Far Out is a flexible place.  A patio, private tasting rooms and the main dining room are the different spaces available for rental or open to the public Tues through Sat evenings, with the bar open later than the kitchen.  The large Quonset hut that houses the main dining room was formerly Wriggly Tin but was re-opened this year by Caroline and James Lee promising a culinary adventure.  For their most recent menu they drafted James Beard nominated chef Misti Norris, of Petra and the Beast, to be in charge.  I’m anxious to get there and try her regular menu but this evening she was crafting a tasting to pair with drinks from the Andalusia Whiskey Co. out of Blanco, TX.  Ty Phelps, the lead brewer was on hand to introduce his liquors, straight and in cocktail form.  The large space had tables around the center bar with one end being glass looking out to the patio seating.  Lots of plants and other objects decorated the space and music was in the background.  Televisions were mounted on the wall opposite the glass one but sound was thankfully muted.  The whiskey was not my usual taste but the couple of cocktails were tasty however, as a rule I’d prefer wine with my meal.  That said. I won’t comment more on the drink but do encourage you to get down to this place and try some of Norris’s interesting and tasty cuisine.  I sure will.

Set-Up

Food

While they got the evening started a plate of snacks came to each table.  This included chicken liver mousse, cheese biscuits, pancetta, and peach sambal.  The liver was smooth and delightful, the biscuits exquisite, the pancetta savory and the sambal made a fun accompaniment for any of the above. It was a tasty set of snacks.

 

Texas corn custard, preserved peppers, pickled rock shrimp, pickled corn and ham crunch were combined in a bowl.  The ham was quite crispy but still retained flavor.  The shrimp were lovely and although called pickled seemed almost raw.   Bits of mint were on top that went well with the many flavors and textures.  This was a good one.

 

Curried cauliflower was in a jerk vinaigrette and topped with dry salsa matcha and curry emulsion.  Some Pimentón was in the seasoning that gave it a spiciness.  The cauliflower was cooked nicely and complemented the curry seasoning well.  This plate was to split and that was good because it was a lot of cauliflower.

 

Chilled mushroom egg noodles were in a roasted garlic broth and topped with raw Texas tri-tip, sour spring onion and buckwheat.  The beef was a nice dice so it chewed easily with the noodles.  The buckwheat added a crispy topping to the smoky broth and tender noodles.  Another good one.

 

Shoyu glazed chicken was plated with okra while rye berries and toasted pecans were in a separate bowl.  The half chicken was from a huge bird and all very moist.  It was one of those rare times when the white meat was better than the dark meat.  The browned skin added even more savory flavor as did some well caramelized onion pieces.  .  The okra was large but very tender and tasty.  The rye and berries pecans were a good side dish and a nice variation from potatoes or rice.  It had a lot of bite and was well seasoned.

 

Whipped chocolate,toasted shiitake textures and preserved blueberries were a layered dessert.  Some crisp cookies stood between lovely whipped chocolate which was dotted with blueberries.   There was a lot of goo in between the great crisp ‘walls’ but I liked it.  Not too sweet but sweet enough and fun textures to take it in with.