Bad Order at Cantine

Cantine Italian Cafe & Bar

Cantine Austin

Austin, TX

I went with a group of girlfriends to Cantine Italian Cafe & Bar in the new Lamar Union shopping center. The restaurant had a great buzz about it when we walked in. The service was solid. But wow, did I make a horrible order! I really felt like ordering a pasta. So I went for the lamb ragu with whole wheat pasta and goat cheese. It sounded perfect. But the lamb was fairly chewy and lacked any real flavor. The wheat pasta was also a bit tough and the goat cheese couldn't save the dish. Several friends of mine made this order and we all agreed it was a mistake. We went about a month ago and I'm glad to see the pasta is no longer on the menu. Hopefully it stays that way! I did like some bites from other dishes including the Bianca Pizza with prosciutto. So try Cantine out... but make sure you order carefully.

A New Pizzeria!

Powerful Flavor at Unit D Pizzeria

Unit D Pizzeria

Austin, TX

 My husband and I were too excited to find a new pizza place open up on Manor Road in East Austin. It's in the same shopping center as Dai Dui. And it is definitely worth a visit. The restaurant is small and intimate, but it also very inviting. We were able to sit down right away at a communal table and ended up hitting it off with the couple next to us (after a couple of glasses of wine and pizza of course). The restaurant has a wood-fired pizza oven inside... which made me especially excited to taste the pizza. By far the best bite came from the mushroom pizza. It comes with a white sauce, porcini powder, fontina (Italian cow's milk cheese), sherry vinegar and my favorite... truffle. This pizza is really something special. The flavors are so powerful and delightful. The truffle, the fontina and the white sauce just makes this a standout. We also ordered the wood-fired olives, carrots and the sausage pizza with lamb, tomato, fennel, mozzarella, fontina, pecorino and dill. They were also all solid orders. It's difficult not to compare this place to Bufalina Pizza on Cesar Chavez because they are both serving wood-fired pizza in an intimate setting... I would have to say overall Bufalina is putting out the best pies (mostly because they have a better crust), but the mushroom pizza at Unit D Pizzeria is one of a kind. You'll have to try it.