Venturing beyond downtown Austin will land you in some great spots. We took two journeys –  one to east Austin and one to Bastrop.

Maude’s Bar & Terrace

Off the beaten path but well traveled…Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Bastrop, Texas, introduced its new culinary delight, Maude’s Bar & Terrace.  This casual dining and drink venue is named for the resort’s famous pecan tree and offers a relaxed atmosphere of craft bites and craft libations.  Guests can start their evening here or stay for dinner.  

Craft Beer, Cocktails, and Mocktails

Bar manager, Juliana Parsons, has chosen beer from nearby Texas cities for her craft line up:  Austin, Houston, Fredericksburg and San Antonio. Beyond beer, she pairs her creativity with elevated spirits to build mixology masterpieces. Try the Salted Rosemary Palomo adorned with half Himalayan pink salt and half black wood smoked salt; Maude’s Old Fashioned with house-made chickory-pecan bitters; or the Clarified Pineapple Margarita, which has ingredients that start 24 hours before your arrival. 

In addition, Maude’s offers special features each evening. For example, with a fresh pear juice base made in house, the team created three different cocktails: pear-tini, pear spritzer, and a hot pear cider. The colder weather menu will include a hot Mexican chocolate cocktail. Four of Juliana’s mixology masterpieces are offered as mocktails along with a unique non-alcoholic creation, The Ruby.

Craft Bites

Executive Chef Chris Cummer has created a light bite and shareable menu that includes ingredients from the chef’s garden and local purveyors. For our dinner, we enjoyed four incredible dishes: the harissa marinated lamb chops, served with a chermoula, caper raisin puree and garnished with pomegranate; the lamb sliders with harissa aioli, feta, and pickles on a sesame bun; flatbread with prosciutto, fig, stracciatella, and arugula; and grilled chicken kebab with charred tomatoes.  

Indoor / Outdoor Dining

While indoor bar seating is available, the treasured seating is on the expansive terrace, shaded by a large pecan tree for warmer days and warmed with fire pits and heaters for cooler days.  Evening patio lighting and live music finish out the venue’s ambiance.

Maude’s Bar and Terrace is open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.   Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is 25 minutes from Austin Bergstrom airport.

Sushi | Bar ATX

It’s Bigger But Still Intimate

Texas Lifestyle Magazine was excited to visit Sushi | Bar ATX again. Since our last visit in April, the restaurant has expanded and now has two dining rooms to share its omakase speakeasy journey. Each dining room limits its capacity to ten guests, enabling an intimate adventure guided by two chefs. Guests enjoy a cocktail while waiting to enter the dining room and then find their seat by locating their name, beautifully written on boards at the ten coveted opportunities around the table. These personalized boards also help chefs identify guests with disclosed dietary restrictions gathered during reservation and check in processes. Two chefs stand at an elevated level on one side of a rectangular table, allowing diners to witness the artful preparation of a 17-course menu.  

The 17-Course Journey

The menu at Sushi | Bar changes with the season and is steadfast in showcasing the freshest fish sourced and flown in weekly via some of the best markets in the world, including Japan, Australia, and California. Signatures include the Aged Bluefin Akami with dehydrated red miso and everything bagel spice; Hokkaido Scallop with white truffle salt, shaved black truffle and truffle caviar; and Kanpachi with pineapple, passionfruit, shishito vinaigrette and shaved coconut. Chefs’ culinary theater performance combines these ingredients with the use of smoke, fire, and carefully set ingredients using tweezers. Each bite has its own theater credit and curtain call when the chef presents it to you, describing its preparation and ingredients and sharing it with you on a small plate “stage.”  

The Fall Menu Feature: Terry Black’s Bite

This season’s menu features a new fall bite in collaboration with Texas legend, Terry Black’s Barbecue. Terry Black’s Bite is a cold smoked ocean trout with bacon jam, pickled cornichon, and Terry Black’s Original Barbecue Sauce glaze.

Pairings for the Journey

The Sommelier at Sushi | Bar creates a variety of sake and wine pairings, differing in quantity and in price. Beyond the pairings, you can also order by the glass or by the bottle. A wonderfully skilled bar manager will help you navigate the various options.

Making a Reservation

You will need to plan for this journey. Reservations open on the first of every month for the following month. Reservations are available via Tock or by calling (737) 931-7584. The restaurant is open Monday through Sunday and offers several seatings per night across the two dining rooms (5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.). Each omakase experience is $159 per person with the option to upgrade to a premium experience with dining indulgences, wine, and sake. 

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Cover photo Jon Tyson on Unsplash.

Have passport . . . will travel. Motivated by her first international trip at twelve years old, Carolyn Koehn pursued a career that would take her around the globe. Following a global career as a finance executive, Carolyn leverages her Latin heritage, Southern upbringing, expat living, Texas residency, and world experience into her travel, lifestyle, and culinary writing.