Dear Steemit Friends,
Love is in the air (or at least was) and like most people who are in a relationship, married, or have a special someone whom they are endearing towards, Valentines is a special occasion. It is a day dedicated towards showing that special someone that you are thinking of them and appreciate them. Everyone celebrates this day differently.
Valentine's Day dates back to around the 3rd century in Europe. The celebration of love and affection has been carried on throughout history on February 14th. This day is the day to spread love and the exchange of affectionate gifts to one another and is one of the most recognized holidays globally. Some people celebrate Valentines Day by going all-out by planning something extravagant, others choose not to celebrate the day at all, while a vast majority of us choose to celebrate this special day with something a little more affordable and personable.
For my Valentines gift, I decided to start by surprising my wife with a bouquet of roses in the morning. I'm typically one of those sappy romantics who loves to buy flowers for my wife. She as well loves them. I wanted to make sure I snuck out early enough to pick a fresh bouget which she could wake up to.
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In previous years, I would go full-on extravagant and litter the room with petals and various flower arrangements, but as I got older, wiser, and more conscious about what really mattered, I started instead investing time in finding bouquets which were exotic and speckled with colors that she loved.
Valentines can be an expensive holiday and you don't always get what you pay for. Prices are generally inflated because businesses know that no matter what, consumers will pay. My wife and I both enjoy a long list of diverse activities. Of all of those activities, finding good food and eating is something at the top of both of our lists. Since we recently just moved back to Austin, my familiarity with the city was lacking. I no longer knew where the good places to eat were and as a result, we have been driving around the city trying to find all new places to dine.
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I had heard about a somewhat new restaurant named TRACE, which was located downtown in the W Hotel. It had a number of good reviews and was consistently nominated awards including the 2018 Diner's Choice Award. I was told it had a very romantic upscale environment and a constantly changing menu that always delighted patrons of the establishment. I decided to make reservations so we could try the place out for ourselves.
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We arrived at the W Hotel at around 7:00 PM for our 7:30 PM reservation and decided to walk around a bit. Downtown itself has changed a lot vs when I originally lived here 12 years ago prior to my move to the Philippines. The city and most of the establishments have evolved from that of a college town to a more sophisticated and mature city.
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Trace was no different. As soon as we entered the restaurant, you are welcomed to a cozy and romantic atmosphere of dimly lit lights and classy decor. The ambiance is similar to those upscale dining establishments that you would see in the movies.
There is an indoor dining area as well as an enclosed outdoor sidewalk dining area, both decorated and designed very similarly. Because the Austin weather was unpredictable (one day warm, one day cold) and because it was a bit wet out, I decided to book an inside table rather than partake of the moderately nice weather outside.
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I had booked a seat near the window so we could enjoy the outside view, yet still be comfortably seated indoor where the temperature and ambiance were better regulated. The picture below from the <a href ="http://www.traceaustin.com/">Trace website</a> shows the interior and the cozy design and layout of the entire restaurant.
The table was against the side wall overlooking the outdoor dining area. We sat in a velvet booth that allowed us to cozy up against one another while giving us a full view of the entire restaurant. The place was packed with virtually every seat filled and throughout the night, had a constant stream of customers.
The one good thing about the restaurant is the always-changing menu. Week-over-week and on special occasions, the menu constantly changes to ensure that patrons are always experiencing something new. The restaurant offers a variety of dishes throughout breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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On Valentines Day, couples were treated to a special menu of delightful eats designed by the chef. Each course had 3 selections to choose from and as a part of the Valentines promotion, guests could choose the $60 per person option or the $80 per person which paired each course with a glass of wine specially chosen to elevate the flavor of the selection each person chose for each course.
We decided to go with the $80 option to maximize our drink-on and to splurge a little bit on the evening. Below is the Valentines menu with the choices we were given for each course.
Below are the selections that both my wife and I chose:
Because we ordered the wine pairings with each course, we decided to not order additional drinks. We only sat for about 15 minutes before the first course was brought out and placed in front of us. The food smelled so good and because I was eager to start eating, I did not get a picture of my Italian Wedding Soup.
It was a smooth and herb-tasting broth with soft vegetables and a good helping of freshly made meatballs. It was warm and smooth tasting with a bit of tangy-sweet flavor mixed in - just perfect to warm the pallet. My wife said that her chicken liver mousse was one of the best that she has ever tasted. It was fresh due to the red cabbage and had a light and sweet flavor to it thanks to the apple puree that it was mixed in. The presentation of the food was very elegant and minimal and the portions were just enough to enjoy.
We decided to splurge a little more and get a dish of East Coast Oysters. I myself have never really been an oysters fan, but because of my adventurous nature, I decided to try these out. I have to admit, I have never liked the taste of them, but these were delightful, with a tangy but sweet taste. Like the typical Oysters I have tried previously, these did not have a slimy chewy, fishy texture or flavor. They were actually quite nice and had a small kick of spice to them - I ended up splitting the dish and eating half of the oysters.
Next on the menu was our entrees. I had the Akushi Strip Loin Oscar and my wife had the Honey glazed duck breast. All I just have to say, I was speechless as soon as I took a bite of my steak. It was buttery, fresh, and had an herbal sweet taste to it. The meat was cooked medium and so very juicy. Each bite was like a taste of heaven. My wife enjoyed her duck, but as soon as she tasted my steak, she was done. I kept asking her if she wanted me to cut her a few more pieces, and she did not hesitate to say yes - by the end of the meal, she had eaten half of my steak and I had eaten half of her duck in return. Her duck was nice, but by far the steak was the shining light of the meal. I would venture to say that this is probably one of the best prepared pieces of meat I have ever eaten. Not the best, but one of the best.
I will say though, my wife's duck was elegantly presented with a plate of colorful and vibrant vegetables with a valentines theme. It was unfortunately underwhelming vs the steak that it was served up against. We did, however, pick each plate clean and ate everything.
Once we finished the entrees, we had a few minutes to rest. By now our table was littered with several glasses of white and red wines that came with each dish. Finishing a few glasses we were beginning to feel a little free-spirited and relaxed. The low lit ambiance made our surrounding even more comfortable and the soft velvet seats forced us to lean back, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere.
I myself was beginning to get a little tired - wine, soft velvet seats, and the softly-lit ambiance will do that to you; the waitress after about 15 minutes presented our desserts. I chose the passionfruit cheescake and my wife chose the Tiramisu.
The Cheesecake was sweet and not too tangy. It was buttery, smooth, and the fruits mixed well with each other. The crust was a little hard, but still flaky and added a varied texture to the soft cheese portion of the cake.
My wife's Tiramisu was an arrangement of various chocolate and espresso flavored cakes. Each was lightly sweetened and had a creamy texture. The vanilla from the creme uplifted the flavor and added a layer of softness to the cookie and creamy chocolate and espresso flavors. The cheesecake though was my favorite.
Typically my wife makes the best choices when it comes to food, but today I was clearly the winner having chosen a debatable 2 out 3 best picks from the selections we were given. The first-course was up-in-the-air since we both loved our dishes.
Overall, the evening was perfect. The restaurant had the right mix of ambiance, food, and service. The Restaurant is decorated well, it is comfortable, and has a very romantic environment perfect for Valentine's or any date. The food is amazing - The menu offers a good variety, comes in reasonable portions, and taste's great. You will never get bored given the frequently changing dishes. The service is spot on. Our waitress consistently checked back with us to make sure we were taken care of and was very attentive to our every need - bonus points because the restaurant itself was packed throughout the evening.
The price of the meal was quite high and at the end of the night, I ended up spending close to $200, but it's an amount I don't mind given what we got for it. We were very satisfied and so full by the end of the night. I highly recommend anyone who is currently in Austin or plans to visit to try TRACE out, you won't be disappointed.
Do you know of any other restaurants you would recommend? What did you do for Valentines? Let me know in the comments section below. If you do have any questions, inputs, or feedback, please also share those with me. I would also appreciate support in the form of Upvoting and Re-steeming my post if you found it enjoyable and informative.
Thanks again for reading. Please consider Following me if you find my review and other posts interesting!
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