1014 North Lamar, Ste. E
Austin, TX 78703
Open Monday-Wed 6:00-10:00; Thurs-Saturday 5:30-11:00
Wink is a fine dining restaurant located on Lamar Blvd, on the edge of old west Austin. It is slightly difficult to find as it is in a strip-mallish building secreted behind the Whole Earth Provisions store that fronts on Lamar. Long a favorite of the foodie scene in Austin, it was one of the first high-end, locally and seasonally focused restaurants in the capitol city. Despite many newcomers over the years, Wink has managed to maintain its status as a go to for excellent food and quality service. I have enjoyed many meals there over the years and find the food to be carefully executed and tasty, however, I've never had a dish there that has made me sit back in wonder. It's that lack of awe that pushes me towards a four star as opposed to a five star review. But before I digress to much on that point, let's cover some details!
As mentioned, Wink is located in a small space that is tucked back in a little corner of a shopping center. The dining room is very simple - white table clothes, woven leather and wooden chairs, walls of mirrors and flattering dim lighting. The reception/hostess area is separated by a waist level wall and strings of black-grey circular panels that have eyes "winking" at you. Overall, it is a very calm space with cream/tan undertones. The message you get is that this place is about the food, plain and simple, and aside from a few little conceits, the owners were not going for any gimmicky additions or overly distracting add ons.
Wink is famous for its tasting menus which, like the a la carte menu, are subject to change on a daily basis. They offer both a five course and a seven course option. They scale the course sizes so that a diner who orders a la cart versus a diner who orders the seven course option will generally end up with the same amount of food. Oh, and if you elect to do the tasting menu, the whole table is on for the ride. The diners can also choose to add on wine pairings for either of the tasting menus. Generally, I find the pairings to be a very good value since you will often be eating quite a varied list of dishes.
The wines overall are probably the best deal the restaurant offers. They are constantly changing or updating their well-edited list which usually contains 50-70 names. They break down the list by wine region or varietal, which is helpful. The list has a decent broad sampling of the wine world at large. The wines are not extravagantly priced either. At a recent meal, I noticed that most of the bottles come in under $100. Also, they offer a huge selection of wines by the glass, which is probably a result of their sister wine bar. The Wink Wine Bar, by the by, is my favored way of sampling the Wink experience. They offer wines in tastes, half glasses or full glasses so you can build a tasting flight if you desire or simply sample a favorite glass of vino. Also, the wine bar has a different menu with items like mini brie burgers and chicken liver pate. Finally, the wine bar has happy hour specials, which result decent sized crowds during the cocktail hour.
The food is always elegantly prepared, with a high level of attention to detail. The waitstaff is well versed in the menu, even as it changes, and are able to offer pragmatic explanations of the ingredients and the virtues of a particular dish. The food, as mentioned, is as locally sourced as possible. I always enjoy their simple salads to begin with - they are usually some form of local greens with a light vinaigrette, and if you're lucky, Pure Luck goat cheese. I can also say that Wink is the only place at which I've eaten and enjoyed sweet breads. They were lightly pan-fried crisp and creamy on the inside. Generally, anything pan-seared is amazing. As a proponent of the slow food movement, they also have amazing braises and stews. Finally, I tend to skip dessert in favor of their cheese selection, which is excellent and features local faves as much as possible. Overall, the dining experience is one of relaxed elegance, but as I mentioned above, none of the dishes wow me with pizazz (save maybe the sweet breads). As such, I think Wink is a lovely destination for an upscale evening out. Enjoy ☆☆☆☆
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