Restaurant
Review - Hula Hut in Austin, TX
House wine. The term conjures visions
of quaint Italian restaurants and carafes
of brilliant red table wines, doesn't
it? Lovely carafes in lovely cafes. Mmmm.
House wine.
Recently, I found myself at
Hula Hut. A sort of Tex-Mex goes Polynesian
restaurant and bar on Lake Austin. As I
flipped through the menu of Coconut
Fried Shrimp, Mango-Poblano Chile Quesadillas,
South Bay Caesar Salad and Hawaiian Fajitas,
there it was, Hula Hut's very own "house
wine." As I perused the surroundings
-- a thatched bar area replete with scantily
clad sorority-types, docked boaters, and
screeching kids -- I thought to myself,
"what, in the name of all that is good
and decent, is a Hula Hut house wine?"
My eyes glazed over as I watched the child
sitting next to us, pouring her glass of
water into a plastic beach comber bucket,
and then dumping the bucket of water on
her head. Thinking. Thinking. Hula Hut house
wine? Hula Hut house wine?
Dining Pal wrested me from
my catatonia with her increasing loud pleas
of "Can we order, now?" The waiter
tapped me on my shoulder. "Yes,
fresh fish tacos, please and..."
And...
"A glass of your white
house wine."
And so it came. Bitterly cold
and very white. The Hula Hut house wine.
In all fairness to the house wine, I decided
to dive into my Grilled Fresh Fish Tacos
(grilled fish, shredded red cabbage, cilantro
and jalapeņo lime dressing in flour tortillas,
$7.95), and give it a chance to warm up,
while Dining Pal enjoyed her Chile-Rubbed
Salmon Tacos (charbroiled salmon rubbed
with chile spices and served with shredded
red cabbage, cilantro and jalapeņo lime
dressing in flour tortillas, $7.95).
As for the food, it was good.
For a place that probably wouldn't have
to try very hard to pack 'em in, given their
primo lakeside location, I'm always impressed
by the relative quality and presentation
of the food. It's Tex-Mex with an island
twist, and I like it. And, I can certainly
give a big thumb up to their margaritas.
As I popped the last bite
of taco in my mouth, I knew I could ignore
The Thing no longer. My hands shook as I
grasped the still cold glass. The deck began
to spin and the children chanted louder
and louder, "Hula Hut house wine...Hula
Hut house wine...Hula Hut house wine..."
I lifted the glass.
I drank.
I...
Hey! This isn't so bad. Turns
out the Hula Hut white house wine is Corbett
Canyon Chardonnay. At only $3.75 a glass,
you could do worse. And, if you're not feeling
Hula Hut house wine adventurous, they also
have a selection of reds and whites from
Robert Mondavi, Taulus, Meridian, Clos du
Bois, and Black Opal.
Hula on, my wine-drinking
friends. Hula on. (june 2000)
3826 Lake Austin Boulevard
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 476-4852
Sun-Thu 11am-10pm
Fri-Sat 11am-11pm.
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