOUR$4.50 MargaritasmportsOPENvery Day2008the austin chronicleRESTAURANTPOLL <strong>2009</strong> 14735 Bratton Lanein Bratton Square at thecorner of Merriltown &Bratton Ln, 4 blocks eastof Mopac989-5748HappyHourBuy 1 plate and get the 2 nd at 1/2 price**lesser or equal valueMon-Fri, 4-7pm$2 drafts$2 domestics$2.75 imports$4.50 margaritasfrozen/rockspresentsEasy like Sunday morning Brunch 10am-2pm Happy Hour Blood Marys, Beer & Wine Selections, and Dine Al Fresco, and enjoy the “Best in <strong>Austin</strong>” view of theCapitol and people watching on Congress Ave RANTa u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m JULY 3, <strong>2009</strong> T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E 37

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