Restaurant Review

BC Tavern

Austin restaurateurs Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul advertise their new tavern as “comfort food done well,” and for once, the self-advertising nails it. For those not following the dramatic backstory, Scruggs and Paul owned both wink and Zoot. After an 18-year reign on Hearn Street, they decided to move Zoot out to Bee Cave. Sadly, between deciding to move and getting ensconced, the economy tanked. On top of that, the locals seemed more interested in family eateries than in white tablecloth fine dining.

Nonetheless, Zoot’s inventive cuisine has a lot of fans. The good news is BC Tavern shares Zoot’s resourceful gastronomy. But where Zoot often felt almost empty, each of the five times we’ve dined at BC Tavern, the place was either full or getting that way. There are two good reasons for the dramatic increase in business. First, the prices are lower. Even more important, customers now feel comfortable bringing kids or showing up in shorts and running shoes. The BC Tavern is now truly a local hangout.

The lower prices are partly from a shift in emphasis. Gone are the fancy tasting menu and expanded wine list. Instead, the menu has economical items including several burgers, four versions of mac and cheese, and a children’s menu packed with $4 goodies. Many of the starters are big enough for a whole meal, especially the crispy pork belly sandwich ($8) gilded with aioli and chowchow. It also serves a classic steak frites ($18), the meat perfectly cooked to order and bathed in a delicate but rich béarnaise sauce which is also drizzled over the frites. The brisket pot roast ($16) is another standout, with delicate, juicy meat atop whipped potatoes and cippolini onions. Zoot fans will cheer to hear that one of that place’s most popular dishes, the crispy-skinned roasted chicken breast, is still on the menu. It’s flawlessly juicy and served on a luxurious bed of creamy polenta and kale with a tarragon sauce. The good news is it is now $16 – $5 less than it was at Zoot.

Wine lovers will find 30 very interesting and well-priced wines, 20 of them available by the glass. Old World aficionados will love this little list, with treats like the Mionetto Prosecco ($8.25 glass/$32 bottle) from Italy, as well as the French Bourricot Rosé ($7.25/$28) and JM Crochet Sancerre ($11/$44). Personally, I almost always order the fantastic Juan Gil Monastrell from Spain ($9.50/$38).

Service is attentive and personable, with only a single exception. Once, when we ate in the bar, the place was jammed and the bartender was loudly complaining to the customers about being overworked and underappreciated. That is the only ding I can give the place. Scruggs and Paul have done a masterful job of renewing a famous old name. Zoot may be gone, but the BC Tavern is a better value and delightfully casual. And the food is still every bit as good. Indeed, it is comfort food done well.

This article appears in The 1%.