When Atmosphere and Food Converge, Look for the Star

As you walk around the warehouse district of downtown Austin, the majority of the establishments: bars, clubs, and restaurants have a tendency to be uber-intense with bright, eye-catching signs and loud bass-thumping house music. But as you walk up Colorado Street, at the corner of 4th, a very unassuming downtown haunt awaits patrons looking for a hearty meal and a downtown time.
Starlite, whose location changed from a cozy 34th Street hideout to a downtown staple, offers a wide selection of food and drinks. It also provides a multi-layer atmosphere that most downtown hangouts lack. When you first walk in, you are met with a wood-finished bar and mellow beats chosen by the bartender. (The music ranges anywhere from Rat A Tat to Elton John). If drinks are not on your mind, there is an eclectically decorated dining room where restaurant goers can enjoy a scrumptious meal for a moderate downtown price. If the main dining room is not intimate enough for the casual diner, there is a private dining area that can accommodate a couple or a party of twenty-five. Finally, if three choices cannot satisfy, there is an upstairs lounge with a bar, leather couches and chairs, and more seating for food.
A close friend of mine celebrated her birthday a few weeks back but due to school and work, I was unable to make it to her birthday shindig. Feeling guilty about this, I offered to take her out for drinks when we both had the time. She grudgingly accepted.
So when the time came around, I suggested we go to Starlite for their happy hour (4-7 pm on weekdays) and she politely accepted my offer. After our experience, she told me she was delighted that I had suggested Starlite, because I had taken a mutual friend of ours their earlier this year (for the exact same reason). We got to the bar and started off with cocktails: she ordered a Starlite Highball (Bombay Sapphire, Soda, Seven and Bitters) which I neglected to try while I went with the New York Ginger (Makers Mark, Sweet Vermouth, Bitters and Ginger Ale). The New York Ginger balanced sweet and bitter to perfection.
After a cocktail or two, we decided some few might be a good idea. Being a veteran to Starlite, my friend kept pressing me into making the menu decisions which I reluctantly accepted. We started off with their signature salad, warm spinach beneath a base of roasted Yukon potatoes, topped with cambozola cheese and a warm bacon vinaigrette. We followed this wonderfully rounded salad with a delectable wild mushroom and black truffle risotto. The creamy texture of the risotto was only topped by the balance struck between the earthy mushrooms and the sweetness of the fennel. We finished the occasion with a roasted organic chicken half, encrusted with rosemary and thyme and marinated in olive oil, on top of red bliss potatoes and gorgonzola grits. We accompanied this with a rich bottle of ’04 Domaine Montpertius from the Rhone region of France.
The combination of a laid back atmosphere and knock-out food left us wanting more. Luckily for us, executive chef Josh Hines updates his menus with the seasons, so that Starlite patrons never have a stagnant menu.