The Hollow

Reviews 3

PA

Patricia Schmits

My husband and I visited The Hollow on February 7, 2017. At 3:55pm John wanted to start over to the restaurant. He was unsteady and I thought about putting the gait belt that I now kept in my purse at all times on him, but he poo pooed it saying that he was fine. When we got to the door, it said that the restaurant didn’t open until 4:30pm. That was another half hour. “Let’s go John,” I pleaded. “There are other restaurants!” But John again wouldn’t have any of it! He kept pushing that walker right over to another bench. I had to laugh. I sat down with him and we waited for the restaurant to open. At about 4:20pm John went down to the restaurant to “try” the door. It wasn’t open yet but as he predicted when the people inside saw him standing there with his walker they came and unlocked the door and seated us. John loves a restaurant with white linen table cloths and matching napkins as well as good food. The Hollow certainly does not disappoint. When the waiter came to tell us the specials, John told him how we had discovered the restaurant on their third anniversary. He told the waiter about the chef’s choice meal with paired wine that we had and how wonderful that had been. A few minutes later, our waiter reappeared and told us that the chef would do that meal for us again that night if we wanted. It would be a six course meal with wine pairing with each course. John handed the waiter back his menu and said yes we will do that meal! To say that meal was incredible is such an understatement. Each course, each wine was better than the last. The food was plated with such artistry that you had to stop and enjoy the art of food before you enjoyed the taste. Every bite was savored and enjoyed. Music played softly though the meal, beautiful music and all instrumental; there wasn’t a single sense of ours that wasn’t being heightened and delighted! And when the meal was over and we barely had room to breathe, John asked for the dessert menu! John and I shared a dessert, had one more glass of wine and then, rather reluctantly, headed to our car. This meal had been simply the very best, most extravagant meal that I had ever had in my life. I helped John to the car and folded up his walker and put it in the backseat. As we drove home we laughed and talked about the meal, we talked about our families and we talked about how much we loved each other. When silence finally fell between us, it was broken by John. He said, “Honey, if I have to go, I really have to go, this is how I want to go, with good food, good wine, good music and my beautiful wife!” Life does not get any better than that moment. The next evening John was in the hospital, by Saturday he was gone. To all of you who work at The Hollow, thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my husband leave this earth on such a wonderful note! I will be forever grateful!

MA

Maggie Starks

We just left this gorgeous restaurant after my husbands birthday dinner and we are both moved to immediately write a review. We arrived half an hour before our reservation but were accommodated immediately. After a scant few minutes perusing the menu, our server Tyler approached and was charming, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the restaurant and its background. He also was able to direct us toward menu options that appealed to us. However, when I mentioned reading a review for a chefs choice tasting menu, he perked up and offered to ask if the chef was able to offer us that option this evening. Thankfully (!) he was! We also opted into the wine pairings for each course which we thought were offered for a very fair price. Before our food arrived, we had delicious fresh bread dipped in olive oil, and the chef sent out a plate of fruit to snack on. The sommelier came over to introduce himself and ask us about our drink preferences to customize our pairings. First course: watermelon gazpacho. This pretty little dish was served with tomato oil in a frozen watermelon shot glass, and paired with a cocktail - tequila based for me, gin based for my husband. Absolutely delicious! The drinks were very refreshing. Second course: a tomato tart with goat cheese, basil, fresh tomato, herbs, and balsamic vinegar. It was the worlds classiest pizza (Im sorry Jacob for reducing your lovely dish to pizza but it is part of why we loved it!). Paired with a white pinot noir that was absolutely perfect. I will definitely order this combination again. Third course: seared scallops served in a delicious tomato and herb sauce with a house made crouton. Paired with a dry rosé. This was my husbands favorite dish of the night! Fourth course: a braised pork dish with a little salad of chickpea, pickled vegetables, and peaches. Paired with a cabernet sauvignon that my husband is raving about now during our drive home. Fifth course: half duck confit with figs, tomatoes, herbs, and some kind of grain or pasta - maybe couscous? Paired with a dark, peppery syrah. We couldnt finish it and had it boxed up to bring home! Sixth course: a goats milk cheese cake with figs and honey and a pecan praline tuile. Im mot a big fan of goat milk but I am torn between this and the tomato tart for my favorite dish of the night, surprisingly! We drank a perfect wine pairing with this - a sweet white wine from Hungary that tasted like honey. Our server and the chefs were attentive and the courses were well timed. The sommelier was very dashing and clearly well educated. It was so lovely to watch him find the perfect pairing for each course and delight in our enjoyment. I cannot stress enough how pleased we are with this evening. Thank you so much to Chef Jacob and his marvelous staff for their enormously successful efforts! We will definitely return.

CO

Constance Cleaves

I eat at the Hollow once every couple of months, and each time makes me wonder why I waited so long to return. I used to have to drive into Austin to get the kind of experience the Hollow provides, and even in Austin, the Hollows level of quality is hard to find. The dishes are complex, but the ingredients are still identifiable for what they are, even as they combine to become much more than the sum of their parts. And the drink pairings by the new sommalier Jacob make the whole experience even better. He is passionate not only about wine but also about food, and it shows. I have read the few negative reviews, and all I can say is that feeling uncomfortable because you are unfamiliar with certain foods or descriptions does not mean that the restaurant is pretentious. The servers and other staff are helpful and approachable. I have never been to a restaurant of this quality that was also so welcoming. They remember you and treat you like a friend. Sure, this restaurant may not be for everyone. If you want giant portions of overly-salted food on the cheap, this is not your place. If you want the same food every other expensive restaurant serves, this place isnt for you. But if what you want is something interesting, fresh, thoughtful, and different every time you visit, give the Hollow a try. Even if you dont want to commit to an entire meal, you can sit in the lounge or at the bar and order something small.