Saturday, April 11, 2009

Eddie V's Edgewater Grille on 5th Street in Austin, Texas... Wow!

Oh. My. God. We had the most amazing dinner at Eddie V's while in Austin last week. The service was impeccable and none of us could find fault with a single item we ordered. Of course, we had to take out a loan (just kidding) to pay for it, but it was worth every last little cent.


First of all, let me just say they have an outstanding air conditioning system and aren't afraid to use it. Being menopausal, I appreciate any establishment that caters to my physical needs. I never had so much as a slight hot flash, so I was literally in Heaven. I think I even got goose bumps. Seriously.


Our daughter flew in from L. A. for her birthday and our son took time out from college life at St. Edwards University to join us. Since they both have April birthdays, this was their big celebration dinner. Our waiter Jeff was one of the best waiters we've ever had the good fortune to find. To his credit, he didn't once interrupt us in mid-conversation, which is as it should be. He politely waited for us to finish, and look at him. It truly irritates me when wait staff interrupts me in mid-sentence, because I can never remember what I was saying afterwards. Yes, I'm that old.


We began the evening with cocktails, all having extra dry dirty vodka martinis that were just perfect. To us, a good bartender always knows how to make a great dry martini, so we weren't disappointed in the least.


For appetizers we always have to order Calamari because that's the only "starter" our son likes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was different than the usual fried Calamari with Marinara sauce, which has gotten boring. Instead, they served their Kung Pao-style Calamari on a bed of crispy rice noodles, drizzled with a dynamite sweet & hot sauce, and topped with tiny sprouts.


Then, they offered us chopsticks to eat it with, which the daughter and I love.
We also ordered the Tartare of Ahi Tuna, served with delicious homemade onion flatbread, which was also very different than we've had other places. It's seasoned with sesame and curry oils and has avocado added, with the waiter expertly preparing it for you table-side. The tuna was almost "Heavenly" and we devoured every last bite.



Not once did our waiter try to rush us, which scored another feather in his cap. I like for dinner to be more of an event, than just a rushed meal.



Next, we each had a delightful Caesar salad. Their Caesar dressing is sheer deliciousness.



For an entrée, my husband ordered the Sautéed Lemon Sole In Parmesan Crust, which was just delicious.



Our daughter ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, Roasted Crisp and ate it all before I had the chance to taste it. Apparently, it was very good.


Our son ordered their 16-ounce USDA Prime New York Strip Steak and commented that it was cooked better than any he'd ever had. He doesn't eat meat unless he is with us, since he can't afford it on his college allowance.


I ordered the Grilled Atlantic Salmon and it was absolutely perfectly cooked, unlike many places we've been that torture me with over-cooking it.
For the side dishes, we chose their made-from-scratch Truffled Macaroni & Cheese "Gratinata" and the Potato Gruyere Fritters. Both dishes were superb and we ate until we could eat no more. Let me just interject here that I was terribly tempted to take the potato fritters with me. They were simply to die for.


After resting and sipping our lovely wine, we finally agreed that we should order dessert and
split two choices, since we were all full. We finally decided on their magnificent Hot Dark Chocolate Godiva Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (prepared tableside) and the Crème Brulee with Homemade Cookies. Both desserts were divine, as we fought over the last bites.



Would I recommend Eddie V's Edgewater Grille? Absolutely. Without doubt. This lovely dining establishment is worthy of every one of the five stars it has been given by Austinites.



The presentation of each and every dish was magnificent as was the food itself. Eddie V's Edgewater Grille receives 5 stars on every point from me. I can't wait to return.