Epicure in Dripping Springs is back! Even though the location has changed since Covid, Epicure is still serving delicious food. As good as, if not better than ever – Epicure is now smaller, more compact, elegant, and charming.
The EPICURE Experience
What possibly possessed me to think we could pull this off? Especially since we need to be at a local House Concert by 6:30 this evening. But here we are, Mother, Father, and Daughter headed to our final gourmet adventure of the day—EPICURE in Dripping Springs. Our reservations are at 5 pm but we are a bit early so Michael takes a circuitous route through the backroads of Hays County—killing time— to get us there. We squeak into a parking space at 5:01.
It began pre-Covid when friends said you should go to Epicure in Dripping Springs, and I never made it. When things finally got back to normal, I tried making reservations, but to no avail. They couldn’t find the help they needed to open their doors; then, serendipity intervened. What turned into a fifteen-minute purchase of a new phone morphed into a three-hour ordeal—don’t ask.
Michael got bored and wandered off. Perhaps twenty minutes later he came back into the phone store with a piece of paper dangling from his fingers and words spilling from his mouth indicating I HAD TO GO NEXT DOOR! The last time he said those words to me was five years ago when we were in Grange-Over-Sands and he was referring to an English pie shop. All this proves he knows who I am and the things that appeal to me, so, I pay attention. Thirty minutes later I was standing inside Epicure talking to the owner and making dinner reservations for Saturday night.
Epicure – Dinner at Last
EPICURE definitely appeals, and here we sit, determining what we want to order. My daughter and I plan on sharing everything—even with Michael—who wants to share nothing. I want to order each item I see on the menu, but time is our enemy, so we all choose only two small plates each.
Potato Soup and the Perfect Cheese
Michael dives into his potato soup while Heather and I work on her first choice of OG Kristall aged Belgian gouda, roasted garlic caramel, Marcona almonds from Spain, and crostini.
The first thing I taste is the cheese and am immediately impressed that this chef in this tiny place in this tiny town realizes that room-temperature cheese is KING! The cheesemaker describes his gouda as rich, creamy with a fudgy, perfectly balanced butterscotch sweetness, and large, well-formed crystals that pop like candy in bite after bite. I love Marcona almonds, but they are almost an afterthought due to the delicious cheese and the decadent garlic caramel. (Could this really be something as simple as caramelized sugar, butter, salt, and roasted garlic?) This delicious small bite plate is so rich you will definitely want to share.
Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
The perfectly cooked, Asian flavored, oven-roasted brussels sprouts are as good as, if not better than any Brussels sprouts I have eaten in the past year—and if they are on the menu, I order them. These Brussels sprouts, flavored with Szechuan sauce, cashews, and dark, thick local honey are deeply roasted but not burnt—how did they do that I wonder? They are garnished with cilantro—which in my estimation is a brilliant addition—and dusted with a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Asparagus with Proscuitto, and Beet Salad with Burrata
Michael receives his large small-plate of asparagus, prosciutto, and dried figs drizzled with a thick balsamic vinaigrette at the same time my red beet salad arrives. Figs, prosciutto, and asparagus sound divine but Michael still isn’t into sharing, so I can only imagine the combination of flavors. However, the beets with orange supremes and creamy burrata drizzled with an orange vinaigrette is delicious. Heather and I continue to share, and our two orders comprise a feast any vegetarian would love.
But then my pièce de résistance arrives.
Empanada Perfection at Epicure
This is the first time since visiting Mexico that empanadas were a choice I could make on any menu of any restaurant we have frequented, and the two golden crescents set before me are temptation on a plate. I take a bite, and it is heaven; tasting one is like finding an old friend. This empanada is everything an empanada should be—beautiful to look at with a crisply crunchy exterior and a soft, tender, savory interior.
Dipping these fried delicacies in the accompanying chimichurri is the icing on the cake. If I had the time and space, I could eat another two, but we have been eating all day!
It is a little after six and time to say goodbye to today’s last wonderful foodie adventure. Yes, Epicure is back! Even though to me it is a brand-new experience. A friend likens it to being in a small upscale NYC market restaurant. She is already planning to purchase a charcuterie tray from Epicure for a future boating adventure. And me? I am planning on checking out their intriguing market selection for all of the specialty items I normally look for in Austin—and often don’t find. And of course, we are both planning on returning soon to sample more of their lovely small plate offerings.
EPICURE – The Details
NOTE: Please check their website for the current small plate offerings. Epicure makes small changes weekly.
Location
1025 Cannon Drive, Ste 105 (Clocktower Shopping Center)
Dripping Springs, TX
Hours
Tuesday – Saturday
11 am – 8 pm
Dinner Service
Tuesday – Saturday
5 pm – 8 pm
Contact Information
(512)-858-7300, jerry@epicuretx.com
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.