XL Dining Guide 2003 - Top Ten Restaurants

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Austin's Top Ten Restaurants

Photo by Ha Lam For AA-S

At Aquarelle, time can easily get away from you as you dine on dishes such as carmelized Diver scallops over creamy white corn and potato compote.

Aquarelle
606 Rio Grande St.
(512) 479-8117 Wine: 20 by the glass ($8-$15), 150 by the bottle ($30-$150)
Rating:

No. 2: Aquarelle

Time melts away in a 2 1/2-hour dinner at Aquarelle, the city's premier French restaurant.

The ambience of the small restaurant, crafted by connecting two old houses just west of the downtown business district, is elegant and romantic, and service is among the very best in Austin.

Ultimately, though, the hours are filled with enjoyment because of chef-owners Robert Brady and Teresa Wilson, who put a great deal of thought, skill and effort into their delectable dishes. Their scallops are a perfect illustration of that.

In one variation from their menu, the large scallops are perched on a corn-potato compote ringed by asparagus spears. Accented with a mushroom butter with a hint of truffle, the scallops are highly crisp on the outside, yet they retain a moist, tender, delicate center.

They are the best I've eaten in Austin, and one reason Aquarelle has jumped into this year's No. 2 spot.

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