Second Bar + Kitchen . . . delectable food, crafty cocktails, an Austin gem

Wow! Do I have some Austin restaurant reviews for you. Three coming up! The first restaurant of 2011 is one of the best, Second Bar + Kitchen.

David Bull is the mastermind behind three epicurean concepts in The Austonian . . . Congress, Second Bar + Kitchen  and Bar Congress. Congress is an upscale restaurant with seasonal fare and a prix fixe menu, Second Bar + Kitchen serves food with Italian and Asian touches, and Bar Congress serves carefully crafted cocktails and has a tasty bar menu.

Bull has been an Iron Chef competitor and was formerly the chef at the Driskill Grill. Uh, yeah. Second Bar + Kitchen rocks. And there are many reasons why. So let’s get started.

Reason #1: Bad Billy (Billy Hankey) from The Good Knight.

Bad Billy is a drinkmaster. My husband and I first met him at The Good Knight where he served us fabulous vintage cocktails. Billy has a great smile and truly wants you to enjoy your cocktail. Billy is a gem and unmatched in his creativity. And if that’s not enough, Second Bar + Kitchen’s bar manager is another amazing drinkmaster, Adam Bryan of East Side Show Room.

This is the Gin + Jam made with Citadelle gin and cranberry preserves. You can also choose orange marmalade. And all the jams are made in house. I know it seems weird to stir in jam into your cocktail, but it was really interesting and tasty. I hadn’t had Citadelle gin before, but I really liked it.

Reason #2: The wine list.

June Rodil from Uchi (Texas sommelier of the year) is the sommelier. The wines are plentiful and even include Silvertap wines. Silvertap wines go from barrel, to cask, to glass. No bottles, no corks. The wines are “on tap” so they are fresher. Since spoilage is reduced, restaurants can provide better quality and a better value. It’s also better for the environment. California winemaker Bill Knuttel creates the wines for Silvertap and has been making wine in California for 30 years for vineyards such as Saintsbury Vineyard, Chalk Hill Vineyards and Dry Creek Vineyard.

If you are a sparkling fan, get the Jean-Francois Merieau Bulles from the Loire Valley. It’s not a Silvertap wine, but it’s a perfect sparkling in my opinion.

Reason #3: The bar snacks.

Truffle fries have been on Austin menus for a while and frankly, they are almost always good. These black truffle pomme frites were perfectly crisp, soft on the inside and the pecorino was plentiful. The aioli was perfect and the spicy ketchup was also a nice touch.

Pickles are one of my favorite things. And Second brought pickles up a notch by frying them like buffalo wings and serving with gorgonzola and David Bull’s hot sauce. Thanks, David!

Reason #4: The food.

I don’t often order gnocchi (above), but I would eat this again. They toast the gnocchi a little bit with garlic. It’s served with two treats: sweet cherry tomatoes and succulent artichokes. Wow was it tasty.

The osso bucco is served with a little brioche loaf (left) that is the cutest little thing you have every seen.

When you unwrap the little package, you get a mini-brioche loaf. Adorable!

Each slice is about as big as your spoon. So cute!

Reason #5: The little touches.

Second Bar + Kitchen is a beautiful place with amazing food. I like the attention to detail. There are cute little 2’s everywhere . . . on plates, on the water bottles, on brioche packages, on hats. Second just does everything right. If this restaurant was in New York City, it would be packed to the gills. People would be bumping into each other and there would be hour waits. But you, lucky Austinite, can have a fabulous epicurean adventure right downtown sans wait, sans attitude, just Austin goodness.