With stellar service and delectable dishes, Wink provides the best fine-dining experience in Austin

On Saturday night, Shannon and I celebrated our six-month anniversary at my favorite Austin restaurant, Wink.  Arriving about 15 minutes early for our 8:30 reservation so that we could sit in Wink’s excellent next-door wine bar and sip a glass of champagne, we chose a Lucien Albrecht rosé, which features sweet notes at the front and a crisp finish.  It’s a perfect way to start off an evening.

Mark, the gracious and friendly host/manager, informed us that our table was taking a little longer than expected, but we didn’t care as we still had about half our glasses left.  Then, the bartender brought out an order of mussels and offered them to us.  Apparently, there had been a mix-up in the kitchen that resulted in an extra order being prepared, although I suspect that Mark may have sent them our way.  The heaping bowl of large, tender mussels were prepared in a white wine that was simmered with bell peppers, green onions, and cilantro, creating a tasty broth.  Just as we were finishing our last mussels, I momentarily lamented the lack of bread to soak up the rest of the sauce.  Right then, our bartender brought out two warm ciabatta rolls, and he asked, “How can I let you have the mussels without some dunkin’ bread!?” Shannon and I were appreciative of his attentiveness, which is one of the hallmarks of Wink’s excellent service.  There’s a casual feel to the place, as the service is never snooty or pretentious despite the fact that Wink’s food is better than most high-end establishments. The servers feel like friends, guiding you through the menu in order to facilitate a fabulous night out.

After being seated in Wink’s small, chic, and bustling dining room, I ordered a bottle of the Patz and Hall chardonnay, which is a dynamic wine from Napa Valley that my Dad had introduced me to during one of our recent Dallas dining experiences.  This chardonnay has a well-balanced acidity, with initial notes of apple and such a clean finish that there’s a refreshing quality to it.  It’s especially good with seafood dishes, which we knew we’d be ordering for our entrees.

To begin the meal, I chose the chilled parsnip soup with ginger and walnut pesto.  The soup was thick, but it wasn’t a creamy puree; instead, it retained some of the texture of the parsnip, which gave the soup a bit of a nutty quality.  Combined with the flavorful complements of the ginger and pesto, I couldn’t get enough of it.  Meanwhile, Shannon chose the beet salad with lettuce, anjou pear, almonds, and amish bleu.  She marveled at the delectable combination of the bleu cheese and beets — those are two strong flavors that become even better when they’re synergized together.

For our entrees, we couldn’t decide between the red snapper and halibut, so we made a deal that we’d split each of the dishes with each other regardless of which ones we ordered for ourselves.  My red snapper featured a crispy, seasoned outside, and a creamy garlic-scape remoulade proved to be a tasty accompaniment to the fish.  Potatoes, mushrooms, and carrots were excellent side items that added to the overall flavor of the dish.  But Shannon’s halibut took the first-place prize: it was probably the most tender halibut I’ve ever tasted, nearly melting in our mouths as we savored each bite.  The chefs knew that the flavor of this fish should stand for itself, as they only used a touch of lemon brown butter to accentuate it.  Sides of spinach and “cheddar cauliflower” were also excellent.

We couldn’t finish a meal at Wink without sampling their dessert menu.  We decided on the Wink Trio, which features small portions of crème brulee, “El Rey” chocolate cake, and lemon meringue pot.  The crème brulee was the expected rich and creamy concoction.  But my favorites were the warm, bittersweet chocolate cake and lemon meringue pot, as alternating between these two provided a perfect contrast between sweet and tart.  We also ordered espressos, as Wink must have recently installed a cappuccino machine.  Prior to this visit, they only offered regular and decaf coffee.

If you have any reason to celebrate an occasion and want the best dinner you can find in Austin, then Wink’s the place to go.  With its consistently innovative dishes and friendly service, Wink retains its #1 ranking in my book.

Advertisement