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Your Table, Austin

One is white plastic, others have white linen. Several hold foie gras, others support burgers. Some attract power, others repel it. But there's one thing they all have in common: Each is one of my 10 favorite restaurant tables in the Austin area. -- Dale Rice

Sept. 15, 2004

Photo by Ricardo B. Brazziell/AA-S

Best Table With A View

OASIS, TABLE NO. 135: The lake, a shade of blue slate, shimmers in the distance in little rivulets broken only by the wake of speedboats and sailboats. Near the horizon, the sun is settling in for its nightly disappearing act. It's a show that's unbeatable, and this is the best table in the house -- the multitiered decks of the Oasis -- for viewing the spectacular sunset over Lake Travis. These seats are right against the rail, so there will be no one to block your view. Reservations: No. Address: 6550 Comanche Trail. Phone: 266-2442.

Photo by Brian K. Diggs/AA-S

Most elegent table

DRISKILL GRILL, TABLE NO. 16: Just sitting in this recessed corner in the venerable Driskill Hotel will make a diner feel sumptuous. With the dark wood walls, shutters and trim, etched-glass partitions, fresh flowers on the tables and the oil portrait of Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson overseeing it all, there's a sense of history and richness that reaches back to the late 19th century but doesn't overshadow fabulous 21st-century food. Reservations: Yes. Address: 604 Brazos St. Phone: 474-5911.

Best table for a conversation

GREEN PASTURES, TABLE NO. 202: Many of the sleek, new restaurants are so loud it's difficult to have a discussion without shouting. Drop back 100 years and that problem -- all the hard concrete and metal surfaces -- didn't exist. That's what makes this table at Green Pastures, a grand old Victorian home, perfect for a quiet conversation. Gentle music forms the background to the sedate ambience at this table overlooking the grand wrap-around porch. Reservations: Yes. Address: 811 W. Live Oak St. Phone: 444-1888.

Photo by Amber Novak for AA-S

Photo by Larry Kolvoord/AA-S

Best patio table

VIVO COCINA MEXICANA, TABLE NO. 300: Is there really an outdoor table in Central Austin that's not miserable in summer? Yes, it's on the patio outside Vivo in East Austin. With a lush green setting, including hanging plants that form natural awnings, and a waterfall-fountain to block out the noise from Manor Road, this table can transform even a sweltering day in Austin into a pleasant meal. Reservations: Yes. Address: 2015 Manor Road. Phone: 482-0300.

Photo by Kelly West/AA-S

Most romantic table

CAF� CAPRICE, TABLE NO. 9: Probably more marriage proposals have taken place in this little alcove at Caf� Caprice than at any other table in town. Tucked at the front of one of the rooms of this old home adjacent to Shoal Creek, this table offers the perfect romantic atmosphere after sunset, when the subdued lighting adds to its romantic ambience. Reservations: Yes. Address: 900 W. 10th St. Phone: 477-5576.

Best Austin ambience

CHUY'S, TABLE NO. 21 : I may have lived in Austin for two decades, but I never tire of taking out-of-town guests to Chuy's and watching the look on their faces when I ask the host if a table is available in the hubcap room. With a ceiling covered with old hubcaps and walls decorated with mirrors, a table in this room is all about the relaxed and entertaining side of Austin, a side that we don't see as often as we did in the 1980s. Reservations: No. Address: 1728 Barton Springs Road. Phone: 474-4452.

Photo by Lary Kolvoord/AA-S

Best secluded table

MAIN STREET GRILL, 'THE VAULT': Outside your house, this must be the ultimate private table in Central Texas. Out of the way, behind the dining room of Main Street Grill, the vault of this old Round Rock bank supplies an engaging -- and unusual -- setting for a meal. No one but the host and server will even know who's back there. Reservations: Yes. Address: 118 E. Main St., Round Rock. Phone: 244-7525.

Photo by Ralph Barreral/AA-S

Photo by Brian K. Diggs/AA-S

Best power table

CAF� AT THE FOUR SEASONS, TABLE NO. 45: This is the favorite table of power brokers in a room frequented by diners who wield economic, political and legal influence. In the back corner of the Caf� at the Four Seasons, this spot allows diners to see and be seen, affording a direct view of most of the restaurant, as well as the entrance. Consequently, this is the table from which to watch who is dining with whom, an observation that often reveals alliances and deals that haven't yet become public. Reservations: Yes. Address: 98 San Jacinto Blvd. Phone: 478-4500.

Photo by Amber Novak for AA-S

Best booth

FRISCO SHOP, TABLE NO. 13: Is it retro if it's original? It may feel like the 1950s at this booth at the Frisco Shop because this dining room was built in the 1950s. Along with the original Frisco burger, icebox pies and traditional comfort food, diners are enveloped in a sense of nostalgia. Knowing that the Frisco was part of the Nighthawk chain, the first restaurants to integrate in Austin, adds to the sense of living history. Reservations: No. Address: 5819 Burnet Road. Phone: 459-6279.

Photo by Kelly West/AA-S

Best of the best

AQUARELLE, TABLE NO. B-8: There aren't many places conducive to a 3 1/2-hour meal, but this lovely little French restaurant is a delightful setting for a repast of that length. Among many good tables at Aquarelle, this is the outstanding one. It's next to a window hung with lace curtains handmade in France overlooking the garden. It's in the center of the wall, giving both dining partners a view of the rest of the room. It's offset enough to provide a sense of privacy, yet it's close enough to other tables to feel part of the communal dining experience. Reservations: Yes. Address: 606 Rio Grande St. Phone: 479-8117.

Diners: Oasis: Lindsey Grovenar, left, and Kip Parkman; Driskill Grill: Daniel Curtis, left, and Sarah Miller; Vivo Cocina Mexicana: Andy Allen, left, Aaron Lancaster, Craig Allen and Jeff Kessler; Green Pastures: Carrie Fountain and Kirk Lynn; Caf� Caprice: Jay Walker and Beth Davidson; Chuy's: Leif Ulvog and Brandi Ulvog and their daughter Lyric; Caf� at the Four Seasons: James Huffines, left, and Eddie Safady; Main Street Grill: Buz and Terry Brymer; Frisco Shop: Pinky and Dr. John McKetta; Aquarelle: Urd and Todd Milbury.

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