On Friday I found out that I was getting off work at a salvageable hour. If I flew home from set I could slap on my pretty pants, grab the wifey and make it to someplace by the nick of 10:30. I hate showing up at restaurants close to closing time (and Mme. Pants hates it even more) so we needed a safe house; you know- friendly territory.
Enter Fino. You may remember it for our glowing praise of their amazing bar but it’s also a rocking food place. One that we for some reason underutilize. We rolled in and were assured that we were in fact not huge assholes and that we had plenty of time to order. God bless ‘em.
We started off with a couple of cocktails- the award winning Bee Sting and the oft obsessed over Martinez. Bill rocked it as expected.
While sipping our lovely beverages we decided to jump right in and reacquaint ourselves with their food by sampling the daily tasting menu. The kitchen led off with a tiny lobster bisque amuse bouche. Solid preparation- rich, creamy and mixed with a fortifying dose of sherry.
Next up was a white gazpacho. It is difficult for me to state how much I enjoyed this soup. Fucking phenomenal. The almond sweetness, the perfectly balanced fresh garlic heat, the crisp bread and good oil, adorable little half grapes. Yeah, I liked it.
Quickly following the gazpacho was an endive and apple salad with labne and a sprinkling of sumac. Definite points for originality. However, while it was light and refreshing, it was a bit over powered by the yogurt. That stuff’s pretty potent.
Swooping in to pick up any slack was a warm serving of baccalà mantecato; a creamy blend of salt cod and potato. Executed poorly, this dish can be the cause of some seriously unpleasant memories. No such worries from the Fino crew though. This was right on- good cod flavor, not too salty and a great texture. The accompanying dish of caperberries and roasted red peppers didn’t hurt my feelings either.
Filling out the roster was a lobster paella. I almost never order paella in restaurants and I probably could have skipped this one as well. Not that it wasn’t yummy. It was slap full of juicy lobster bits that had been reheated in butter. I mean seriously. No, it just didn’t have that paella mystique; the flavor infusions, the intense aromas, and most importantly that caramelized rice crust, the socarrat. In their defense, the kitchen knew it was missing. They said the pans are new and haven’t achieved the proper seasoning. I’m sure they’ll come along.
At this point I was ridiculously full and in no real mood for dessert. Not to be stopped by my weakness our waiter appeared with a raspberry charlotte and a bit of rosé wine gelée. I’m glad that he did. The puddingy charlotte wasn’t overly sweet but instead popped with a bright, tangy berry flavor. The gelée was subtle but a fun and interesting addition. Can you really go wrong with boozy jello?
We finished up the meal with a bit of fine conversation and then bid our farewells. I don’t know why Fino doesn’t spring to mind more when we talk about where to hit on a late night, it should definitely be in the mix.
Fino Restaurant Patio & Bar
2905 San Gabriel Street
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 474-2905
-L. Pants
