What's Austin's Most Exciting Opening Of 2011?

While Austin said goodbye and good night to a number of beloved restaurants this year, the city also welcomed new eateries to the fold, particularly on the East Side, where bar and restaurant owners are wooed by plentiful space and some kind of large-scale hipster magnet that attracts irony and disposable income. Welcome: a third East Side King, the White Horse, Gourmands and Contigo.

There's the East Side, and then there's the eastern cuisine continues to flourish: Sushi A-Go-Go became Komé, while the new Elizabeth Street Cafe has south-siders all abuzz with both love and consternation.

In more familiar climes downtown, there was David Bull's Congress, which opened on New Year's Eve and Haddington's, which opened at the tip-top of 2011. Near campus, Hopfields kept the gastropub trend going strong.

And comfort food? Oh, it was quite a year: Lucy's Fried Chicken opened near South Congress, J Mueller's south side trailer opened in October and Bacon has been luring meat-hungry patrons downtown since September.

Which restaurants were y'all most excited to welcome to town this year?

· All Opening Reports on Eater Austin [-EATX-]