Eleven Plates & Wine has been on my "to try" list for some time, so when they invited us out for a meal as their guests, we jumped at the opportunity.
Their space is very pleasant - casual and comfortable, yet lovely, with a large west-facing patio that looks out over the hills.
A small part of Eleven Plates' interior.
Patio at Eleven Plates
View from the patio
We started with cocktails - I selected an Ode to Hemingway ($10) which, according to the menu, contained Bacardi, cucumber, St. Germain, and lime. I was a little confused by the color; when I asked, I was told that it also contained peach bitters. I drank every bit of it, but I think I'll ask them to leave out the bitters next time. My husband's mojito (not pictured; it was attacked too quickly) was perfect - one of the nicest specimens of a mojito we've found in Austin.
I have great difficulty turning down truffle fries...so I didn't. These are listed amongst the side dishes and came in a large cone ($7); we made short work of them. They were scrumptious, tossed with shreds of fresh parmesan and herbs as well as truffle salt.
Brussel sprouts are another thing I find hard to resist. These super rich sprouts ($7) are deep fried to produce a lovely caramelization and tossed with Meyer lemon dressing and aioli. Healthy? No. Tasty? You'd better believe it.
At least you can tell your mom you ate your vegetables...
For my entrée, I ordered the soft shell crab ($21), which is served with roasted heirloom tomatoes, and shaved fennel & arugula salad with a sherry vinaigrette. I don't usually like cooked tomatoes, but these were as perfect as cooked tomatoes come for me; I found myself wishing I could have a whole plate of just those.
At the suggestion of our very helpful server, Michael, my husband ordered the diver scallops with grilled corn, Spanish chorizo, corn nut dust, and citrus aioli. Oh my, this dish was divine. The chorizo was fried crispy, bringing a nice texture and flavor counterpoint to the lusciously tender scallops.
We finished off our meal with a sweet corn panna cotta with brown butter sorbet, which was served over a sauce made with apples. I don't like overly-sweet desserts, so I'm always on the lookout for ones that use ingredients that are most often used in savory applications, like corn. I must say, this was one of the most successful examples of corn desserts I've had. The flavors and textures were just right, and that brown butter sorbet - oh!
After our meal, their Executive Chef, Chef Joe Anguiano, was gracious enough to come visit with us for quite a while. Chef Anguiano is new to Eleven Plates as of about six months ago, and he is a great addition to their kitchen. I loved to hear that he is passionate about sustainable, local sourcing, and his enthusiasm for bringing his culinary viewpoint to Austin was infectious.
Eleven Plates is open for lunch and dinner daily (except for Saturdays, when they are dinner-only), and offer a social hour with $5 select small plates and $3 off wines by the glass on Mon-Fri from 3-6p and all day Sunday at the bar. They also do monthly wine dinners - three courses paired with wine for $45 - and they're currently participating in Austin Restaurant Week, where you can get three courses for $37. I definitely recommend that you check them out - I know I'll be back soon.
Eleven Plates & Wine
3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy, Suite C-200
Austin, TX 78746
(512) 328-0110
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