The FoodandBeerMonger: Town House

Nothing like a year-ending meal at Town House to bring The Monger out of seclusion. 2009 was not a great dining year for me. First, law school has drastically shrunk my dining (and travel) budget, and this year has seen my wife and I cook more than we ever have. Second, Austin just isn't a world-class (or even a very good) food city. Outside of BBQ and Mexican, the food is simply hit and miss, with an emphasis on the miss. Thus, when I say that my fourth 2009 meal at Town House was my second-best meal of the year (the best was an absolutely flawless six-course not blogged about meal at Town House in May), it probably isn't saying that much. Nevertheless, Tuesday's meal was extraordinary. John and Karen Urie Shields are cooking at a level that few chefs in this country are. Town House obviously remains The Monger's favorite restaurant.

Here's the rundown (the pics are from Town House's blog as it proved impossible to get my pics off the camera I borrowed):

Black Olive Oil Cookie

These cookies are delicious.

Pork Belly Taco

This was one of the best things I had all night. The taco "sweet corn" shell was perfectly crisp. The pork belly was fatty and salty, and the kaffir lime leaves on top were delightfully refreshing. I probably could have eaten 10 (or more) of these little things and been content with my meal. I would love to have a larger version somewhere in the tasting menu. Excellent.

Link to Picture, # 2 (from MessyCuisine's meal at Town House)

Chilled Vegetable Minestrone

Deceptively simple but an incredible amount of work goes into this dish. The 16 vegetables are shaved razor thin and topped with an enhancing chilled vegetable broth. This is one of Town House's best exercises in restraint as the chefs really allow the vegetables to speak for themselves. Excellent.

"Brulee" of Smoked Salmon Roe with flavors of coconut, mustard, avocado, banana, celery, and cilantro

This dish was a triumph. It was bold yet balanced. Striking yet graceful. The roe, while the centerpiece, allowed everyone else to showcase their talents. This is as good as food gets. Superb. Astonishing. Beyond belief.

The Orange from Valencia

This was the only miss of the night. The technique was impressive: pureeing an orange and then reforming it to hide a mayonnaise of mussels, olive oil, saffron, crystallized onion, and bread. However, I found the pureed, reformed orange to be too bitter. I couldn't get passed it to enjoy the hidden mussel mayonnaise. Okay.

Scrambled Egg Mouse with fall spices and birch syrup

The mouse topped some pickled ramps. A smooth, rich dish. Excellent.

Chorizo Bouillon

I was not a big fan of this dish when I had it about a year ago. Two things changed. First, Town House made some delicious shrimp and pig chorizo (not pictured) to go along with the soup. Second, I didn't pop the cuttlefish dumpling in the bowl this time but rather allowed it to pop in my mouth. It was an explosion of flavor. Very Good.

Nantucket Bay Scallops and Pork Belly with sprouted mung beans, red cabbage juice, finger lime, and topped with toasted garlic

This was the Town House's take on bacon wrapped scallops. I think that is enough said. Excellent.

Lamb cooked in Ash with dried fruit, black garlic marmalade, and wild rice "polenta"

The lamb is actually cooked in ash to get some smokey flavor and the kitchen then refashions something to look like ash. It's a great presentation, and the lamb was juicy and tasty. Very Good.

Covered in Snow . . . Foggy Ridge's Pippin Apple with Thai beef-green curry, cumin, aerated milk chocolate and peanut.

Considering Southwestern Virginia got blasted with a foot of snow over the weekend, this dessert was timely, although I'm not really sure what was going on with it. There were a lot of Asian flavors. Something that reminded me of peanut butter. No matter, it was the best dessert of the night. Excellent.

Candied Parsnip

Flavors of lemongrass provided another Asian-themed dessert. Very Very good. That's about all I remember.

Powdered Chocolates with a steamed yuzu sponge, bergamot, and an aromatic "salad" of herbs

A lot of chocolate textures. Excellent flavor. A great end to a great meal.

This was a wonderful way to end 2009. Hopefully, 2010 will be a better dining year for me. I will be working in Washington, D.C., during the summer, and I am already planning trips to Per Se and Corton in New York, Volt in Maryland, and Tarver King's Ashby Inn in Paris, Virginia. I may even throw in a trip to the other Paris before the end of the year. Of course, next summer will see at least two trips to Town House.

I also want to mention Riverstead, Town House's inn. Although my wife and I aren't staying there this Christmas vacation, we did spend our wedding night (after a Town House prepared wedding reception) in one the the inn's two luxurious guest rooms. It is fabulous and is situated along the Holston River on a 40 acre farm. I recommend that anyone traveling to Town House spend the night there.