Food: Yippee-i-o-ki-a! Contigo Comes To Austin In May

Ahhh. Life on the ranch. After a hard day's work, it's every cowboy’s job to get right on down to the business of relaxation. For example, popping open a cold one and lounging outside under a cool Texas evening breeze. And delighting in the comfort of a fresh, lovingly prepared meal right from your own backyard while chit-chatting with your favorite friends. The folks from Contigo Ranch in South Texas want to bring the taste and culture of ranch living to urban confines of East Austin with their new restaurant endeavor, Contigo, opening May 7.

Owners Ben Edgerton and Andrew Wiseheart built their new space from the ground up in the likeness of the beloved ranch, and when visitors walk up to the giant patio, you suspect they'll feel right at home. Ninety percent of the space is outdoors - a perfect fit for Austin evenings. Picnic tables in the center of the restaurant offer a great place for conversation with a neighbor. A large cedar elm tree gives ample shade from the hot summer sun, and provides atmosphere for enjoying one of the spot's carefully selected spirits or brews. In Contigo Ranch style, washer pits are available to play around with, and a hearth offers the perfect atmosphere for the full, large bar in the indoor seating area.

Just as it does on the ranch, every meal served at Contigo comes right from the back yard. The beef and chicken come from Fredericksburg and the quail comes from Lockhart. Staples such as honey will even come from the ranch itself. The concept behind the food at Contigo is ranch-inspired bar grub. And considering that the owners have spent just as much time in sophisticated restaurants worldwide as they have in the Wild West, you can be sure that they will not be serving up ordinary pub fare. Highlights of the opening menu include fried quail legs, potatoes and pig ears, and ox tongue sliders. For fancier fare, Chef Wiseheart is offering various charcuterie and plates such as rabbit and dumplings as well as hand-crafted sausages.

The people behind Contigo are putting their hearts and souls into creating balance between delectable cuisine and Texas hospitality. Contigo will be open Monday-Friday from 4pm-midnight, Saturday from noon-1am, and Sunday from noon-midnight.

(Ed. note: For more on Contigo, check out Jodi Bart's blog for soft opening notes.)