Look Back at Gardner Austin

One of the new things I'm starting on my blog is the "Look Back" series in which I'll share my experiences at events and restaurants that have been opened for at least three months.  Sometimes I'll visit new restaurants in their early days, but I like to let the dust settle before diving into the menu. As my good fortune would have it, Gardner happened to be launching a new bar menu and invited some guest to partake in their offerings. Thank you so much, Gardner for having us in for a lovely tasting.

Gardner's new cocktail menu was dangerously subtle and sophisticated. The drinks were not overly forward - which is a refreshingly different from the heavy handed cocktails I typically make at home. This is a photo of the rum, turmeric, and strawberry. I'm a fan of turmeric as supplement, and I'm definitely a fan of how well it plays in a cocktail.

The spring menu has several dishes that make you welcome the warm patio weather and sunny skies. This dish with gnocchi doesn't appear to be on the menu anymore, but if you do see gnocchi on there again, you ought to order it.

This is the trout roe with celery, strawberry, chive. The drastically different textures and colors are make this a truly interesting dish. The salty gelatinous roe with the vegetative ice was a great combination.

It looks like item, named Alliums, isn't on the menu either, and I feel sad for those mushroom lovers who miss it. This umami laden dish was reminiscent of many Asian dishes that are onion and mushroom based. Photo by John M. P. Knox.