Food: New Kids On The Block - Lenoir Opens Today

South First street has another feather to add to its restaurant-filled cap with Lenoir, a restaurant with a "hot weather food" concept brought by Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher, set to open this evening.

In an Austin Chronicle interview, owners Duplechan (formerly of Trio) and Maher (formerly of Dai Due) said that the menu will have no specific cuisine, but that many dishes will be spicy and acidic and will be inspired by food from areas with warm weather. Duplechan and Maher also said in an Eater.com interview that the menu will be seasonal and local. Sample items on the Lenoir menu include Venison Pho with sweet potatoes and daikon and Shrimp Agrodolce served with delicata squash and pasilla chile. For the current menu, see the photo at right.

After a soft opening last night, Twitter was abuzz with raves from Austin's food world. June Rodil (@JuneRodil), Congress Austin's beverage director, tweeted "What a lovely soft opening @lenoir_austin! Looking forward to my next visit...," while Natanya Anderson (@natanyap), President of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, said "I have died and gone to food heaven. @lenoir_austin is amazing from the second you walk in the door."

Book your reservation before hours-long waits become the norm at this neighborhood restaurant.

Lenoir Restaurant, 1807 South First St., 512-215-9778, twitter.com/lenoir_austin.

Lenoir menu photo via Olivia O'Neal.

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