Right before Covid closed everything, my spouse and I snuck off to Austin and enjoyed one of those meals that had me reshuffling my best restaurants in Texas list. The place was a delightful spot in Downtown called Olamaie. Our server that night told us that if we wanted to experience something even more sublime, we needed to know of a soon-to-open spot that would set new paradigms for Austin dining--Hestia (607 W. 3rd, overlooking Shoal Creek). We made a mental note to hit Hestia as soon as it was somewhat safe to do, and this past Friday was our night. They serve a tasting menu, something that many restaurants just can't pull off. We love being able to sit back and let the chef dazzle us, and dazzle us Executive Chef Kevin Fink and his talented team definitely did! We were thrilled to find ourselves at the best table in the restaurant, with a front-row seat to the immaculate kitchen with its modern 20 foot hearth, where much of Hestia's magic unfolds. In our 3 hour + meal, we never saw dissent in that kitchen--just precision and immense talent by an always masked and gloved team, many of whom visited our table throughout the night to share with us the nuances of the dishes. Tables were well-spaced and separated from others by thick plexi-glass. Our server Rachel was a delight, too--we never lacked for anything. She and all the floor staff were constantly attending to our every need, and though the wine/champagne pairings were ample and absolutely spot-on for every course, she and other staff kept topping our glasses off as if we were dehydrated arrivees at a desert oasis. I've posted all the courses below, along with my best recollection of each (we had a lot of wine). We can't wait to return--this is as superb as culinary Texas gets.
Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings, Hestia--Austin, Texas
(Ya! Brut Reserve Cava "Cuvee 23")
Amuse-bouche ("Snacks"): an oyster with monks pepper, wood ash, and melon; puree of avocado; and Fredericksburg peaches with a local artisan cream cheese
C1: "Nopales:" lasagna-like layers of nopales in hoja santa, pooled in a shimmering recado negro
(Cantina Terlan Pinot Bianco Alsto-Adige)
C2: "Beef:" fat chunks of rare wagyu smoked with mint marigold, nestled upon a wild onion pizzelle
C3: "Crab:" Alaskan king crab and prized local orange Sungold tomatos, drizzled with aged butter
C4: "Skewers:" one of succulent roasted pork belly, a second with seared trumpet mushrooms, and a third of a perfectly ripe roasted fig
C5: "Soudrough:" the best I've ever had, served with an avocado smoked sour cream
(Enfield Wine Co. Chardonnay "Citrine")
C6: "Scallop:" tender slices of scallop sautéed with green coriander and soaking in an aged tallow
C7: "Halibut" a flaky, tender smoked filet of halibut served with creamer peas, lactic broth, okra, and green tomato
(Vieux Télégraphe, Télégramme, Rhone Blend, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
C8: "Purslane:" delicate leaves of purslane served with mustang grapes, hibiscus, and hoja santa
C9: "Steak:" gorgeously marbled dry-aged Wagyu with lion's mane mushrooms (used as a medicine in Korea and the Far East--it has a flavor that reminds me of abalone) and lactic summer truffles
(Laurent Perrier 'Demi-Sec' Champagne)
C10: "Bubble & Smoke:" a dramatic bubble that bursts into a dense mix of buttermilk and strawberry, enveloped in citrus smoke
C11: "Sorbet:" a gorgeously simple and soothing finale, made with wildflowers
Lagniappe: "S'more:" A dark chocolate mousse on a bed of graham crackers, coated in pine cream and a toasted meringue read more