what a meal to end 2025 in austin!
tried the prefix menu at le calamar. this place was michelin guide mentioned despite only opening in may.
was disappointed that i wasn’t stuffed to the brim.
i think we need to get two separate tables for 1 to get more food. 😔
but quality was fantastic.
oysters were phenomenal 🦪
steak was perfectly rare and covered in this delicious gravy/pepper sauce 🥩
the fish 🐠 had nut sauce so had to get it on the side. it was a mole-like sauce that was pretty incredible with the fish.
but the start of the show was the fries fried in beef tallow 🍟
best fries i’ve ever had.
ordered them twice, that’s how good
will go back just for these
final austin dinner in 2025. me and manny hit le calamar to take advantage of a stellar inkind deal ($20 coupon + 20% off) and to try the prix fixe we heard much about.
ambiance is nice and moody here which makes it a good date spot. me and manny were the only pair of dudes in there. I almost went in for a kiss.
service was top notch with a friendly guy taking care of us wearing a cool apron!
onto the courses…
oyster: nice opener with a good apple-esque sauce and healthy size.
peach: the peach on this dish was okay but the real star was the sauce they used. it was a mix of something acidic alongside a yogurt based finish. I cleaned the plate it was so good.
crudo: raw fish with some crispy things on top. the fish was very fresh and tasty and I think the crispy sprouts added to the dish well. sauce was a heavy soy based sauce which was good but not something I would eat alone like the peach sauce.
white fish: this dish normally comes with a peanut based sauce but they modified it and gave me a butter based one instead. the fish was soft with some crispy skin which was well cooked. I think the sauce was the start of this dish so a little disappointed I couldn’t try it but the clarified butter substituted well.
salad: this impressed me a lot actually. I hate when salads try to do too much and then end up with a bunch of different toppings that don’t complement each other. this one was simple and to the point. the dressing on it was elite and was tossed into the salad so every piece was coated. the lettuce itself were small pieces so each bit was crispy but not too hard like romaine can sometimes be.
steak: the steak here was very good. prepared rare (perhaps pittsburgh rare), it was tasty and had a good crisp on the outside. the sauce it was coated in was really tasty although a little strong. overall a top tier steak dish.
frites: the unquestionable star of the show. me and manny both were speechless. these are without a doubt the best fries I have ever had in my life. salted perfectly, soft interior, crispy exterior. cooked in beef tallow they are truly quite something. the garlic aioli for dipping was the perfect complement and elevated them even more. these were so good we ordered a second round and contemplated a third round. I would return here with the sole purpose of going to the bar and eating the fries.
rice pudding: for dessert they served rice pudding which I really enjoyed. it had caramel to top it and was super soft. manny didn’t think much of it but I thought it was a great dessert.
this was an excellent cap to austin dining in 2025. while a little expensive, the prix fixe does allow you to try a wider range of dishes and showcases the thoughtfulness of the food here.
they opened just this year and already have a Michelin distinction which I believe is well earned.
