St. Philip had only been open to the public a few days when we dropped in for lunch this week. A construction crew was putting finishing touches on the patio and there was still some shelving missing in the bakeshop. However, the dining room was fairly full and the aromas emanating from the open kitchen soon had our mouths watering.
Project partner and Uchi culinary director Philip Speer seemed to be every place at once: greeting guests, checking on pizzas as they emerged from the oven, and troubleshooting problems with the bakeshop’s soft-serve machine. While Speer is quick to point out that the new eatery is named for the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs rather than himself, St. Philip is very much the realization of his concept. He envisioned a comfortable neighborhood restaurant offering guests good food and an interactive dining experience, and from the looks of things, that’s exactly what he’s got.
“I wanted the kitchen to be open with some seating at the bar so that people could see what we’re doing, so they could see me back here and I could greet them by name,” Speer explains. “We put things like the build-your-own pizzas and sundaes on the menu so that people could interact with the kitchen and we’ve already seen them having fun with those things this week.”
We entered through the bakeshop to check out the pastries and desserts. On this particular day, there was a sparse selection of croissants, scones, cinnamon-sugar doughnuts, dessert bars, cookies, cream puffs, slices of tarts and cake. Speer assured us that when the bakeshop is running at full speed, the product line will be filled out with daily bread offerings and a wider variety of pastries in addition to two flavors of soft serve ice cream that will change regularly.
The relaxed dining room is furnished with tables, booths, and banquettes in blonde wood with blue fabric accents. It’s a casual space with clean lines and plenty of sunshine. The shady, 40-seat dining patio is shielded from the traffic and the view of the unappealing freeway off-ramp by native landscaping and an attractive privacy fence.
Perusing the menu, we found pizzas, a selection of house meatballs, salads and savory dishes in small, sharable plates, and a list of hearty sandwiches on house breads. Speer makes no claims that the pizzas here are representing any specific genre or geographic area in the US or Italy. Based on our experience with the meatball pie ($15), St.Philip delivers a respectable 12-inch pizza on a tasty crust; thin and crispy but still offering some chewiness, dotted with olive oil-brushed dimples, topped with fresh sauce, and a light array of toppings. Diners can choose a pie from the menu ($10-$15) or build their own ($9.50 with each topping $1.75).
For any sandwich to make an indelible impression, good bread is an all-important building block. The sandwiches here are made with very good bread indeed – white and wheat hoagie rolls, ciabatta, and a Pullman brioche loaf sliced into Texas toast. The BELT ($10) is a prime example of the sandwich quality, with crisp bacon, a fried egg, tender lettuce leaves, and panko-crusted fried green tomato slices on thick, swoon-worthy slices of toast. The bread even over-shadowed the homemade salt and malt potato chips on the plates, no small feat. I would gladly have bought a loaf of the Pullman brioche to take home, had it been available, but Speer assured us that the sandwich breads will eventually be for sale in the bakeshop.
For drinks to complement the menu, the full bar offers custom cocktails, several local and national craft brews on draft and in cans, an approachable wine list, plus Cuvée cold brew coffee on tap, Maine Root sodas, and puckery tart, fresh lemonade ($3.50). The dessert menu offers diners yet another opportunity to interact with the kitchen: choose a base (brownie, blondie, cookie, fruit), an ice cream component (four flavor choices), a sauce, and finally a topping such as granola, whipped cream, or fruit, and for $6, you’ve got a bowl full of sundae that’s plenty for two to share. Speer tells us the list of components will grow and change with possible suggestions from guests as well as the whims and inspirations of pastry chef Kerstin Bellah.
St. Philip made a positive first impression. In fact, the entire property has been transformed from a big, bald parking lot with a lonely restaurant building in the middle to an attractive development housing St. Philip, Stouthaus Coffee Pub, the Milk & Honey Day Spa, and a 3,000 sq. foot restaurant space that has yet to be leased. All the elements are in place for 4715 to become a Sunset Valley neighborhood dining destination. It’s not even in my neighborhood, but I’m going back for the bread.
St. Philip Pizza Parlor + Bake Shop
4715 S. Lamar, 512/358-7445
Restaurant hours: Mon. – Thu., 11am-10pm; Fri., 11am-11pm;
Sat., 10am-11pm; Sun., 10am-10pm
Bakeshop hours: Mon. – Fri., 7am-9pm; Sat. – Sun., 8am-9pm
www.stpaustin.com
This article appears in October 10 • 2014.