South Central Austin is just bustling with restaurant activity. At
Threadgill’s World Headquarters (901 W. Riverside, 472-9304), Eddie Wilson has built a new
fence around the front yard as the first step toward establishing a beer garden.
Sixty honeysuckle bushes are planted along the inside of the fence in the hope that
it will eventually be covered with vines, creating a traffic noise buffer to
enclose a relaxing oasis. In the Threadgill’s kitchen, visiting chef Raymond Tatum is
whipping up menu specials Wednesdays and Saturdays in the downtown location, Thursdays
and Fridays at the original store. Some of his more popular items recently have
been crawfish �touff�e, chicken breast in a garlic/rosemary/mustard
vinaigrette marinade finished with a roasted pecan cream sauce, soft-shell crabs, grilled
tuna, and oriental pork chops. Tatum’s entr�e specials are priced in the
$8.95-12.95 range.
Up the hill on South First Street, Tony Villegas has purchased the former
used car lot across from his original El Mercado (1302 S. First, 447-7445),
cleaned up the environmental hazards, and is turning it into a much-needed additional
parking lot for his popular eatery. Phil Newton, owner of High Times Tea Bar
& Brain Gym (1501 S. First, 445-5405), reports that Irish chef Patrick
Gannon has left the popular little Bouldin Creek spot to take his young family on an
extended vacation to the Auld Sod. Good food and great milkshakes should continue at
High Times, however. Farther south on First, the newest business to occupy the
hallowed walls of the former Virginia’s Cafe is a perky little Mexican joint called El
Nopalito (2809 S. First, 326-2026). Open six days a week, it serves plump, flavorful
breakfast tacos and tasty plate lunches, both to eat in and take out.
Swinging around to the Avenue, just north of Oltorf, new operators have
taken over existing restaurant locations at the intersection of South Congress and
College Avenue. Rebecca Clements has named her first Austin venture Zoe’s Kitchen
(2218 College, 326-4199) for her young daughter. Zoe’s, a small Mexican restaurant on the
site of the former Tamale House, offers fast, affordable Tex-Mex food, such as hot,
juicy tamales at $6 per dozen. The new owners of the Tree House Grill (2201
College, 443-4200) completely refurbished the former Aldo’s location, capitalizing on one of the
biggest, most beautiful oak trees in South Austin as the centerpiece of a lovely patio
adjoining the dining room. The menu is still evolving, but there are soups, salads,
sandwiches, a list of simple Italian entr�es, a full bar, and a wine list. And up at
1610 S. Congress, Alan Lazarus, founding chef of one of Austin’s longtime favorite
Italian restaurants, Basil’s, and partners Claude Benayoun and Scott Bolin, hope to
locate Trattoria Congresso in the former Lariat Ranchwear store. The proposed
restaurant will be in the tradition of real Italian trattorias, informal, family-run
restaurants with rather rustic home cooking. Lazarus says the new venue will be open only
in the evening, and the partners are working with the Bouldin Creek Neighborhood
Association to address concerns about parking.
Looking for an dynamite meal before the Fourth of July fireworks? Zoot
(509 Hearn, 477-6535) will be open its regular hours on Independence Day, with menu
specials such as Grilled Pork Chops with red, white and blue salsa, Smoked Rib Eye
with BBQ onions, apple pie � la mode, and strawberry shortcake.
This article appears in July 4 • 1997 and July 4 • 1997 (Cover).