Jack Allen's Kitchen

Jack Allen's Kitchen Restaurant Review:

Jack Gilmore, owner of Jack Allen's Kitchen, was one of the first chefs to bring the farm-to-table movement to Austin diners, and here the down-home menu is dedicated to all-local ingredients. Start with a Caesar salad --- and take note that the dressing is so popular that Gilmore sells it to go --- or make it the main course by topping it with grilled ruby trout. Of course, the chef knows just how much Texans love their meat, and he uses quality sources to create dishes like the bacon-wrapped Texas quail and chorizo-stuffed pork tenderloin medallions with a roasted garlic cream sauce. The menu also includes a section devoted to "chicken-fried anything," which emphasizes plates smothered in green chile and served with vegetables. If you have room for dessert, order a slice of seasonal pie and homemade vanilla ice cream. Happy hour is legendary, and the bar offers specialty cocktails like the tangy mango-habanero margarita and the Tito’s sage-and-grapefruit splash. Steeped in Texas hospitality, it’s the perfect meeting place for a drink, lunch or brunch on Sunday.