Foreign and Domestic
Rabbit Mortadella with Tangerine Jam, Pickles, Brioche
Split Pea Soup with Bacon Jam and Balsamic
Gruyere Popovers
Fried Chicken Biscuit with Red Eye Gravy
Chocolate Cake with Coffee Cream, Roasted Pecans, Vanilla Ice Cream
One of many chef-driven restaurants in the city North Austin’s Foreign & Domestic was nearly scratched from my itinerary due to a cancelled flight, but having read nothing but praise for Ned Elliot’s locally-sourced cuisine a last minute decision was hatched to pay the small no-reservations restaurant a 5:30 visit; a seat at the chef’s counter, superlative service, and five impressive small plates my reward. Taking into account the daily shifting menu while also focusing on the ‘limited supply’ classics it was with an eye on both diversity and capacity that perused the menu and after speaking with both servers and the chefs before me the meal began with the house made ‘daily charcuterie with things we like,’ in this case a creamy rabbit mortadella balanced by sour jam and briny pickles, followed by a pairing I won’t soon forget – the restaurant’s crunchy shelled and custard centered popovers alongside rich pea soup elevated to a new level by smoky bacon and bright balsamic, the former more than once finding its way dunked into the later, eventually wiping the bowl spotless. Moving next to my main course, it was difficult to pass on the porchetta for two, but minding my appetite for a later meal I opted for the oft raved chicken biscuit and setting aside the fact that the chicken is not fried-to-order the messy, spicy sandwich was quite good – though perhaps not $18 good – a far better value instead found in the thick $8 slice of chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream, a veritable case of simplicity perfected by the addition of light coffee cream.
