Sammie's Italian in Austin is McGuire Moorman's downtown red-sauce room on West 6th, an old-school Italian-American card with veal and a martini bar.
Signature dishes: Chicken parmesan, Veal saltimbocca, Tiramisu
Must order: The veal saltimbocca and a Sammie's martini to start; pasta course is family-style.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in service; the dining room books a week out and goes faster on Friday nights.
Address: 807 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703
Garrison in Austin is the Fairmont's Michelin-recommended steakhouse on Red River, a wood-and-fire room built on Texas beef and a Wine Spectator cellar.
Signature: Wood-fired ribeye, Tableside martini, Local-pecan pie
Order: The wood-fired ribeye, ordered medium rare, with the tableside Garrison Dirty Martini.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in cocktails and the same beef; book the dining room only for the full tasting flow.
Hestia in Austin is Kevin Fink's Michelin-starred live-fire room downtown, built around a 20-foot custom hearth that anchors the open kitchen.
Signature: Whole-roasted duck, Wood-grilled scallop, Smoked beet tartare
Order: The whole-roasted duck for two, ordered at booking; the rest of the menu flexes around it.
Tip: The chef's counter on the hearth side is two booking-clicks deeper than the dining room and worth chasing.
Justine's Brasserie in Austin is a late-night French brasserie in a 1937 East 5th cottage, owned by Justine Gilcrease since 2009 and open until midnight.
Signature: Steak frites, Escargot, Soupe a l'oignon
Order: The steak frites with bearnaise; the kitchen runs until 12am Friday and Saturday.
Tip: The Pagoda room and patio handle the smoking crowd; the Tuesday closure is firm, so plan around it.
Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room, opened in 1952 and home of the canonical Bob Armstrong queso dip.
Signature: Bob Armstrong dip, Enchiladas with chili gravy, Frozen margarita
Order: The Bob Armstrong dip and a frozen margarita; the dip was invented here for a state legislator in 1973.
Tip: The patio under the oaks is huge; arrive 6pm or after 9pm to dodge the 7-to-9 wait.
Garrison in Austin is the Fairmont's Michelin-recommended steakhouse on Red River, a wood-and-fire room built on Texas beef and a Wine Spectator cellar.
Signature: Wood-fired ribeye, Tableside martini, Local-pecan pie
Order: The wood-fired ribeye, ordered medium rare, with the tableside Garrison Dirty Martini.
Tip: The bar runs walk-in cocktails and the same beef; book the dining room only for the full tasting flow.
Uchi in Austin is Tyson Cole's James Beard-winning sushi room on South Lamar since 2003, the kitchen that codified modern Japanese on the south side of the river.
Signature: Hama chili, Maguro sashimi, Brussels sprouts
Order: The hama chili and the maguro sashimi, ordered before anything else.
Tip: Sit at the sushi bar; the omakase is built in real time and the chefs talk you through each piece.
Uchiko in Austin is Tyson Cole's elevated farmhouse sushi room on North Lamar, the second of the Hai Hospitality kitchens and a Top Chef alumni line.
Signature: Wagyu sukiyaki, Hokkaido scallop, Yokai berry
Order: The Yokai berry course; it has been on the menu since opening for a reason.
Tip: Happy hour from 5 to 6pm at the bar runs a $5 sushi list; it is the cheapest way into the kitchen.
Hestia in Austin is Kevin Fink's Michelin-starred live-fire room downtown, built around a 20-foot custom hearth that anchors the open kitchen.
Signature: Whole-roasted duck, Wood-grilled scallop, Smoked beet tartare
Order: The whole-roasted duck for two, ordered at booking; the rest of the menu flexes around it.
Tip: The chef's counter on the hearth side is two booking-clicks deeper than the dining room and worth chasing.
