In Brief
Low water, haute dining
Reviewed by Virginia B. Wood, Fri., July 1, 2011
In Brief
The Shops at the Galleria (Highway 71 & Ranch Road 620) There are so many new restaurants opening here that it's hard to keep up. The Mandola's Market (12815 Shops Pkwy. #400) is doing a land-office business, and we hear great things about a new place called Apatite Cafe that we're eager to try (12801 Shops Pkwy. #200).
Mizu Prime Steak & Sushi (3001 RR 620 S.) Mizu's new executive chef is Jennifer Nguyen, a former Iron Chef Morimoto sous chef. Currently, she's busy adding a new robata grill menu to the restaurant's offerings.
Ate Foods (2127 Lohmans Crossing #310) The Buonocores have added a distinctive line of delicious prepared foods such as the house granola, orange marmalade, and a spicy harissa to their exemplary sandwich and pastry menu.
Hudson's on the Bend (3509 RR 620 N.) Be sure to order the 100% local Hill Country tasting menu sourced from the chef's own garden and area suppliers when stopping at the area's venerable fine-dining outlet this summer.
Cafe Blue (8714 Lime Creek Rd., Volente) This popular waterfront spot on the north end of Lake Travis recently won OpenTable's Diners' Choice Award for Best Outdoor Dining in the U.S. – how cool is that?
Cafe Lago (1200 Lakeway Dr., Lakeway) This cozy place is still the go-to breakfast and lunch spot for Lakeway residents in the know.
Boat House Grill (6812 RR 620 N.) Still and always our favorite lake-area spot for fried catfish.
Dominick's (formerly Ciola's, 1310 RR 620 S.) Both the Italian-American restaurant known for quarterly Big Night feasts and its recent replacement are now gone.
Bam's Roadhouse Grill (6115 Lohmans Ford, Lago Vista) The stuffed burgers here garnered a "Best of Austin" Critics Pick last year, and we recently discovered that none other than the Wall Street Journal agrees with our assessment.
