ATXReview
Included In
Some restaurants just take you to another place. If you have dinner at Lutie’s, you’ll technically find yourself at the Commodore Perry Estate—a swanky resort in a restored old mansion across the street from one of the most grackle-laden HEBs in Austin. But once you’ve entered the grounds, you’ll feel more like you’re eating outside the gardens of Versailles. If there were ever an occasion to wear lots of bright linen and perhaps even a large floppy hat, this is it.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
The patio overlooks a large hedge garden built around a fountain that has undoubtedly granted a few wishes in its time. There’s probably a ceiling in the dining room somewhere, but it’s hidden behind a layer of hanging vines, leaves, and plants that are likely hiding a team of garden gnomes pulling the strings. But despite, at times, feeling like a proper garden party, Lutie’s doesn’t rely purely on theme as its primary draw.
photo credit: Richard Casteel
As you might expect from a place that calls itself a “garden restaurant,” the menu is a tribute to vegetables, in both ubiquity and attention. Sure, there’s tartare, pork chops, and fish—and you should absolutely make some of these proteins a part of your meal. But it’s dishes like sunchoke falafels, and the aptly-named “green dish”—rotating vegetables in a green, kombu broth—that steal the show. Roasted lettuces act as a warm, savory inspiration to salads everywhere. And the petit aioli is a bit like one of those big veggie trays you’d regularly find at a Super Bowl party, but limp sticks of celery and unripe tomatoes are subbed out for grilled, and pickled garden vegetables, accompanied by a rich, tangy aioli that you’ll want to spread on everything within arm’s reach
photo credit: Richard Casteel
After dinner, take a stroll through the gardens, and pretend like you’re in a city made of bricks with fresh baguettes at every corner. The grounds are surrounded by a tall, ivy-lined fence that does a pretty good job of maintaining your immersion by shielding your eyes from the sports bar across the street. Maybe next time you can even grab a room at the hotel, and make the escape last just a little longer.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Estate Bread
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Petit Aioli
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Delta Blues Rice
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Green Dish
Drinks
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Kouign Amann Ice Cream