Le Calamar
Bistro · Bouldin Creek ·
Texan bistro applying French techniques to local seafood & produce
Texan bistro applying French techniques to local seafood & produce
"“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.” Here, executive chef Casey Wall uses Big Tree oysters to reintroduce diners to Gulf bivalves: he says their balanced salinity with a touch of sweetness “puts them over the top,” that “you can taste the brine and the oyster” and they “offer a true expression of Texas”; any hesitations fade as staff talk guests through the stigma and many order a second plate after tasting them, and because Big Tree controls the growing process, what arrives each week is unrivaled in consistency." - Darcie Duttweiler
"Austin only has a handful of French restaurants, so we’re thrilled anytime a new one opens—especially one this good. Le Calamar is in the shuttered Underdog space in Bouldin Creek, and comes from the same team. It tops yellowfin tuna with silky crème fraîche and bathes velvety Parisian-style gnocchi in brown butter, but the best things we’ve tried thus far are a perfectly cooked cut of wagyu and the herby Vichy carrots with tallow tree honey. It’s not all French—the bistro has many nods to Texas, including Southwestern-themed art hanging on the walls. Put Le Calamar at the top of your date-night list. You can order a la carte or get their $77 prix fixe menu." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary
"From the team behind the recently shuttered Underdog—and in the same space—Le Calamar is a French bistro with a few Texas touches. Expect dishes like grilled trout with brown butter, Carolina gold rice with Gulf shrimp and blue crab, and oysters charentaise (with Texas hot links). Right now they’re open for dinner and happy hour, but there’s a lunch expansion planned for the near future." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs
"Austin only has a handful of French restaurants, so we’re thrilled anytime a new one opens—especially one this good. Le Calamar is in the shuttered Underdog space in Bouldin Creek, and comes from the same team. It tops yellowfin tuna with silky crème fraîche and bathes velvety Parisian-style gnocchi in brown butter, but the best things we’ve tried thus far are a perfectly cooked cut of wagyu and the herby Vichy carrots with tallow tree honey. It’s not all French—the bistro has many nods to Texas, including Southwestern-themed art hanging on the walls. Put Le Calamar at the top of your date-night list, or invite a friend for cocktails and a catch-up at the stunning bar." - Matthew Jacobs
"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