OnAustin.com

We had a fantastic dinner at Musashino last night with my former boss. We started out with a Spicy Spider Roll: Deep-fried soft shell crab, smelt caviar, and radish sprouts and also the Ozzy II Roll: Unagi, yellowtail, and avocado with sesame seeds and smelt caviar on the outside. The sauce that accompanied the Spicy Spider Roll was amazing. I had unfortunately singed my taste buds with a glass of J&B so I couldn’t quite tell what was in said sauce, but believe me, it was awesome.

Elise and Chic each ordered a Negihama: Yellowtail and scallions hand roll. We also ordered 5 or 6 a la carte pieces of sushi. I don’t remember all that was ordered but I do remember two of which were a special for the evening: a fatty tuna topped with a sliced Asian chili that can pack just as much a punch as a habanero.

I ordered a Sushi Deluxe Jo Nigiri: 7 pieces of sushi and 2 pieces of a futo maki, all of the chef’s choosing. I know I had a peice of Hamachi, fresh water Unagi and an obscure Hawaiian fish.

Everything was awesome – The best sushi I’ve ever eaten.

Hudson’s on the Bend is the penultimate “dinner” restaurant in Austin. If you’re looking for that “special place” to have a dinner date, look no further than Hudson’s.

With dishes like Diamond Back Rattlesnake Cakes or their Giant Rabbit Ravioli for apetizers, salads like the Ruby Red Grapefruit and Avocado Salad and Candied Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese atop Mixed Field Greens, you can’t go wrong. For the actual meal, you’ll find items like Venison Osso Buco, Chorizo stuffed Pork Tenderloin, or the Rack of Venison, and Cascabel & Espresso rubbed Smoked Elk Backstrap, or Pecan Smoked Duck Breast. The menu is seasonal, and always fresh, so go with an appetite and an exploratory attitude. Your palatte will be rewarded.

Jeffrey Harrison Blank, the chef and owner of Hudson’s is amazing, and, if you’re interested, he offers cooking lessons at his home. These lessons are truly a wonderful experience for any budding chef.

The waiter will know what wine you should order with your meal, so ask him or her. And don’t forget to order dessert. The dessert’s at Hudson’s are wonderously decadent.

(512) 266-1369 for reservations.

Search Google for more on Hudson’s on the Bend.

My wife reached the glowing age of 30 at this afternoon. To celebrate I took her out to dinner. Seeing how it was Ash Wednesday, our dining selections were limited. My wife said she wanted “Sushi, Italian or seafood”. I thought seafood sounded peachy so we went to Truluck’s.

After waiting for 20 minutes for a table, we were seated at a cozy booth adjacent to the on-display kitchen. Our waitress, Issa was prompt and very helpful in selecting wine, appetizers and entrees.

Issa returned after leaving us with a wine list and asked if we had come to a decision. I looked to Elise and said ‘What would you like, birthday girl?’

We decided on a nice bottle of woody Cabernet Sauvignon. I don’t recall the name and the website’s wine list isn’t up-to-date.

We forwent appetizers as we had some leftover cheese and crackers at the house earlier that evening.

For dinner Elise ordered the Seared Sesame-Crusted Tuna with Tamari wine sauce. I chose the Jalapeno Salmon Bearnaise with saut’ed jumbo lump crab meat and gulf shrimp. Elise’s tuna was fantasic – sashimi grade tuna that melts in your mouth! My salmon was good. Halfway through the meal I remembered that it was supposed to be topped with a jalapeno bearnaise. I didn’t taste nor feel any heat from jalapeno.

After our entrees Issa brought us a complimentary Chocolate Bomb – a giant double chocolate truffle drizzled with white chocolate topped with a birthday sparkler.