Fire-Centric Red Ash Italia Opening Downtown This Weekend

The city’s newest Italian restaurant, Red Ash Italia, is opening tomorrow, Saturday, October 15, on the ground floor of the Colorado Tower at 303 Colorado Street. Brainchild of Eddie V’s original owners including executive chef John Carver and restaurateurs Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso, the restaurant will serve creative takes on traditional Italian fare from housemade pastas to fresh fish to prime cuts of meat.

Owner and executive chef John Carver will helm the kitchen, which is anchored by a custom-built wood-burning grill, oven, and plancha. (It is said to release red ash when it burns wood hence the restaurant's name). The menu starts with both sharable appetizers such as charred tuna crude and small plates like soft mascarpone polenta. Entrée highlights include traditional thick-cut veal osso buco milanese, Gulf red snapper a la plancha, and pappardelle with wild boar bolognese, among others.

Looking for a showstopper? Consider one of the large, dry-aged premium cuts presented tableside. The La Fiorentina, a 42-ounce USDA Prime 50-day dry-aged porterhouse, will run you $90 though.

Expect an extensive international wine list well beyond Italian offerings, plus twists on traditional classic cocktails such as the Italian Mojito with blood orange.

Architect Jeff Stinnett, credited with Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Cover 3, among others, and interior designer Janet Henrich worked on the 4,400-square-foot, 150-seat space. Features include a mezzanine dining room that overlooks the open kitchen, city views, a large bar and lounge area, a chef’s table, and a community table meant for special events, tastings, and family-style dinners.

Red Ash will offer dinner service Sundays through Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. Happy hour will be offered Mondays through Fridays from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Red Ash joins the recent pasta party in Austin that kicked off in 2015 with openings by Juliet, Juniper, Italic, and the quickly-closed Al Fico. 2016 ushered in L’oca d’Oro and Sophia’s.

Red Ash Italia [Official]

Red Ash [Facebook]