Food: Haddingtons, A British-Inspired Tavern, Now Open On West 6th

On an appropriately drizzly, dark evening, Haddingtons British-inspired tavern quietly opened for dinner after months of anticipation. From the red plaid wallpaper in the back bar to the vintage taxidermy dioramas in the main dining room, Haddingtons feels like somewhere you might end up after a day spent hunting duck in the English countryside. In fact, duck is a recurring feature on the thoughtful, carefully researched menu from Executive Chef Zack Northcutt (also of Mulberry) -- from the Foie Gras Sausage with Pear Relish ($8) to the Duck Liver Mousse Toast Pot ($3) to the Duck Meatloaf ($14). Bartender extraordinaire Bill Norris even "fowled up" the cocktail menu with a tasty Duck Fat Sazerac cocktail -- duck fat-infused rye, Peychaud's Bitters and an absinthe rinse served cold and neat ($9).

Norris' reputation in the bartending community is one of the main reasons Austinites have so eagerly awaited Haddingtons' January 4 opening date. Just a month before, Norris won first place in the Tipsy Texan Drink Local Cocktail Contest with his Waco Haze Cutter. He's earned a reputation among his peers as "the Obi Wan Kenobi of bartenders," according to one Perla's bartender.