2nd Bar + Kitchen

So a friend and I tried out this place last night, after hearing a lot of hype about it and its upscale counterpart, Congress. We went in the middle of the week, thinking it might be quieter, but it was bustling with people. Granted, the space is smaller than I anticipated, with most of the seating reserved for the patio. This is Austin, though, and we are known for our outside eating areas. Nevertheless, we were escorted to a nice table inside not too close to the bar.

Now, the only thing that really irked me about the experience was that I asked for water with lemon. It was a specific request for something simple that I know all restaurants have. Lemon. Our waiter looked at me like I was crazy, and then never provided a lemon. We were, however, provided with the trendy little decanters for our water that I equate to an Absolut Vodka bottle, minus the label. That's fine, just bring me a tiny plate with some lemon wedges. But nothing the entire time we were there. It probably would have been less of an issue for me if I wasn't so incredibly preggo, but I am, and it was upsetting.

But the food compensated. We had the buffalo fried pickles. They were thin cut strips deep fried and lathered in buffalo sauce and then stacked high so you can play Jenga with them. There was a light ranch sauce on the side, I think. Honestly, they were so spicy I wasn't sure if it was a ranch sauce or very thin blue cheese. All in all, they were good.

For an entree, my friend had the grilled radicchio and escarole with flank steak.  I had the spicy veggie pizza. The pizza was too large for one person, so I brought the second half home. But this gal wanted pizza, and many of the entrees had either pork or beef as the protein, which I am not particularly interested in these days.  So pizza it was! And it was spicy. After the buffalo fried pickles, I must have drank our entire decanter of luke warm water. All in all the pizza was good, but I think next time I would like to try the chicken or the burger if I am feeling like eating beef again. My friend said her salad was good, but a little on the sweet side.

The ambiance is nice, bustling with customers and waiters with a nice view of the 2nd street area. I would recommend it for a nice lunch or for drinks.

Jeffrey's

We decided to give Jeffrey's a go for my birthday dinner this past weekend. Jeffrey's has been a forerunner in fine dining establishments for the past 30 years, so I thought it was a safe bet. For the most part, it was.

Now, I am wicked preggo right now, so I can eat the side of a house, and I am pretty much always uncomfortable in some way, so I tend to be a little less forgiving in my dining experiences at the moment. Things like slick floors and tiny bathrooms are a bit irksome. But, Jeffrey's had such a cozy intimate ambiance, I couldn't hold a grudge. It was so romantic for me and my hubby, so I handled the slip and sliding to the bathroom with as much grace as possible and forgot about it.

Now the drinks, according to my husband, were excellent. He had a Manhattan made to his specifications, and he said it was delicious. There is a lot to be said for good drinks at a restaurant. I had water, and I will say that it was average. Probably the exact same water I would have at any other dining establishment. For an appetizer, we had the Oyster Octavia and the Oyster Original. I think both of us preferred the Oyster Original, with its honey-habanero aioli. I'm a sucker for a good aioli.  The Oyster Octavia was a little heavy on the sun-dried tomatoes. But the oysters were fried to perfection. 

For entrees, my hubby had the venison medallions on a bed of broccoli, eggplant and other vegetables. I had the rack of lamb on a bed of swiss chard and lamb jus over a bed of grits. The grits were fantastic, but the swiss chard was a bit too slimy and the lamb jus was barely present. A shame, because as well cooked as the lamb was, I think the chef was a bit heavy handed on the salt that night, and I could have used the bitter sweet sauce to balance out the savory lamb. But all in all, a delightful meal. I had a bite of venison from my husband, and in hindsight, I would have ordered it. But we always want what our husband's have, right? 

We passed on dessert but our waiter brought us 2 delicious macaroons from the local deli, and that was a perfect way to top off the meal. Jeffrey's was overall a romantic and comfortable experience. In the future, it might serve as a good place off the beaten path of downtown to grab a couple cocktails, and maybe an appetizer.