"I feel like I need a phone book."
We had just sat down at the Lonesome Dove, celebrity chef Tim Love's western style bistro on 5th and Colorado in downtown Austin, and I was cross. I'd had a short work week, 4 days, but I'd managed to put in over 40 very stressful hours. My friend who comes with me on these dining adventures had been late. I was tired. I was cranky. I'd debated cancelling our 9 o'clock reservation in favor of pajamas and cereal for dinner. (Yes, it was a 9 o'clock reservation. I'd tried to get something at an earlier hour, but my choices were 9 o'clock or 5:30.)
The table height was high and the chair was low resulting in my face being closer to my plate than I was used to. Hence, my commentary that I might need something to sit on to bring my chin closer to the ceiling and farther from the tabletop.
I had very low expectations. I don't put a lot of stock into the connection that if someone is well known, therefore, they are good. Just because you're on TV or in the movies doesn't mean you're talented. *insert bitchy comment about the celebrity you think is overrated here* And, if the person who owns the restaurant is good, the staff needs to be as good at the execution or it all falls apart. The theme of the Lonesome Dove is game meats. Both of my grandfathers hunted, so I've had my share of venison. I like dove but I don't like squab. A little gamey in the game meat is okay, but I'm not a salivating fan of forest food.
So, there I sat with my face close to my plate and my little Moleskine notebook pretentiously placed next to my water glass and I'm sure a sour look on my face while I looked at the menu. The offerings are very unique. Rabbit and rattlesnake sausage, wild boar ribs, kangaroo and elk-foie gras are all possibilities. The accompaniments to these include huckleberries, cured egg, crispy collards, shepherd's pie and hen of the woods mushrooms. Then there was the wine list to consider. It's really big, at least 20 pages, with enough variety that anyone could find something to match their taste and budget.
The space is very open and done in what I call "upscale cattle ranch". Very high ceilings with open beam work, big but simple chandeliers, a longhorn trophy cow on the wall and the leather seats all bring you to the conclusion that you are definitively in Texas.
After much debating, I decided to have the rabbit and rattlesnake sausage with a crispy, cheesy potato cake to start (What? I'm going to be somewhere that offers rabbit/rattlesnake sausage and NOT eat it? Come on!) and then move on to the elk loin with mushrooms and crispy collards. My dining companion had the elk-foie gras sliders with blueberry jam, the summer squash soup and fireside snapper done in the "en papillote" meaning it's cooked in paper.
I'm not going to go into descriptions of everything because I could go on for days about the goodness of this food. This was one of the best meals I've ever had, one of the best experiences I've ever had dining out. My mood lifted. I was closing my eyes as I tasted things. Later, I slept well.
The kitchen staff are amazing at what they do. Everything served to me was done beautifully. The elk loin was seared, with a very nice carmelization on the outside. There's a fine line between medium rare and underdone. I've been disappointed before, ending up with something chewy instead of tender, but this was just right.
There are two things I noticed. One, is that the chef doesn't try to fight the flavor of the food. Collards are bitter, he lets them be bitter. Summer squash is sweet, he complements that by fire roasting the vegetable to add a smoky flavor. Snapper is delicate and can't take a heavy sauce; it's served with lighter vegetables, mint and lime juice.
Two, is the juxtaposition (I love that word) of textures in all of the dishes. The foie-gras sliders especially had a wonderful composition of toasty bread, the rich foie-gras and the chunky blueberry jam. Individually, each texture is perfect for the taste and the combinations are simply divine.
We ended up ordering three desserts, because, yes. A trio of sorbets, cappuccino flan and the ancho chile chocolate cake. Desserts can be tricky. Many desserts make the mistake of putting in too much sugar, especially in raspberry based sweets. Yes, I like sweet. But too much of it makes a cloying, over done pastry that leaves a coating on your tongue.
Again, these are executed beautifully. All three get the sugar just right. They just kiss the boundary of too sweet but don't make the commitment. Texture plays a big role in these dishes as well. The flan is wonderfully silky with a sweetened coffee flavor accented with chocolate. The ancho chile chocolate cake is served warm. The cake doesn't fight the bitterness of the cocoa, it brings it together with the sweet heat of the chile and then the ice cream cools everything. It's a beautiful medley.
Our server, David, was fantastic. Austin is getting to be a big city and with the growth I'm starting to see some restaurant staff with big attitudes. Not David. He was attentive, answered questions, offered opinions, was sincere in his desire to make sure we were enjoying our meal and generally made our experience very, very good.
The Lonesome Dove is going down on my list of wonderful places.
http://lonesomedoveaustin.com/
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