♥ Foreign and Domestic Review

Foreign & Domestic

306 East 53rd Street  Austin, TX 78751

(512) 459-1010 

People...people! Only 20 days till Christmas!! {Eee!}

Annnndd... it was 80 degrees in Austin...again. 

Sorry Austin friends, not much winter weather wonderland going on here. But if you are looking for a cozy, fall meal full of warm spices and seasonal veggies to get you in the festive spirit, look no further than

 Foreign and Domestic.

Let me just start off by telling you about the Fall Squash Curry because it was absolutely AMAZING! It began with a carved out, sweet acorn squash filled with an array of seasonal squash and veggies that are simmered in sweet spices to soft, aromatic perfection. Then, if you can imagine a gastronomy miracle, the dish is covered in coconut milk based, curry foam. Yes, foam. This dish was beautiful and delectable. The foam slowly began to melt and coated the veggies in a rich sauce. Each bite was absolutely heavenly. You have to hurry over to Foreign and Domestic because this is a seasonal dish and it won't be around for long.

Phew! Had to get that one off my tongue, first and foremost. Speaking of tongue, I'm working backwards to tell you about the fantastic appetizers. The pan-fried beef tongue served with horseradish yogurt and fresh watercress was luscious and flavorful, with a slightly crispy outside and tender center. It was my first time to ever try beef tongue and it was beyond expectation; each bite was savory.

Trust me, you wont be the only one to be pleasantly surprised with your first taste of beef tongue because Foreign and Domestic won Best Beef Tongue Dish by the Austin Chronicle this year.

{along with many other amazing awards}. We also ordered the Fall Salad with crispy chicken skin. The tangy vinaigrette allowed for a break between our heavier dishes.

The other entree we ordered was the Seafood Stew which was akin to a bouillabaisse, including scallops, mussels and clams. I'll be honest and say I'm being a seafood snob, since I almost always order scallops wherever I go. The broth was too light and it seemed to be lacking the same type of body and flavor that the other dishes mastered. In my opinion, it was the bits of lardons that were the saving grace for this dish, yet it also seemed to steal the leading role that the seafood so deserved.

That being said...

we had the absolute best service and server, who immediately turned our frown upside down by bringing us an extra dessert! {like we needed it!}
But not just any desserts--Brown Butter Blondie Sundae layered in a big bowl of butterscotch sauce and Toffee Chip Ice Cream, topped with dried cherries.
{ Holy Ice-Cream-Sea-Sweet-Tooth-Heaven-Candyland-Dreams- it does not stop there. }
We also got to sink our teeth into a Lemon Tart made with orange marmalade, smothered in caramel cream and topped with grapefruit flavored shaved ice. I'm talking PURE dessert genius, extraordinaire. I think I'll be stopping by again just for dessert.

Foreign and Domestic is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin and if you have any brains in your noggin' you will make your way to this restaurant and give it {all} a taste.

♥ Happy Tasting!

Mel