A lot is changing at Juliet Italian Kitchen this summer. An overhaul of the Italian restaurant in all but the physical sense, the sweeping changes in both Austin and Georgetown include new leadership, new chefs, and new food and drink menus.
The higher-up leadership change already happened in May, when the team added Timothy Rucker as CEO. According to a press release, Rucker has had more than 30 years of experience leading and building restaurants, and most recently comes from New York City. Since Rucker joined, owners Dan and Donna Wilkins have been able "to take a step back from daily business operations."
“We are so excited to welcome Timothy into the Juliet family," said Dan Wilkins in the release. "He brings a fresh perspective that we’ve been looking for. We’re proud of the community we’ve built here in Austin over the past decade, and we’re thrilled to have a fresh perspective on the team."
"Juliet is such an incredible brand to work with. I was so excited by the concept and opportunity that I picked up my life in New York and made the move to Austin," said Rucker. "They’ve built something really special here, and I’m really enjoying being a part of the team as we work to take it to the next level."
This bone-in pork chop comes with a colorful accompaniment of rainbow carrots, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and bourbon peach sauce.Photo by Hayden Walker
Closer to diners' plates, the new CEO has also introduced two new executive chefs. Chef Dino Gonzalez will take over at the best-known location at Barton Springs; Chef Fil Alcontar will head the outpost in Georgetown. That leaves Juliet's third location, in The Arboretum, without an executive chef change. Finally, a promotion from within brings up John Calvachio as the new cocktail director.
That all culminates in a new summer menu that launches July 14. There are some seasonal recipes on display, but the release emphasizes a return to classic Italian dishes and an emphasis on quality. New dishes include a duck confit ravioli with black truffle cream sauce and a cherry demi-glace; a yellowfin tuna crudo with avocado relish and mousse; and whole split bronzino crusted with pistachio.
The cocktail menu follows suit, highlighting more Italian ingredients. There's the Sicilian Breeze with tequila blanco, apricot liqueur, Italicus, lemon, red plum bitters, and simple syrup; the Aqua Bella with vodka, mango liqueur, rothman pear, lemon, and simple syrup; and the Queen Margherita with basil-infused tequila, raspberry liqueur, lemon, and lime. Alongside those options are a selection of mocktails.
This Butterfly Spritz features butterfly pea-infused gin with cucumber syrup, elderflower and blueberry liqueurs, and more summery touches.Photo by Hayden Walker
Juliet opened its first location in 2015, in the same space it occupies today, 1500 Barton Springs Rd. Thanks to its proximity to Barton Springs and Zilker Park, this is still thought of as the restaurant's main location.
This summer it also introduced a new deal for diners who want to take advantage of the location: a Park + Dine Package costs $50 upfront, allows guests to wander away from the restaurant, and applies the $50 to the food bill when they return. (This can also be done in reverse if they want to get dinner before a show at the Zach Theater, for example.) The deal started July 11 and runs through August 16.
Juliet Italian Kitchen is located at 1500 Barton Springs Rd.; 10000 Research Blvd., Building C, at the Arboretum; and 701 S. Main St. in Georgetown. All three locations have the same hours: 11:30 am to 9 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 am to 10 pm Fridays, 11 am to 10 pm Saturdays, and 11 am to 9 pm Sundays.