On Friday night, Shannon and I had Valentine’s plans to see Amos Lee at the Paramount at 8pm, so we decided to have an early dinner at nearby Parkside on 6th and San Jacinto. Due to some unforeseen (albeit foreseeable) rush-hour traffic issues, we arrived about 15 minutes late for our 6:15 reservation. The hostess informed us that our reservation had been “cancelled,” but they would try to fit us in anyway. After a few tense minutes, we were seated. Shannon and I agreed that Parkside could have handled the situation in a more professional manner by not telling us about the cancellation, as it caused a lot of worrying on my part!
The rest of the meal went smoothly, as we told our gracious and efficient waiter about our showtime, and he delivered on his promise to 
hurry all of our orders. Since it was still happy hour, we began with glasses of a deliciously crisp bubbly, the Laetitia Brut from California. We enjoyed our beverage with two orders of the oyster platter, each of which features a chef’s selection of a dozen oysters. Usually, the oyster platter is $28, but at happy hour, it’s just $14, and that’s one of the best deals around for that many oysters. On the negative side, four of the oysters were so small that we could barely tell that we were eating anything at all, and Shannon detected some graininess in them. On the other hand, the larger ones, especially the Red Points from Prince Edward Island, were delicious.
We also shared a couple of selections from the raw bar: the bass and the madai. The bass was a bit disappointing, beginning with its slimy appearance and phallic shape. It was filled with lime, chili, and avocado, which added some nice flavors, but it didn’t compare favorably to some of the sushi creations you can obtain at Uchi. The madai was a little bit better, as we enjoyed the colorful use of grapefruit, whose citrus flavor offered a nice contrast to the raw fish.
By this point, we were ready for a second round of cocktails, with Shannon selecting the Strawberry Sunshine, which she’d enjoyed on a previous visit to Parkside. The fusion of strawberry-flavored vodka, lime, and Spanish sparkling wine was again very enjoyable. I ventured for something new, selecting the Blackberry Sunset, which combined tequila, blackberry puree, and salt. I thoroughly enjoyed this drink, as it tasted like margarita with the sweetly tart ingredient of blackberry instead of lime.
For her entrée, Shannon chose the seared salmon, which was presented beautifully with colorful ingredients greeting the eye. Butternut squash, jalapeno, carrot, and ginger seamlessly complemented the salmon, which Shannon loved, although I thought the fish was a tad dry from overcooking.
Meanwhile, I ordered the tilefish, which was deliciously salty and perfectly tender. It was presented on a bed of braised lentil beans, 
which were very good. There were also bits of bacon in the beans, and while I enjoyed this addition, Shannon, who’s a pescetarian, sampled my dish without knowing it had meat (since the menu didn’t mention the bacon). Since Austin has a significant pescetarian population, Parkside’s managers should make sure that the menu informs diners when a fish dish has non-oceanic meat in it.
Finally, for dessert, we enjoyed an encore of our favorite from last time: the goat cheese cake with basil ice cream and pine nut brittle. Again, this dessert was simply out of this world. Shannon and I split a glass of King Estate pinot gris ice wine, which went very well with the dessert and put us in a terrific mood for the main event of the evening: Amos Lee.
The show was fantastic, as the acoustics of the Paramount are perfect for Amos Lee’s melodic, entrancing voice. His music combines elements of soul, folk, and jazz, creating an eclectic sound that’s completely unique. He played for over two hours without stopping, and in between songs he displayed his humble personality and dry sense of humor. At one point, he commented that he’d move to Austin except for the fact that he’d have to drive around drunk since there’s no other way to get around in the city. He also said that his dream is to start a school where poor children can harness their musical talents, and then quipped: “As long as I’m running it out of my mansion.” As the show continued, audience members became more uninhibited, calling out song requests and adoring sentiments. Amos took it all in stride, having fun with his burgeoning fame.
Amos Lee’s only 32-years-old, but he’s already established himself as one of the premier vocalists in the independent music scene. After graduating from college, he taught elementary school for two years in Philadelphia before pursuing his music career in 2004. His newest album, “Mission Bell,” was released last week, and it’s his best work so far, with almost every song standing on its own legs as an outstanding piece. Lee’s resonant voice has a velvety, almost liquid feel, and hearing him at the Paramount was a treat that Shannon and I will always treasure.
