Places: Juliet Italian Kitchen
Do you ever routinely drive by a place without knowing it exists? Then, when you finally try it, you think, how could I have been sleeping on this gem for so long?! Juliet Italian Kitchen has been sitting on Barton Springs for quite some time, and apparently I’ve passed it every single time I’ve driven down the street. I only recently discovered it, and it is MAGICAL. I’m kind of mad it’s taken me so long to try it out, but hey, better late than never, right?
You Bread-er Believe It
If I had a nickel for every time I filled up at bread while going out to eat, I would have well over $800,000. Usually the bread ranges anywhere from average to good, and I curse myself silently for not sticking to just one piece. At Juliet Italian Kitchen, though, I could make a full meal out of their complimentary focaccia bread. It’s phenomenal. Baked for the perfect amount of time, seasoned just right, and when you dip it in their olive oil, you actually travel through space and time as you relive your happiest life memory. So wonderful. And it’s even better when you can combine it with a little saucy pasta.
Homemade Pasta Parties
All pasta at Juliet Italian Kitchen is made in-house. And homemade pasta always tastes better, according to everyone. There are no shortage of options at Juliet – standouts include the 17-layer lasagna (that’s a lot of layers!) and the fettuccine funghi, which features mushroom sauce, fried rosemary, spinach and garlic sauce, plus breadcrumbs aplenty. As they say in Little Shop of Horrors, “Feed me, Seymour!”
The Happiest of Hours
A very cool feature of Juliet Italian Kitchen is its happy hour, which has both eats and drinks at discounted prices. And it’s a LONG happy hour, going from 3 pm to 7 pm every day. Austin loves its happy hours, but that’s a mountain of time even for this city. Score a glass of wine or a draft beer on the cheap, or check out one of the many tasty appetizers – special shout out to the grilled octopus and salmon crudo. They’ll both put a big ol’ smile on your face.
For hearty Italian flair, you can’t do much better than Juliet. And don’t worry if you fill up on bread.
