ATXReview
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Lenoir
Included In
When summer strikes in Austin, it’s relentless. Triple digit days become the norm, and the air around the city starts to feel downright spicy. And when that time comes, we often take shelter in the Lenoir's beautiful wine garden on South First Street. We like to cool down with their menu of “hot weather foods”—translation: light and fresh—that pairs nicely with Austin’s many, many months of summer.
You’ll have to choose between two great options for an experience at Lenoir. There’s the cozy, renovated old bungalow with a handful of tables, plus some bar seating. And there’s the large outdoor wine garden shaded by oak trees, where you can usually grab a table without planning ahead. Wherever you find yourself seated, you’ll be in an intimate space with full access to a very well-curated list of mostly natural wines that you can peruse while you chat about things like how pretty the space is, what you’re going to order, and whether or not the squirrels in the surrounding trees have opinions on Austin’s rental prices.
photo credit: Nicolai McCrary
You can certainly come for the wine and nature alone, but you’d be doing yourself no favor by skipping out on the menu of mostly refreshing bites. It’s offered a la carte, or as a 5-course “chef’s choice” tasting if you want to remove things like decision-making and “free will” from the equation. And while the menu changes often, what you can generally expect is an exciting blend of Mediterranean and Indian flavors.
Almost all the food here takes on an intense level of spice—whether that’s in the form of a complex melon vindaloo, or a spicy scotch bonnet broth—that prevents your taste buds from ever dozing off. While there are some excellent bites to be had, there are also times when an almost overwhelming amount of flavors and textures vie for your affection—like a steak topped with two different chutneys, fried okra, and fresh herbs, all over a tangy yogurt sauce. Like The Hobbit film trilogy (that should have just been one movie) or the 9th installment of Fast & Furious, the food is sometimes a little overproduced.
Lenoir’s wine garden is one of our favorite places in the whole city to post up, grab a glass (or bottle) of wine, and enjoy some truly unique flavor combinations. But it’s more than just a few tables, oak trees, and a great wine list. It’s a way to actually enjoy the warmer months with some hot weather foods in an awesome outdoor space in South Austin.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Crab Fingers
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Housemade Pullman Bread
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Quail + Melon Vindaloo
photo credit: Richard Casteel
Strip Steak
photo credit: Richard Casteel