Odam Finds Buzzy Winflo Osteria 'Uneven;' The Chronicle Gives the Bonneville a Rave

This week, The Statesman's Matthew Odam visits West Austin's Winflo Osteria, while The Chronicle gives some love to The Bonneville, as well posts a short review of the new campus location of Indian restaurant Teji's.

Matthew Odam notes that Winflo, which opened in January, "maintains a buzz that hums almost continuously," with both busy lunch and dinner service. The critic speculates that the combination of location, "a menu that offers few surprises," and the "convivial atmosphere" contributes to this popularity, since the food resembles that of a "stylized version of commercial red-sauce places." The "uneven execution" manifests in "mushy" pasta, "tone-deaf lasagna," and "dry, lukewarm meatballs," though the pizza crust has a "cracker crunch" and "chewy interior." Weekends feature "waits of as long as two hours," and a reservation system unfriendly to walk-ins. The critic rates it a 6 out of 10 while acknowledging the owners have clearly found "a winning equation."

Kate Thornberry has been following chefs Jennifer Costello and Chris Hurley since their farmers' market days, when they were cooking up "bold and compelling" lamb meatballs. She calls the Bonneville's brunch the "perfect brunch" to "to take your mother to," with the bananas Foster french toast standing out as "a triumph both rich in flavor but sparing in heft." Dinner favorites include "creamy bacon-and-egg ravioli," the "lovely, if light" scallops, and the hangar steak "cooked to a perfect medium rare." Thornberry notes that technique is paramount there, and that "intense dinner rushes" could "stretch their careful approach." Her final verdict, however, is that she is confident that The Bonneville will "establish a permanent reputation for excellence."

Mick Vann visits the new location of Teji's on the Drag. While he notes that parking near campus is an issue and the space is "slim on atmosphere," the critic is enthusiastic for the food. Lamb bhuna is "slightly piquant and delicious" and the onion kulcha is "fantastic" and "buttery." Other favorites include the goat combo and the hara bhara, or "green" chicken, which "lives up to its spicy claim." Vann calls it a "welcome addition to campus eats."
· Crowds Flock Flow into West Sixth Osteria [Statesman]
· The Bonneville's a Beaut [Chronicle]
· Review: Teji's [Chronicle]
· All Week in Reviews Coverage [EATX]