Odam Visits Sawyer & Co, Wood Loves Azul Tequila

Sawyer & Co’s stylish retro diner is appealing to the eye, according to Matthew Odam at the Statesman, who calls it "one of the most enchanting spaces in the city." He describes the look as if it were a set design for a Brady Bunch and Quentin Tarantino collaboration, with booze. However, the food left much to be desired:

I like simple food. I love a good diner as much as anyone. And I don’t think every restaurant has to follow a hyper-seasonal farm-to-table ethos and charge top dollar for dishes (the modest prices at Sawyer are one of the restaurant’s strongest selling points). But you still need to execute.

Virginia B. Wood over at the Austin Chronicle is pleased with the second location of Azul Tequila, a welcome presence in Northwest Hills. Owner Sergio Varela turned the space into a restaurant fit for serving the same lovable Tex-Mex menu. She acknowledges that while they need to get into their stride when it comes to service, the food doesn’t disappoint. During one visit on a cold day, Wood was pleasantly warmed by the offerings:

For lunch on an unseasonably chilly day, I went straight for cold-weather Mexican comfort food – a hearty bowl of pozole Mexiquense ($9), chunks of pork and toothsome hominy in a robust red chile broth and carne guisada ($9), tender beef tips in an earthy brown chile gravy paired with beans, rice, and homemade corn tortillas. The modest heat generated by the different chiles helped stave off the cold, as did the warm desserts – hot, puffy sopapillas ($4.99) drizzled with honey, and cinnamon-sugar dusted churros, fresh from the fryer with chocolate sauce for dipping. It was a simple, satisfying, well-executed meal.

THE BLOGS: Foodie is the New Forty discovers East Side King’s shaved ice, Mad Betty has the best Szechuan ever in South Austin at Sichuan River, Forks Up loves the accommodating vibe at at Cuvee Coffee, and MJ and Hungry Man loves newcomer Foxhole Culinary Tavern.