Sweetmonger and I hit up Zoot a couple weekends ago. The restaurant is located in an unassuming, gray house just west of downtown. Fortunately, the food at Zoot stands out where the house does not. The restaurant is owned by the same people who operate Wink, and the food is very similar. Fresh, local ingredients are the key and each main course has essentially the same construction. A well-prepared protein is paired with a couple vegetables and a sauce of some kind. The presentations are simple and efficient (not necessarily a bad thing).
We each ordered an appetizer. Sweetmonger went with beef tartare topped with a poached egg. It was good. I ordered a smoke infused, beef brisket tasting tomato soup with a grilled mozzarella sandwich. It was borderline exceptional.
Sweetmonger's main course was pan seared escolar with sweet corn coulis, mushroom rice and a green bean salad. She really liked it. I had grilled hebi (tuna like fish) with mushrooms, braised greens and a red-curry sauce. Also on the plate was a completely unnecessary potato cake; it was terrible. Other than that, the dish was quite tasty.
I would definitely try Zoot again; however, without the gift certificate we used, I consider it slightly over-priced relative to its overall quality.
Zoot
www.zootrestaurant.com
509 Hearn St.
Austin, TX 78703
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