Location:
1005 West 34th Street
Austin, Texas
78705
cafe: 512.371.3400
catering: 512.323.2000
fax:
512.323.6990
Lunch Hours:
MONDAY-FRIDAY 11 AM
SATURDAY 11 AM - 4 PM
Try us for dinner:
MONDAY - SATURDAY 6 - 9:30 PM
EMAIL US
goodfood@34thstreetcafe.com
For best
service, please call.
We do not accept lunch, dinner, or catering orders via
email.
West Austin News Review >>
|
By Anna Devereux Baker, Editor 34th Street Cafe |
 Photos by Robert Godwin |
• The 34th President of the United States: Dwight Eisenhower
• The 34th Element in the Periodic Table: Selenium
• Winners of Super Bowl 34: St.
Louis Rams
• Age 34 years: Still young enough to know "What's up" but not yet old enough
to be considered aged.
The significance of the number 34 may not be apparent to anyone outside of the American Society of Actuarial Scientists, of which dues paying members number 7, at last count. However, the number 34 is, if you will bear with me, of utmost significance to the 34th Street Café. It was no accident that George Seaton set the scene for his wholesome, upbeat "Miracle" on another well known 34th Street. Austin's 34th Street doesn't glitter with the circus smack of 6th Street and it doesn't hum with the nondescript neon of north Austin. It's just right, and right in the middle. If I were the Goldilocks of restaurants, I would say it is the perfect fit.
34th Street Café has been a good everyday dining choice for 8-and-a-half years. It's always been at the top of the list for West Austin ladies who lunch and businessmen about town. But, with a freshly refined interior and an updated menu, the new look makes 34th Street Café both a traditional local favorite as well as a sophisticated and modern dining experience. It is more than a place to lunch these days, it's attracting a high profile clientele for dinner. While at lunch you can still pick up or counter order, at night the place transforms and the cafe takes on a different mood. There is candle lighting, soft music and table service. The result is smart and soft.
On my last visit, I sampled the classic 34th Street Café Crab Cakes ($8.75). While they are plenty moist, a warm Scallion Bearnaise sauce adds the right touch. I also found Chef Sarah McDonald's own Togarashi Scented Sea Scallops ($17.75) delicious, robust and generous. For the sensitive pallet, they may be a little spicy, as the name Togarashi (a spicy Japanese chili) might imply. However, the spice is offset by a Sugar Snap Pea Risotto with Tomato Relish and Frisse. My companions and I thoroughly enjoyed the Lobster and Yellow Pepper Dumpling Appetizer ($8.50). The dumplings were a great sized opener and the Lime-Scallion Dipping sauce was a hit. For a seasonal summer treat that will instantly transport you to another place, try the Cucumber and Vine Ripe Tomato Gazpacho ($4.50). The Steamed mussels are the best bang for your seafood buck. You get thirty mussels for a mere $7.95 and a sauce of sweet Texas Onions, chorizo and oregano.
My companions were a riveting bunch, but we were all stopped short by the arrival of the Chinese Hack Salad. My friend, having never dined at 34th Street seems to have fallen prey to this city's most habit-forming dish. It's the star of the menu at 34th Street Café and many customers rely upon it as a staple. The Soy Sesame dressing and the sweet chili sauce are mouth watering and leave you completely satisfied.
Chef Sarah McDonald (who has been there since December) has added tasty creations such as the Lobster and Yellow Pepper Dumplings and a Duck Salad with Figs, that is decadent but light. The pizzas are still the same, thin and dribbled with olive oil. The desserts are generous and varied.
The name café implies a light eating affair. In France, cafés are limited to coffee and a snack. 34th Street Café offers much more than a mere café in the way of atmosphere and community. The service is devoted, the mood is fresh and lively at all times of the day and it is one of the bright spots left in our neighborhood.