OPPOSITEPAGE: VINSONPHOTOGRAPHY. THISPAGE, TOPTOBOTTOM: ERICAWILKINS; CASEYDUNN
THEDETAILS
Perla’s
1400S. CongressAve.
(512) 291-7300
.com
Clark’sOysterBar
1200W. 6thSt.
(512) 297-2525
bar.com
Uchiko
4200N. LamarBlvd.
(512) 916-4808
.com
Congress
200CongressAve.
(512) 827-2760
austin.com
AUSTINLOCALSWILL
be the
first to tell you theirmotto
is “KeepAustinWeird,”
whichmeans it is a cityof
youngpeople—university
students, professionals, Dell
techies—whoenjoy the
eccentricand the cutting-
edge. Thismost definitely
applies to itsmusic scene,
and in turn, thesedays, it
alsomeans ademand for an
evolving restaurant scene.
LarryMcGuireand
ThomasMoorman’s first
seafood restaurant,
PERLA’S
,
was abighit, andnow
they’vemadeeveryoneeven
happierwith theopening
of
CLARK’SOYSTERBAR
, a
long slipof abright-white
roomwith tree-shaded
outdoor tables. Thereare
indeed fat oysters, but the
small kitchenalso turnsout
anarrayof exquisitely fresh
seafood, includingahefty
lobster roll andavelvety
NewEngland clam chowder.
UCHIKO
is themuch
larger version (withamore
extensivemenu) of head
chef TysonCole’sUchi,
whichmany consider one
of the finest sushi restau-
rants inAmerica. Cole,who
trained formore thana
decadewith sushimasters
inTokyoandNewYork, says
that his cuisineatUchiko
is “playfullymulticultural,
mixing the Japanese tradi-
tionwith tastes that inspire
me.”You’ll get hispointwith
theCool Tastingsof sushi
and sashimi, likeyellowtail
sashimiwithThai chili and
orange, and theHot Tast-
ingsof chickenwith sweet
rice, banana leaf andThai
chili vinaigrette. In its size
andgregarious ambiance,
Uchiko ispureTexas andas
global as any restaurant in
theWest right now.
For thebig fine-dining
splurge, partownerand
ExecutivechefDavidBull’s
CONGRESS
isunsurpassed,
receiving the
Austin
American-Statesman
’s first-
ever five-star review.Bull has
refinedwhathesees inTexas
asa “uniquemeltingpotof
people, ideasand ingredients
—Germancooking, cowboy
chuck-wagon food, Italian,
NativeAmericanandan
increasinglystrong influence
ofAsiancuisine,”evident in
dishes likehischarredsalmon
bellywithchive tapiocaand
bloodorange, andcarpetta
(goat)withagrapemo-
stardo, almondandamontil-
ladosherry.Dinner isoffered
aseithera three-or seven-
coursemeal, but to taste the
truebreadthofBull’scooking,
go for theseven.
FROMTOP:
Thepork
jowl atUchiko tastes
asgoodas it looks.
Clark’sOysterBar
offers theperfect patio
settingaswell as
delicious sashimi.
JOHNMARIANI
hasbeen
EsquireMagazine
’s foodand travel columnist for30years.He is theauthorof
12books, including
How ItalianFoodConquered theWorld
, and ispublishinghis first novel,
TheHound
inHeaven
, this fall. He lives inTuckahoe, N.Y.
AUSTIN,
TEXAS
5
AA.COM CELEBRATEDLIVING
AUTUMN
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