1101 W. 5th Street
476-0728
Dwight's comments:
I was sick for this particular conspiracy, and my usual SDC policy is not to do a review if I was sick. I'm breaking with policy in this case, however, because I also ate at Castle Hill ten days before: therefore, this review is based on both experiences, but leans more heavily on my October 21st dinner.
Besides, I can't say enough good about Castle Hill: the beef tenderloin I had on the first visit was beautifully presented and buttery soft, with a delightfully rich sauce. (On the other hand, while I'm glad I ordered the duck enchiladas this visit, I'm not sure I'd order them again: the sauce seemed a bit powerful, and overwhelmed the subtle duck flavor.)
The appetizer menu is also outstanding: the curried lamb empanadas, the smoken salmon spread, and the chicken liver pate in particular. (I'm temepted to go some night and make a meal entirely of those three and a salad.)
Also, Castle Hill's wine list, while not quite world class, offers a wide variety, and excellent prices (most bottles in the $20-$30 range).
And, to make a good thing even better, Castle Hill has started taking reservations for parties of five or more on Friday and Saturday nights: if you have a party of less than five, or are going on an off night, show up early (5:45 PM is good).
This is where I take people I want to impress.
Lawrence's comments:
Every now and then we like to engage in Fine Dining, and Castle Hill is one of the best places in town to do it. As always, Castle Hill appetizers were first rank, especially the salmon spread and the empenadas, though the dumplings didn't knock my socks off. My cup of gumbo had generous chunks of sausage (and less generous bits of duck), but the broth itself could have been spicier (you shouldn't have to add salt to gumbo). The dark sauce on my pork tenderloin could have been more savory as well, though there were enough other flavorful items on my plate that I can't complain. The bites I had of Terri's shrimp in pasta with garlic sauce, and Dwight's duck enchiladas, were also quite good. My banana and rum flavored bread pudding had a more raisins than I care for, but otherwise was just fine. If there's one place Castle Hill falls short, its in the small and undistinguished dinner salad that comes with your meal. Maybe they're trying to sell more of their $8.95 salad entrees, but the dinner salad looks (and tastes) like an afterthought.
109 W. Anderson Lane (On the 183 access road between Lamar and I-35)
451-6406
Dwight's comments:
I'm ashamed to admit to dining at Red Lobster, but sometimes you just want a constant: and Red Lobster is as constant as seafood gets.
The WhaleBone drinks are a ripoff (not just because of the cheap plastic glass: my strawberry daquiri seemed pretty well watered), but the bread and "Ceasar" salads are still pretty edible.
I'm not as big a crab leg fan as Lawrence is (too much work for my food), but Red Lobster's shrimp dishes get approving nods from me: not spectacular, to be sure, but the fried shrimp are fried right (not greasy or oily).
In no way does Red Lobster beat Gumbo's (or Pappadeaux, or Castaways), but after a hard day at work, when you want something comfortable and predictable (or if you have small children to deal with), at least Red Lobster assures you of an okay meal with minimum hassle.
Lawrence's comments:
I know it goes against the Austin regional slacker ethos to eat at (much less review) a restaurant in a national chain, but sometimes you want seafood, damnit, and if you're looking for Alaskan King Crab legs (a personal favorite), then Red Lobster is your best bet. Actually, there are a lot of things Red Lobster does right, from the add-crablegs-to-any-plate special for $4.99, to the cheese biscuits (which easily make the top five list for "Best Free Bread"), to a good plate of calimari, to my fish entrees (both the salmon and the mahi mahi were quite tasty), to the crab legs themselves (with requisite drawn butter). Good service, too, even though they seemed understaffed. I'd be happy to see a homegrown restaurant supplant them at the top, but until the locals figure out that offering Deep Fried Everything isn't enough, Red Lobster will remain the Seafood King.
Dwight's comments:
Lawrence was doing Turkey City, and I was diving: so no conspiracy.
NW corner of Shoal Creek & Anderson Lane (where Lupin's used to be)
Dwight's comments:
Rumor has it that Pavoratti's is the latest venture by the people behind the former Cafe Di Roma (in Lincoln Village). I can believe this: Pavorotti's is every bit as mediocre as the late Cafe Di Roma.
I'll admit that they didn't start out on the best possible foot: our waiter decided to not just tell us about the specials, but spent (what felt like) five minutes explaining how they had gotten a special deal from the distributor on the house Chianti. This was more information about the wine, and about their business practices, than I really needed to know.
Still, good food excuses many sins: but the calamari were undistinguished (did they hire ex-Red Lobster employees to prepare them?), the stuffed mushrooms merely adequate, and the Chicken Abruzzi (a "special") simply boring.
There's no reason to visit Pavoratti's: I give them six months and out.
Lawrence's comments:
Opening in the space previously occupied by the late, lamented Lupin's (the least objectionable of Austin's French restaurants while they were open), Pavoratti's is (as if you couldn't guess from the name) another Italian dining spot. Unfortunately, the start of the meal wasn't promising. Our waiter was concentrating so hard on reciting the wine and dinner specials that he forgot to ask us for our drink order. Likewise, the appatizers were on the skimpy side--very skimpy when it came to the calamari, where there were a total of ten rings on the plate (and they were a tad chewy at that). The mozzarella sticks were tastier, but the salads seemed like an afterthought (a common problem with conspiracy restaurants as of late).
Things got better when the main entrees arrived. Though the portions were not as generous as those served at Mama Mia's or Carrabbas, my Chicken Pancetta was quite good and reasonably priced, as was the strawberry cheesecake. The free bread was a tad better than usual (and adding garlic to olive oil makes the latter surprisingly satisfactory as a butter substitute), the restroom is clean, roomy and well-lit, and after the initial stumble the service was quite good.
But this restaurant's biggest stumbling block is that old real estate cliche: location, location, location. Pavoratti's is within walking distance of Mama Mia's; in a 2.5 mile radius you also have the Olive Garden, Trattoria Grande, Romano's Macaroni Grill, the Brick Oven, Little Italy and Cafe Spiazzo; at five miles you have Carrabbas (two locations), Reale's, another Mama Mia's, and Stelline Pasteria. Though I think I'd give Pavoratti's a slight edge over the Macaroni Grill (and a considerable one over Little Italy), it pales in comparison with most of the other Italian offerings in North Austin. Unless they upsize the appatizers and start offering some phenomenal entrees, I fear they are not long for this world.
Previously visited: April 20, 1996.
200 Buttercup Creek Blvd (in Cedar Park, just off 183)
331-3810
Men's room rating: 2.5.
Dwight's comments:
PooThai appears to be enjoying success: well deserved success, in my opinion.
The pud grapow squid was nicely spiced and excellently prepared (I ordered mine "Thai hot: the way the chef likes it": and may I add that the little standup card on the table, with heat levels on one side and a field guide to the condiments on the other, is a cute touch?): on the other hand, I still don't care much for PooThai's pad thai, which combines a truly odd noodle choice and too much cabbage for me.
And any time you manage to get a waitress that can keep up with a table full of smartasses (including +Rich, Terri, and Mike, as well as your humble servant and your not-so-humble other guy), you pretty much have to cherish her and tip big.
PooThai is still a long way to drive, but they're rapidly moving up into the "Worthy Competition for Thai Kitchen" spot: if only they could do something about the pad thai...
Lawrence's comments:
There seem to be more great Thai places in the greater Austin area than there are TexMex places.
Personally, I can live with it.
The last time we visited PooThai, we found it promising but not in the same league as Thai Kitchen. However, on our most recent visit, the restaurant had undergone marked improvement in almost every category. The fried dumpling appatizers were delicious and arrived sizzling hot, and the Tom Yam Goong soup was also quite good. I ordered my Neur Pad Grapow entree "Phil Hot" (A little tabletop standup card, in addition to offering helpful hints on the many condiments, listed the various heat levels, with "Phil Hot" ("named after a frequent patron") being the hottest. When I ordered it thus, our waitress turned to a table across the aisle and said "Did you hear that Phil?") and I wasn't disappointed. Not only was it nearly as hot as I like it, but unlike Thai Kitchen, PooThai cuts off the pepper stems before cooking. Also, the heavy stoneware it was served on was quite an improvement from the cheap plastic they used last year.
And we finally got the waitress we deserve (in more ways than one)--smart, savvy and saucy. I only regret that we didn't run into her before voting for the Austin Chronicle Restaurant poll closed, since she would have been our unanimous choice for Best Waitress.
Though Thai Kitchen still has a much more varied menu, PooThai may have edged past it on price and quality. Even though it's way out in Cedar Park on 183, PooThai is definitely worth the trip.
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See the logs for December of 1997.
See the logs for October of 1997.