I understand that there are many people who like Ararat. This is not incomprehensible to me (unlike a fondness for Luby's). However, I think I have good reasons for opting out of the Ararat fan club.
Service was spotty: after we were seated, there was a long delay (long enough that we had all decided on our meals) before anyone came back and took our drink orders, or even brought us water. There seemed to me to be plenty of staff for the size of the place, so I'm baffled about what the problem might have been.
Then there was this fun exchange: "I'd like a glass of iced tea." "I'm sorry, we don't have iced tea."
Let us pause for a moment and consider this. A restaurant. Doesn't have iced tea. In June. In Texas. Even though it is a listed menu item. Even though making iced tea is not exactly brain surgery. Excuse me while I go find my rope.
(The person who tried to order iced tea settled for "hibiscus tea", which they did have, and which he described as "tasting like incense".)
Further, Ararat is physically uncomfortable: it seems as if there are too many chairs and tables placed too close together, the air conditioning system doesn't work all that well, and don't sit next to the wall unless you really like the feel of burlap.
To be fair, my salmon (with a lemon-garlic-tahini sauce) was decent enough, and the prices are not unreasonable. (We got out for around $20/person with appetizers and desserts.) But the quality of the food wasn't enough to overcome my annoyance at the service and the discomfort.
I hadn't been to Ararat in about five years. It will probably be another five before I give them a second chance.
Reviewing Ararat is somewhat problematic. The food seemed perfectly acceptable, but it's not a cuisine I have much experience with or affinity for, and generally never find myself craving. Perhaps one day I'll develop an affinity for Middle Eastern cuisine in the same way I developed a taste for Indian food. In the meantime, I would like to see more appatizers that consisted of something other than Bowls of Ground Up Stuff (some kebobs, maybe?).
Truluck's comes very close to being a local equivalent of Legal Seafood. I think, on their own terms, they may be the best seafood place in town: but I do have one or two slight reservations.
What Truluck's does right: the main dishes are pretty reasonably priced, right around the Castle Hill or Mirabelle level. There's also some flair to the cooking: I liked the use of paneko as breading for my fiery Pacific Rim Snapper. They also offer a good selection of oysters (both cooked appetizers, such as the Oysters Rockefeller and the 2-2-2 combo, and raw bar). While they do have a tendancy to push the stone crab claws a bit too heavily, I think the claws are actually pretty good (but I would suggest a small order with another appetizer, or no claws at all).
Truluck's is also noteworthy for the attention they pay to wine. Not only do they have an extensive wine list: you can actually get a tasting assortment ("flight", in their parlance) of various wines. On one previous visit, we were even able to build our own "flight" of wines, based on wines that had been recommended that month by GrapeVine Market. And, of course, Truluck's offers a rare architectural dessert, in the Chocolate Sack, which must be seen (and tasted) to be believed.
Okay. My reservations? Well, they served my Oysters Rockefeller and the bread a bit cold for my taste, and the large stone crab claws were pretty pricy. (They were out of smaller sizes.) Other than that, though, I think we have a winner.
Truluck's promises an upscale seafood dining experience, and pretty much delivers on that promise. The decor is very well done indeed, in wood, black and silver, giving it an elegant ambiance. Service was also excellent, several times bringing me Dr Pepper refills before I could ask for them.
We started off with two appetizers, the calamari and the stone crab claws. The calamari was fine. The stone crab claws were expensive (at $44.95 for six large claws, they were far and away the most expensive appatizers we've ever had at an SDC) and, to my mind, just not worth the price. For one thing they were served cold with a sort of thick dijonaise sauce on the side. The sauce was fine, but I much prefer my crab served steaming hot with drawn butter. Unless you're really a stone crab fanatic, it's really hard to justify the price here.
On the other hand, everything else seemed reasonably priced for the Fine Dining continuum. My hot and crunchy trout was very tasty and under $20. The wedge salad was fine but, once again, suffered from a lack of dressing choices. (An Epistle to Every Restaurant in Austin Offering a Wedge Salad: Guys, you're saving enough time by not chopping and arranging the salad leaves that you can spend an extra ten seconds to offer a choice of dressing on your wedge.) The side fries were OK but nothing to write home about (would it be gauche to ask for cheese fries?), but were also damned cheap for a restaurant like this. The only real disappointment was the gumbo, which was too expensive ($4.95 a cup) and way too thin (heavy on the okra and light on everything else, especially meat); the gumbo they used to serve at Gumbo's (which I haven't had in several years) kicks Truluck's gumbo's ass seven ways to Sunday. The creme brulee was good except for a bittersweet chocolate tinge to the caramelized layer; I prefer Ruth Chris' Creme Brulee.
Despite the ne plus ultra atmosphere, the final tab was fairly reasonable: $50 a person, including tip, desserts and the aforementioned stone crab claws. Replaced the crab claws with crab legs and Truluck's would be far and away the seafood place to beat. I'm just sorry Dwight & Company didn't order the infamous Chocolate Sac for me to have a bite of; maybe next time I'll join in on that.
Acceptable imitation chain TexMex. What it reminds me most of is On the Border, but with better service and (I think) slightly cheaper prices. Also notable as one of the few places we've found that serves fried ice cream. (Really, the only one we've found so far, other than Hula Hut: if you know of others, email stainles@bga.com.)
Tia's offers competent chain TexMex food at slightly-higher-than-usual prices. The Rio Grande plate for two offers a fairly filling meal at a decent price, albeit it not as impressive as the platter Pappasitto's offers for four. Service was generally attentive, and unlike most TexMex places, they offer tempting desserts, and I rather liked the fried ice cream. Not a bad choice if you're in Westlake, but there are plenty of places on South 1st that do a better job.
Decent enough steaks, burgers, and that sort of American food, at reasonable prices. They don't gouge you as much as they probably could, and the service was pretty reasonable. Be prepared for a wait during the summer months: also be prepared for trouble parking.
I would suggest skipping the desserts: the fudge "pie" I had was really more brownie-like, and not worth $5 (in my opinion).
The Gristmill really caters to the fresh off the river, hungry enough to eat a horse crowd: as such, it isn't any better than it needs to be.
The good thing about The Gristmill is the location and ambiance: a picturesque old mill overlooking the Guadalupe river. However, that's also leads to two of the worst things: lack of air conditioning and the World's Smallest Men's Room for the Size of the Restaurant. The food itself was decent, but nothing to leave Austin for. The onion rings and hot wings were entirely adequate but little more (though David's garlic bread was above average), as was the salad. The chicken fried steak was decent and the portions were indeed gargantuan, but the fries on the side were mushy, length-wise cut chips, which I can't recommend. The desserts were expensive but also quite hefty (if more brownie than fudge-like); I didn't have room to finish mine.
In short: Not a bad choice after a day tubing the river, but certainly not worth the drive from Austin to sample.
No conspiracy: Turkey City.
See the logs for July of 2001.