Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/367813
Executive Chef Troy Knapp of The Driskill Grill and 1886 Café & Bakery. // NOW EAT // PHOTOGRAPHY BY LINDSEY CAVANAUGH (OLIVE OIL); COURTESY OF THE DRISKILL (KNAPP); COURTESY OF OLAMAIE (SHRIMP); PAUL BARDAGJY (UCHIKO) AT LAST After a very long wait, Austin can fi nally taste the culinary guns Olamaie has been promising since its fi rst pop-up dinner more than a year ago. CIA- trained Executive Chefs Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas have worked with Mario Batali and Thomas Keller, and now join forces in a modern Southern restaurant housed in an Austin landmark—with a seasonal menu focusing on local ingredients. 1610 San Antonio St., 512-730-0652; olamaieaustin.com VEGGIE DELIGHT Austin's vegetable-loving foodies will rejoice in Uchi and Uchiko's new tasting menu. "Vegetarians get tired of the limited offerings they get at other restaurants," says Director of Culinary Operations Philip Speer. "They know they can get something satisfying and creative with us." The daily fi ve-course tasting menu ($51) includes items like the Komaki roll and a sweet corn sorbet. A monthly 10-course omakase menu ranges between $170-$220. Uchi, 801 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-916-4808; Uchiko, 4200 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-916-4808; uchiaustin.com 2 OLIVE PICK Rustic design and ranch-to-table fare defi ne Jacoby's, the new Austin outpost of the family ranch and cafe in Melvin. Savor the Jacoby beef burger or enjoy healthier offerings along with craft cocktails. The adjacent market carries artisan foods as well as Jacoby beef, lamb, and wild boar. 3235 E. Cesar Chavez St., 512-366-5808; jacobysaustin.com Healthy Choices THE MAN BEHIND 1886 CAFÉ & BAKERY'S MENU LOOKS TO REDUCE THE HISTORIC LANDMARK'S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT. Following summer-long renovations, The Driskill's café reopens this month with an updated and expanded dining room, including a patisserie-style layout with grab-and-go fresh pastries. The Driskill Hotel's executive chef, Troy Knapp (he's best known for the Driskill Grill—the hotel's high-end restaurant), reveals the reasoning behind his changes to the classic Texas comfort- food menu. Ethical eating: "When the restaurant was closed, it was an excellent time for us to make a few menu changes. We're not opening with a new menu, just making sure the ingredients we are buying are from producers who make us feel good about their animal welfare, ethics, and environmental stewardship." Sacred cow: "We recently switched to grass-fed beef. From a health standpoint, it's important for the person eating it. When you take the corn out of the diet, you drastically reduce the chances of E. coli for the cattle." Curated coffee: "We're now working with Ferra Coffee, based out of Boerne, Texas. What's really special is that it's roasted once we order it. It sits in a green stage, sourced directly from the growers, which gives the worker a fairer wage. There's no one handling it in between, so it never sits on a shelf." 1886 Café & Bakery at The Driskill, 604 Brazos St., 512- 391-7066; 1886cafeandbakery.com AW fresh finds // new in town// ONLY IN TEX AS insight Domestic olive oils are at their best during the winter, after freshly harvested olives from autumn are pressed and bottled. But the intensely flavorful, aromatic ingredients can still be enjoyed in their prime in Central Texas this time of year: Con' Olio extends an olive branch to the Southern hemisphere as it puts the fresh, award-winning EVOOs of Chile, Peru, and Australia on tap this month. Con' Olio Oils & Vinegars, Second Street District, 215 Lavaca St., 512-495- 1559; The Arboretum, 10000 Research Blvd., Ste. 130, 512-342-2344; Hill Country Galleria, 12918 Shops Pkwy., Ste. 550, 512-263-4373; conolios.com Extra-virgin olive oils from Chile, Peru, and Australia are on tap at Con' Olio. 1 Shrimp with corn butter at Olamaie. 102 AUSTINWAY.COM TASTE Spotlight