Dining Out Sustainably: Mulberry

The first time I walked into Mulberry, I felt like I was in New York or San Francisco. I guess I've become so accustomed to big restaurants in Austin that I was caught off guard by this great wine bar and restaurant tucked into the ground floor of the 360 Tower.  Mulberry has a comfortable, chic feel that draws you in whether you are sitting at the bar or on the patio.

My first dinner at Mulberry was with a group of friends and we shared several plates.  The Devils on Horseback (figs wrapped in bacon - yum!), Meatballs, Truffled Steak Tartare and Braised Pork Belly were delicious and all were a little surprising.  There was something special in each dish that made you want to taste it again and savor it more.  

The finale that evening was bacon ice cream on a cinnamon brioche crisp.  I know what you are thinking - bacon ice cream?  Yep.  And it was lip smacking good.  The saltiness of the bacon, the spice of the cinnamon and the maple syrup worked really well together, and we managed not to fight each other for the last bite.

Most recently, I had brunch at Mulberry with my friend Heather. Mulberry hosts brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and offers a nice selection of savory and sweet items.  Despite hearing that Mulberry has the best blueberry pancakes in town (I'm not a big pancake person), I opted for Poached Eggs with Calabrese Salami and Hollandaise Sauce while Heather went with the Shrimp and Polenta.  

Let's suffice it to say there were two very clean plates when we were done.  My eggs were poached perfectly and the Hollandaise was spot on; no easy feat. We splurged and split the Brioche French Toast with Fresh Fruit and Cardamom Syrup.  Oh my. It was delicious - sweet, but not too sweet - with a little tartness from the fruit and a lovely spice from the cardamom syrup.

In an effort at full disclosure, since my first visit to Mulberry, I have had the honor to become friends with Executive Chef Zack Northcutt and have eaten at the restaurant several times. Naturally, I'm probably a little biased toward my friend, but if his food wasn't great, I certainly wouldn't vouch for it on this blog.

And I do - vouch for the food that is.  Mulberry's seasonal menu is creative, fun and it will keep you coming back for more.  I mean, where else are you going to get a foie gras burger?

Mulberry is one of the restaurants participating in the upcoming Eat Local Week festivities sponsored by Edible Austin December 5th through 12th. Why not make plans to stop by, sample some of their locally sourced items and help Urban Roots in the process?  Sounds like a delicious deal to me.