Austin Bar Underdog Reopens As Le Calamar, a French Bistro With a Texas Twist | Eater Austin
"A French bistro reimagined through a Texas lens that opened in late May, this neighborhood restaurant applies classic French techniques to Gulf dayboat seafood, Texas produce, and global spices to create a market-driven, “living” menu. Led by chef Casey Wall—whose résumé includes Le Cirque, the Spotted Pig, and restaurant projects in Australia—and partner Richard Hargreave (who curated the wine and drinks program), the kitchen turns familiar preparations into distinctly Texan interpretations: charcoal-grilled steaks; oysters served with house-smoked Texas hot links; a trout almondine finished with a salsa macha of guajillo chiles, almonds, cacao nibs, and sherry vinegar; Carolina Gold rice with Gulf shrimp and blue crab; and a Lone Star take on Baked Alaska featuring pecan, banana, and local honey. More inventive plates include deboned chicken wings filled with a mousseline blended with sweetbreads and huitlacoche, and a rice-based dessert made with Texas-grown rice, crème fraîche, local plum preserve, and pistachio. The beverage program emphasizes small, sustainable growers and producers from Texas, Mexico, and France (including a pecan-based nocino), and the dining room—a 3,000-square-foot, dark, moody space with glossy olive walls, stained concrete floors, a 12-seat bar, and a Spaghetti Western–inspired soundtrack—is designed to suit both multi-course meals and casual oysters with a glass of wine. Dinner service is the focus, with stated hours and daily early- and late-night happy hours that include drink and snack specials." - Brittany Britto Garley
