XL Food & Drink

Bess

Recommended Food & Drink: Bess

FRIDAY AND SUNDAY

Bess. Now they're a two-restaurant family. Sandra Bullock finally got her Bess opened in Austin last week, and eager diners kept executive chef Brenton Childs hopping. Biker hubby Jesse James has been serving from his Cisco Burger in Long Beach, Calif., since the spring. Kobe beef, solar power and biodegradable packaging headline the joint named for JJ's pit bulldog. Sandra's place at 500 W. Sixth St. is a tad more refined, a bistro giving top billing to croque monsieur and porcini-crusted halibut. But don't pass up the more workaday fare at Bess, such as shepherd's pie and mac and cheese. Look for yet another Bullock eatery in West Lake Hills in the year ahead. Guess she's been practicing ever since her 1998 short film 'Making Sandwiches.' — Ed Crowell