As Pennsylvania’s fall foliage brush-strokes the landscape in reds, brilliant yellows, and burnt oranges, and magnificent sunsets expand upward and outward across the horizon, our thoughts grow more and more interior — and our appetite sharpens. The Japanese have an ancient saying that describes this time of year: “When the sky is high, we eat like a horse.” If that rings true, think about heading to Austin’s Restaurant and Bar in West Lawn with its homey atmosphere and hearty fare, like pulled pork and spare ribs; cornbread and chili; filet mignon and cinnamon apples.
Something for Everyone
Austin’s manages to be both family-friendly and a cozy date-night destination. At lunch, it’s crowded with businesspeople and shoppers from the nearby malls. It also has a menu evolving with the times, offering not just kids’ meals but numerous gluten-free dishes. (Just inform the attentive waitstaff that you have special preferences, and they’ll make sure you're accommodated in a delicious, attractive way.) Manager Pete DiCarlo strives to make every diner happy, taking pride in the low turnover of his waitstaff and a strong percentage of returning customers.
A full range of courses unfolds on its menu pages — salads, soups, sides...the works. Here are some of the best:
For starters, the Spinach Reggiano Dip arrives warm and aromatic with its Parmigiano Reggiano supercheese melding with fresh spinach and artichoke hearts. Perfect for a cool evening, this one appetizer easily satisfies two to four people, and is served with crunchy house-made tortilla chips. (Note: the dip contains chicken stock, so it’s not vegetarian.) It’s salty and savory enough to awaken the taste buds, prepping the mouth for other goodies on the table.
Where many restaurants offer simple rolls, Austin’s customizes the bread-on-the-table experience with a sweet little mini-loaf of brown bread — Bavarian honey-wheat — which has a soft and chewy texture, made sweet with a light tan maple butter.
The stone-baked cornbread — truly corny — perfectly complements a bowl of hot chili. With its crisp-toasted top, browned to a golden tan brown, and a bready center that’s light yellow and firm in texture, it features sweet corn kernels and just enough pepper throughout. Also tasty is the bruschetta, which breaks out early in the evening during Austin’s Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 5 to 7pm.
That same bruschetta makes a star reappearance in Austin’s hearty bruschetta chicken pasta entrée. It’s gourmet comfort food at its best. This dish is absolutely loaded with saucy ziti and chicken pieces enticingly strewn at all angles on a shallow pasta plate, blanketed by light orange tomato gravy and melted mozzarella, then topped with bruschetta crumbs. The chicken, cut in bite-sized pieces, is tender, each morsel embodying an amalgam of herbs, tomato, garlic and cheesy elements. You’ll be taking this home — the portion is that generous.
Go Traditional
For an elegant steak meal — which Austin’s has long been known for — the six- or nine-ounce juicy filet mignon is the way to go: it’s hand-cut and cooked to your preference. It tastes like it’s been rubbed with a bit of fresh black pepper, then charbroiled for an outdoorsy sensation on the palate. Steak sauce sits on the table, but honestly, the filet is so enjoyable, it won’t even enter your mind to add it. Diners can choose to add cooked onions or mushrooms, of course, but ask for them on the side, so as to truly savor the beef.
Add the garlic whipped potatoes as a side for textured, sticky-style spuds made slightly piquant with ample parsley throughout, and then round out this main plate with meaty beans. This side dish is seductively addictive (if baked beans can be called seductive or addictive). Austin’s own version of campfire beans is to be praised. They’ve got a smoky flavor with ample hunks of ground beef providing heft and full-bodied flavor. Powerful combo.
Another lovely side dish is the warm cinnamon apples. These are adorable, like the inside of an apple pie — only better because it’s mid-dinner and you don’t have to wait till the end of the meal to eat them. Distinctively Southern, the dish consists of smallish chunks of peeled apples in a sauce darkened with a Christmas-y cinnamon flavor, so that it seesaws between tart and saccharine, much like an apple crisp but without all the fat and sugar. A simple, successful fruitiness.
It’s no surprise, then, that Austin’s hits consistent home runs with its apple walnut cobbler. “This is a hugely popular dessert,” says DiCarlo. The Banana Cream Delight, too, is super-indulgent — a large-plated dessert that calls for four forks. But don’t bypass Marty’s Mini-Mousses, including Key Lime pie, white chocolate, cookies ’n' cream, and a predictable Berks’ fave — peanut butter chocolate.
The straightforward chocolate mini-mousse contains layers of scrumptiousness. This rich, bittersweet, spoonful-by-spoonful homage to the divine cacao bean is just the right size, served in a glass cup with pretty layers of chocolate sauce sandwiched between frothy, light brown whipped mousse and thinly curled chocolate shavings to top it all off.
Add a cup of coffee, and it’s “ah-h-h-h” time at Austin’s.
AUSTIN'S RESTAURANT & BAR 1101 Snyder Rd., West Lawn | 610.678.5500 | austinsrestaurant.com
BY MARIAN FRANCES WOLBERS | PHOTOS BY HEIDI REUTER
