Best New Restaurants in Austin, July 2025 | Eater Austin

"Korean American wine bar Underdog gets a second life as Le Calamar, a French bistro with Texas flair. Co-owners Claudia Lee and Richard Hargreave partnered with North Carolina native and chef Casey Wall to revamp the entire menu, sourcing ingredients primarily from Texas and the Gulf Coast to craft a menu that could only exist in the Lone Star State. There are oysters Charentaise paired with spicy Texas hot links, grilled trout slathered in a brown butter-based salsa macha, an ever-changing menu of steaks cooked over charcoal, and compelling chicken wings à la Koffman (deboned chicken wings stuffed with mousseline) that appears deceptively simple. The beverage menu is just as impressive, with Hargreave sourcing most of the wines from France and a spirits list that focuses on Texas and Mexico." - Courtney E. Smith