Jim N.
Yelp
Update 02-11-2024
Our last stop at The Grove - Lakeway was not very pleasant. We were in Lakeway again this week, and decided to give them another shot... A marked improvement from our last visit.
Elliott waited on us at the bar and did a fantastic job. Thank you, sir! The drinks were very good, Bombay martini ... made just right. On the food side of things, we started with a new menu item: Tempura Japanese Eggplant. Very tasty, very good, delivered piping hot! The batter on the eggplant was thin and crispy, the eggplant itself delicious. Served on a bed of miso vinegarette and sweet chili Thai sauce, garnished with a little green onion and togarashi spice.
Our only issue with the dish is that the fried eggplant was placed on top of the two sauces. So, for the first two or three pieces of eggplant, you cannot reach the sauces. And, by the time we got to the bottom of the plate, the pieces of eggplant were soggy on the bottom. Suggestion: Put the sauces in a small dish on the side for dipping. That would work wonderfully!
Next up... the beet salad. We have had that before, and its simply a delicious salad. Red, gold and candy-stripe beets, mixed greens, green apple, mandarin orange slices, spiced candied pecans, goat cheese with a citrus vinegarette balsamic dressing. Super fresh ingredients, served in an ice-cold plate ... fun to eat too, as you "unpack" the salad as you eat. Very good!
We went in a totally different direction for us on the next dish... oven roasted meat balls. The meatballs were full of flavor, well cooked. The san marzano marinara had a little heat in it, with a generous bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled across the top... toasted focaccia present to soak up the sauce was a great touch.
Much better visit this time, reflected in the higher star rating. Recommend The Grove - Lakeway when you are in the area.