XL Dining Guide 2003 - Top Ten Restaurants

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Austin's Top Ten Restaurants

Photo by Mark Matson For AA-S

Before trying Mirabelle's raveworthy coffee-rubbed venison, enjoy the trout cake appetizer, above.

Mirabelle
8127 Mesa Drive
(512) 346-7900
Wine: 40 by the glass ($4-$9.75), 200 by the bottle ($12-$195)
Rating:

No. 9: Mirabelle

Executive chef David Apthorpe can turn out a dish that produces one of those unusual moments of gustatory joy, in which every bite begs to be savored.

He does it with the captivating, coffee-rubbed venison, a recipe he adapted from Houston's Cafe Annie.

Apthorpe rubs the meat with a mixture of black pepper, ground espresso beans (with their distinctive dark roast) and brown sugar, imparting a multidimensional taste experience. He serves it with a cream sauce (think very sophisticated coffee-and-cream combo here) and sides of greens and corn pudding.

Initially, the spiciness of the black pepper wallops the palate. Then it fades, leaving the warm afterglow of a cup of espresso and an appreciation of a dish well conceived.

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