A Visit to Cannon + Belle

Though it's been open a while, I hadn't had a chance yet to dine at Cannon + Belle, so I jumped at their generous offer for a complimentary tasting at the restaurant. South Austin Foodie joined me for a fun and delicious meal - read on to see what we tried!

We kicked off the meal with cocktails - a Metabolic Mule (Dripping Springs Orange Vodka, KTonic Original Kombucha, Domaine Canton Ginger Liqueur, ginger simple syrup, and lime) for Suzanna and an Angelina's Punch (Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka, blackberry shrub, mint, and soda) for me. Both drinks were refreshing, well-balanced, and not too sweet - perfect cocktails for Austin weather.

From the Shared Plates menu, we chose the Honey & Black Garlic Wings and the Sweet Pea Cake. The wings were messy, but finger-licking tasty. Honestly, the Sweet Pea Cake was not our favorite - it was rather dense and too salty.

Honey & Black Garlic Wings

Sweet Pea Cake

We tucked into a White Pizza next, which was probably my favorite savory dish of the meal. It was so impossibly cheesy in only the best way, and the fresh oregano that dotted the top helped cut through the richness of the cheese. After trying this, I was a little sad to set the leftovers aside so we would have room for more!

White Pizza

Our final savory course was this lovely seared scallop dish, which was served with a smooth brown butter and sunchoke puree, mushrooms, green beans, and tomatoes. 

Seared Scallops

Could we really have left room for dessert? No, not really, but we ordered some anyway: a piece of their Salted Chocolate Stack cake and the Seasonal Fruit Crisp. I had also been eyeing the Chocolate Mexican Fizz (Z Resposada Tequila, coconut milk, vanilla simple syrup, egg white, Aztec chocolate bitters, and soda) from the regular cocktail menu and could not resist ordering one to sip with our desserts. It was the right decision.

Chocolate Mexican Fizz

Both of the desserts were excellent, but the salted chocolate stack was particularly sublime. I could not get enough of that cake - the brown butter and salted caramel elevated the chocolatey layers into something much more special. Plus, it is just an impressive looking dessert, stacked high with enough sugary goodness for several people to share.

Salted Chocolate Stack. I mean, just look at this slice!

Seasonal Fruit Crisp

We had a fabulous time at Cannon + Belle and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. The service was impeccable thanks to our wonderful server, Lindsey, and the space was comfortable and - at least when we were there - it was quiet enough to have a conversation at normal volume, which is a rare find downtown, these days. You can bet I'll be back to try more of the menu at Cannon + Belle - or maybe I'll just have another white pizza and a slice of that cake!

Cannon + Belle

500 E. 4th Street (in the Hilton hotel - note that they validate self-parking in the Hilton garage)

Austin, TX 78701

512-493-4900

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Austin Taco Project

If there is one thing that everyone in Austin can agree on, it's tacos. Tacos for breakfast, tacos for lunch, tacos for dinner - it's the food for all occasions.

The Hilton recently dove into the taco fray with the Austin Taco Project. They invited us out for a meal on them (we covered alcohol and grat) and we jumped at the chance to check out the newest tacos in town.

Is it just me, or did they model this guy after Brandon Watson?

We kicked off our experience with cocktails, of course. I chose a Last of the Oaxacans, a fabulously smoky take on the Old Fashioned, with Mestizo mezcal reposado, Luxardo, and blood orange bitters. 

Last of the Oaxacans ($12)

Austin Taco Project's quest to cull flavors from all over the world can be seen in this North Pacific Poke "Taco" appetizer. Raw salmon, lotus root, cucumber, and sesame seeds were served on slices of daikon radish. 

North Pacific Poke ($8)

My husband loved their take on poutine - tater tots topped with rib eye cap barbacoa, fried cheese curds, poblano gravy, and a fried egg. A person could easily make a meal out of this appetizer!

Poutine ($7)

For the taco portion of our meal, I tried the Bulgogi, the Oc-Thai-Pus, and the Wake Up! tacos. The Wake Up! is our server's favorite taco (not just here, but anywhere) - chili & coffee smoked brisket, apple anytime slaw, and blueberry ghost pepper crema on a flour tortilla. My hands-down favorite of the three was the Oc-Thai-Pus: tender Thai BBQ octopus with crispy garlic and cashew cilantro coconut curry on a saffron tortilla.  

From left to right: Wake Up! ($7), Oc-Thai-Pus ($7), Bulgogi ($6), Mexican Street Corn ($4)

My husband also got a Wake Up!, as well as a Wilbur & Huevos (mojo pork, sunny egg, Oaxaca cheese and arbol sauce on a corn tortilla) and a Barbacoa On Deck.

From left to right: Wake Up!, Barbacoa On Deck ($7), Wilbur & Huevos ($5)

We were pretty full at this point, but the dessert menu wooed us. My husband chose the Southern Affair, a bread pudding made with doughnuts and topped with pecan pie crumble, vanilla bean ice cream, and bourbon butterscotch.

Southern Affair Bread Pudding $5)

I had to have the trio of stuffed churros: spicy salted caramel, creme brulee, and ganache stuffed chocolate, served with a warm chocolate dipping sauce and Mexican vanilla whipped cream. I could not get enough of these - they were fabulous.

Trio of Stuffed Churros ($9)

In a city full of fantastic tacos, Austin Taco Project has some stiff competition, particularly given their price point of $5-$7 per taco. Nevertheless, I think Austin visitors and locals alike will enjoy the wide-ranging menu, the well-made cocktails, and the killer desserts.

Austin Taco Project
500 E. 4th Street (inside the Hilton)
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 682-2739

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