The Wait Is Over

A portal to Provence: laV brings rustic French elegance to East Austin

As you walk up to the entrance at laV, you know you are entering some place special. The olive trees and lavender lining the sidewalk offer the welcoming signs of Provence, the region in southern France that has inspired both the atmosphere and menu for East Austin's newest restaurant.

Dining at laV, patrons can expect a different experience every time. Want to escape to rural France? Relax on the patio facing a large Provencal garden. Want a quick bite? Sip wine and enjoy a snack in the tasting room or at the bar. Or stay a while and feast on an intimate dinner in the dining area or with a small private party in the wine room.

Even the design elements reflect a blend of the restaurant’s Texas roots and French inspiration, like the white cowhide bar stools at the majestic pewter bar.

The attention to detail is no surprise from the stellar all-female leadership team of Managing Partner and Advanced Sommelier Vilma Mazaite, Executive Chef Allison Jenkins and Executive Pastry Chef Janina O’Leary. The trio draws on its extensive experience to create an atmosphere of rustic elegance, giving a nod to fine dining without losing the casual ease that makes Austin special. Even the design elements reflect a blend of the restaurant’s Texas roots and French inspiration, like the white cowhide bar stools at the majestic pewter bar.

Chef Jenkins’ menu demonstrates her philosophy of letting simple, high quality ingredients speak for themselves and it takes full advantage of the kitchen’s wood-burning oven. Dishes range from the classic roasted chicken to more complex preparations like the mushroom raviolo with an egg yolk center floating in mushroom consommé.

“One of the things I love about the restaurant is that you can customize your experience, enjoying a light meal and a glass of wine in the bar or a leisurely dinner with five or six courses,” says Chef Jenkins. Featuring large entrees like the chicken, whole fish and a 24-ounce steak, the menu invites diners to enjoy convivial plate passing.

The menu element that most excites Chef Jenkins is the cheese cart, featuring seasonal and rotating selections paired with house made crackers and preserves from Chef O’Leary. “Everyone has a cheese plate, but I wanted people to have a more full experience,” says Jenkins. “The cart is usually more of a fine dining element, but I think cheese is something people should eat every day and I wanted to make it accessible.”

The exceptional food from Chefs Jenkins and O’Leary is matched by an extraordinary wine program curated by Mazaite and her team of sommeliers, Darren M. Scott and Rania Zayyat. The wine list offers over 1,200 wines with a focus on French labels, all stored in an awe-inspiring two-story wine room at one end of the dining room.

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laV opens Thursday, March 6 at 1501 East 7th Street in East Austin; dinner service Tuesday through Saturday, and brunch on Sunday.

laV opens today on East 7th Street.

Photo by Buff Strickland

laV opens today on East 7th Street.

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Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

There ain't no grave can hold Austinites down when it's time to break in this new dive bar.

An Austin bar with a lot of personality has its eye on a new location. The Mean Eyed Cat is opening in Driftwood on Thursday, November 21.

This Johnny Cash-inspired bar has certainly always had the country aesthetic: the weathered wood, the live oak-shaded picnic tables, the black-and-white photos on the wall, and even the occasional taxidermy specimen. The same rustic vibes continue in Driftwood at 8750 W RR 150, Bldg. 100, according to a short press release.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior This new bar already looks like it's been collecting antiques for decades.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Good luck getting there on Google Maps. Right now, it drops a pin at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 150 and Elder Hill Road. However, it appears to be next to Mad Rooster's Liquor Store — we can see the side of the building through the window and the same road signs. We've reached out to a spokesperson to get the proper directions.

The Austin original has been around since 2004, and this offshoot is only its second location. The promises "the same laid-back, offbeat charm that made the original bar an icon."

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior What's a dive bar without a pool table?Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Before the Austin location was a bar, it was a chainsaw repair shop that was aptly featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Chris Marsh was who converted it to a watering hole and Christened it the Mean Eyed Cat, and he later sold it to current owners Matt Luckie, Max Moreland, and Jed Thompson, placing it in a lineage that also includes Lavaca Street Bar & Grill, Sign Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, and more locally beloved staples and oddities.

All the proper references are there in Driftwood, including several saw blades on the wall, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and lyrics on every available surface, including a picnic table that ominously says "HURT." First and foremost on the menu are whiskeys and classic cocktails, keeping things as simple as anyone would expect at a dive bar.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood patio A spacious patio takes advantage of the Hill Country surroundings.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Despite the relatively remote location, commenters on Instagram have already spotted people inside and started chomping at the bit. It sounds like opening day will be a lively affair.

The Mean Eyed Cat in Driftwood will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 2 am. Happy hour will be weekdays from 4-7 pm.

dive bars whiskey cocktails openings driftwood