Josephine House, found in the booming tech city of Austin, is a homey farm-to-table restaurant serving dishes with the freshest ingredients possible. On the corner of Waterson street, the restaurant fits right in making it seem like a person’s home but there is more than meets the eye. As you walk closer you’re welcomed into what feels like an old farmhouse, fullness of old world charm.
Through endless Yelp and Instagram searching, I discovered this gem as the place to celebrate my anniversary.
Interior
Food + Drink
Menu
Because the restaurant prides itself on providing the freshest ingredients, the first thing you’ll notice is a smaller menu. Even though the menu is smaller than what some may be used to, each dish is crafted with care. Other than the freshness of their ingredients and the decor, Josephine House is most known for their Steak Frites. It’s good to note if you’re only looking to try this dish specifically, Monday nights is Steak Frites night (Steak Frites + unlimited wine!). If you’re not able to visit them on a Monday, you can still order the Steak Frites as we did.
Josephine House accepts walk-ins, but reservations are preferable.
Ken Wright Cellars Pinot Noir
Their wine menu ranges from Rosé to crisp whites and drier Malbecs, but for dinner we decided on a full-bodied Pinot Noir to go with our dishes. If you’re not quite the wine drinker the restaurant also offers different southern-inspired cocktails as well as refreshing mocktails for those who prefer to skip out on the alcohol.
Drinks with dinner: Bottle of Ken Wright Pinot Noir
Homemade bread and butter with appetizer salad
For the appetizer we ordered one of their popular salads, aqua dulce lettuce topped with fresh ricotta, chopped hazelnuts, shallot vinaigrette, watercress, crisp radishes, and cucumber. The salad had a bite to it with the cucumbers and radishes, contrasted with the warm nuttiness of the chopped hazelnuts. Fresh and vibrant— definitely a combination of flavors I wouldn’t have thought of, but after the first bite we wanted more.
Appetizer: Agua Dulce Lettuce- Ricotta salata, watercress, cucumber, shaved radish, hazelnuts, topped with shallot vinaigrette
After a light and refreshing app, dinner quickly follows. After hearing about their steak frites (one of, if not the best in Austin!), I wanted to try it myself. Verdict: Would order it again, especially on Monday Steak Frites night for the unlimited vino. My boyfriend chose another well-known dish—the Berkshire pork chop. Deliciously tender and melt in you mouth, the flavor profile of the pork chop blended seamlessly with the cheesy grits, roasted corn succotash and crunchy celery salad.
An important thing to note about their pork chop is it’s not cooked well-done. Yes, your immediate reaction might be “oh no!" but the chef and the waitresses explained to us when the pork is this fresh, it’s okay to eat it medium as you would a steak. I wouldn’t trust eating a pork chop medium everywhere, but this is definitely a place you don’t need to worry about.
Dinner
Steak Frites (cooked medium)-seared Niman ranch New York Strip, steak sauce (on the side), topped with maitre d’hotel herbed butter
Berkshire Pork Chop (cooked medium)-Oaxacan green corn grits, charred succotash, topped with fresh celery herb salad
Dessert
To finish off our night, Maria our waitress helped me make our night extra special with after dinner cocktails and a surprise dessert. Their desserts also incorporate a farm-to-table element, such as using flowers in their cream for their desserts.
Anniversary dessert
Orange blossom pot de crème
Our experience at Josephine House was so memorable that I’m not only adding it to my list of favorite restaurants, but it’s a restaurant that I would dine again at in a heartbeat.
A big thank you to the Josephine House staff and our waitress Maria, who made our anniversary night extra special. Thank you also for the amazing southern hospitality.
For more info on Josephine House: Click here
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