Second Bar and Kitchen

  So Julia and I ended the evening by dining at Second Bar and Kitchen (http://congressaustin.com/second/) with Jason and his wife Jen.  We decided to come here because the menu was more diverse than the other place we were looking at visiting (that will be another blog whenever we decided to finally go there).  So onto the blog
   Appetizers/Snacks: Black Truffle Pommes Frites: grana padano, truffle aioli and seard Foie Gras (don't yell at me for adding the Foie Gras)

   I can now say that I've had Foie Gras.  And I can now honestly say that I will never order it again.  If you don't know what Foie Gras is, let me tell you...but before I do, if you really like animals just skip the next few sentences and just go on and read the rest of the blog.  3...2...1...Okay so Foie Gras is french for "fat liver."  Its made from the liver of a goose, sometimes duck, that has been fattened by being forced fed through a feeding tube and when the goose is fattened just enough and then ...well you know.  The Foie Gras was really rich and buttery...way to rich for me and way to fattening for me.  I would tell you what all types of ailments accompanied my ingesting the Foie Gras, but that wouldn't be very appropriate dinner conversation.  Well anyway the Pommes Frites with the black truffle was really good and the truffle aioli wasn't overpowering like it can be.  So I would recommend this "snack"...just without the $14 add on.

  Small Plates: Baked Brie: cranberry mostardo, toasted ciabatta, fried sage
                      Avocado Fundido: avocado, chipotle, grapefruit, crisp tortilla

       I didn't get a chance to taste the Baked Brie because I was too busy digging into the Avocado Fundido.  The dip was creamy, rich and the chipotle gave it a nice kick and balance.  The crisp tortilla chips were at times a little flimsy, but they were well seasoned and tasted great with the avocado dip.  As for the Baked Brie, from the lack of Brie left on the plate, I am assuming that it didn't taste disgusting.  :)

     Large Plates: Vertically Roasted Chicken Breast: mascarpone polenta, braised kale
                        Braised Beef Short Rib: mascarpone polenta, cippolini onions, brandy balsamic glaze
                        Congress Burger: house ground brisket+chuck, shallot confit, gruyere, greens, tomatoes,
                             horse radish pickels add avocado and crisp pork belly
                        Congress Burger: house ground brisket+chuck, shallot confit, gruyere, greens, tomatoes,
                             horse radish pickles add another patty and crisp pork belly

    The Braised Beef Short Rib was fork tender and had excellent flavor.  It was moist, seasoned very well and wasn't too fatty.  The Tabasco onions on top didn't really add anything to the dish except maybe some color and the Marscarpone Polenta wasn't my cup of tea.  I can say the the Polenta was very creamy and if I liked polenta I probably would have enjoyed it more.  So why did I order the Polenta if I didn't like it?  Well originally the ribs came with black truffle grits...I'm not a big grits fan so the lesser of two evils (to me) was the Polenta.  Yes I know, Polenta and Grits are basically the same thing and the only difference is how they are made and the liquids used...but I digress. 
    The Congress burger didn't disappoint.  The patties were juicy, not over seasoned and had a great sear.  And the addition of the crispy pork belly just added another flavor dimension to the burger.  The bun was buttery and soft, but was strangely sturdy enough to contain the meat and condiments.
    From what I understand, the chicken wasn't bad and actually tasted very good.  From where I sat, the chicken looked perfectly cook and very moist.  I didn't hear the orderer of this dish have any complaints so it leaves me to believe that the chicken was very appetizing.

    Dessert Plates: Black Forest Cheesecake in a Jar: heering cherry cream, cocoa wafers
                 Bites: Chocolate pudding pop: vanilla meringue, graham cracker crunch
(Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the desserts, I blame the Foie Gras for not being able to think straight and remember to snap a couple of shots of the food)

    At this point of the dinner I wasn't in the mood for dessert, but that didn't mean that the other three diners weren't.  From their critiques, the cheesecake was thicker than they expected, but still very good.  But the Chocolate pudding pop was not received very well; let's just say that two come in an order and by the time we left there was still one pop left on the table.

    Except for the hour wait for a table (because you can't make reservations for parties under 6) and the Foie Gras, the meal was quite good and I would recommend Second Bar and Kitchen.  Though this place is pricy, there are worse things you can spend your money on.  And I'm more than willing to pay for good food, but with that being said...there are still a bunch of great places that don't require a second mortgage on your house to visit.

So until next time, I wish you happy eating!
-Henry