827 Ray's--Amazing Party with even more amazing food!

Last night my husband and I had the honor of attending the Grand Opening of 827 Ray's located in Hudson Bend, Austin, TX.  

The celebration was top notch and the turn out was even better with what seemed the whole community and beyond in attendance.

This gorgeous restaurant located right on RR 620, a stones throw from the temporarily shuttered Hudson's on the Bend, is exactly what our small community craved....a new, delectable dining experience.  Ever since the "Coming Soon 827 Ray's" sign appeared on the doors of the old Hill Country Pasta House I have been watching with keen excitement as the building went through a transformation.  Every day as I drove past I would imagine just what was coming, especially once I found out the chef and owner was  non-other than Wayne Brooks formerly of the UT Golf Club. His wine dinners at UT were legendary and this is exactly what this fine chef needed in order to spread his wings.

It was inspired to have a grand opening in the open air event space behind the restaurant.  The free appetizers and wine tastings gave the community an informed amuse-bouche of what to expect from dining at the restaurant.  The staff was welcoming and the musical performer (I wish I had gotten his name!) a perfect compliment to this beautiful event.  FYI,  the event space is a great place to throw larger gatherings and is definitely on my radar for the next time I throw a large party.

We followed up the outdoor celebration with our reservation for the main event.  We've eaten here several times before last night and each time we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  The restaurant is just beautiful!  There is a large and more informal bar area with seating, and a dining room with a mixture of banquettes and tables.  There is a large, high communal table that sits toward the front and looks to be a great place to share a meal as you meet new people.

Our meal was exquisite.  The menu is French- inspired but not haughty.  This time we started with the touted goat cheese appetizer and it was all that it was billed to be and we left not one lick of it behind.  The roasted red pepper sauce over fine chevre and fresh baguette was spot on for anyone who loves goat cheese as much as we do.  It was difficult to decide what to order....having LOVED the baked chicken on a past visit it was hard to venture off and try something new for fear it wouldn't live up.  I finally decided to branch off to the Oso Bucco and I was not disappointed. The pork was falling off the bone and the jus abundantly flavorful with spot on sides of broccolini and mashed potatoes.  My husband had the salmon which was prepared perfectly and very flavorful and the camargue rice (which we'd never had before) is a must try for it's nutty, earthy quality.

We were pleasantly stuffed as we have been on past visits so we have yet to try the desserts.  The one I'm dying to try is the duck egg creme brulee--I've heard good things.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the expansive and impressive wine list.  Having traveled several wine regions we find it challenging to find some of our favorite lesser known wines in our area.  You will not have an issue finding new and special wines to try and to compliment your dinner each time.

We spent the last minutes of our grand opening experience in the bar, where we listened to live music and met a die-hard fan of Chef Wayne who was a loyal disciple to his cuisine.  He regaled us of stories we didn't know about the chef and it was a perfect way to finish the night.  

If you haven't yet been to 827 Ray's get moving before greater Austin gets wind of this new treasure and tables become impossible to get!