First Look: Salt Traders in Zilker is Open!

I generally shy away from new restaurants the first couple of months they are open for obvious reasons. But Mad Betty strongly suggested the just-opened Salt Traders next to Zilker Park for our Friday night happy hour, as she has loved their original location in Round Rock. Yet another brainchild of owner/chef Jack Allen, Salt Traders is all about coastal life. And proves to be very sea worthy.

They took an old steak house on the east frontage road of Mopac at Bee Caves in that tree-lined office park with the IHOP and transformed it. (The southwest side of Zilker, past the Botanical Gardens.) Lots of windows, full of light, lots of light-colored wood accents. The bar at the front is three-sided, and the television was mounted on the interior header so as not to be a distraction to those in the dining area (genius!).

You can sort of see the bottom edge of the television from where were sitting but I was thrilled it wasn't mounted on the outside of that header piece.

Salt Traders sources sustainable seafood from around the American coastlines, with a keen eye on the Gulf Coast. For the non-seafood eaters, there are burger, steak, and chicken offerings, but clearly the stars of the menu are the fruits of the sea.

We got there just before 5 pm on Friday, which might have been their second official full day of business, and we were lucky to snag a table when we did.  Fortunately were were seated on the far wall, opposite the door but we could soon see people starting to pile up around the entrance.  We took advantage of their lovely happy hour specials.

The Grapefruit Rita and Dripping Springs Vodka Lemonade.

Chowda Fries. OH MY! Basically clam chowder poured over fries. YES, more please! 

Snapper collar with slaw and tartar sauce. You do have to pick at it a little, but the flesh falls right off and was very tasty. 

These mussels were done with fennel and tomato and had a luxurious broth that we wanted to drink.

Hush puppies were dense but not at all greasy.

This key lime tartlet was the one miss for me. Very little key lime flavor, the crust was over-toasted and completely fell apart as a fork got near it. I did provide constructive feedback to our waitress who said she would notify the kitchen. A friend of mine went the night before we did and had the coconut cheesecake mousse, which she said was excellent. But for this to be the only miss at a restaurant during opening week, I'll take it!

Given Jack Allen's experience in the restaurant world (aka Captain of the Ship), it's no real surprise that Salt Traders has started out on the top of their game from the get go. Service from the wait staff was excellent and apart from the key lime tart, all of the food was great and are items I will order again. They are open daily from 11 am - 10 pm, and won't even need the excess traffic from Austin City Limits music festival the next two weekends, as I think they'll be packed as it is.

A very welcome addition to the area, and I imagine Salt Traders will stay afloat for a long time.

First Look: Darcy's Donkey

Editor's Note: CLOSED June 2019.  

Hi Sign Red Ale

A friend whose food tastes I trust visited Darcy's Donkey on Barton Springs Road (in the old Austin Java location) just after they opened in October and had some very mixed things to report. So I went for happy hour last week with an open mind but with some trepidation. Fortunately, we left stuffed and happy, but I wouldn't be me without mentioning some pros and cons encountered along the way.

First off, the name. I wouldn't know this place is an Irish pub just from it's name, and their website doesn't appear to offer clues as to its origin. But further digging found an article from the Austin American-Statesman explaining that the Irish owner is into a sport called donkey derby, and Darcy is a popular Irish name. Go figure on both.

When you walk inside the pub, the bar is straight in front of you, and there are like 5 steps to your right that go to the main dining area and the restrooms. There's no hand railing which may be a bit difficult for people of different abilities (or dare I say sobriety levels) to navigate.

The archway is where the stairs are. There is a handicap access door at the top of the stairs that leads to the ramp outside. Wooden stools are cute, but not comfortable.

There is bench seating that runs the length of two walls more or less, and small tables and short bars stools. And when I say short bar stools, I mean fit for an 8 year old, not an adult, and at 5'1" I know I am not much taller than many 8 year olds. I had been warned that the wooden stools were horribly uncomfortable, and yes, I can confirm that. And I only sat on one for about 15 seconds before my friend and I moved into the corner where the benches come together so we could each have a padded cushion. Much better.

Our young lad of a waiter was very sweet though we wondered if he was new. We ordered the entire happy hour food menu.

We also had the Cashel Blue Cheese Fondue (queso) which was incredible! Like, I am still dreaming about it! Sorry the photo isn't so great. Nice dense Irish soda bread, roasted head of garlic, chopped figs, and behind the fondue bowl were some pecans. The menu says candied pecans, though I don't recall if ours were in fact candied.

The prime rib sliders were also delicious, but a word of warning: the food is served on small metal trays and when placed on a highly varnished wooden tabletop, your food may end up partially in your lap if you try to cut said food. Fortunately no meat was lost and no clothing was harmed but the tray did almost go slip sliding away. Two sliders for $7 is a steal!

Waffle chips were tasty, but they are cut waaaay to thin and they practically shatter in your hand as you pick one up.  The boxty pizza wasn't bad, but it wasn't really to either of our liking. Maybe a bit too soggy?

I really wanted one of the shepard's pie, but I was really too full after cheese and meat to order one. So I must go back! There are also a multitude of pratai, or potato, dishes that look intriguing, and how can an Irish pub mess up potatoes, right? Who else has been to Darcy's and what did you eat?