David Bull Storms Back into Austin at the Austonian

Now this is something to get excited about. One of my favorite chefs to have graced the river city is coming back. David Bull, who turned the Driskill from a mediocre hotel restaurant reduced to doing Mystery Dinner Nights to one of Austin’s top three restaurants in less than a year is slated to open two restaurants on the ground floor in the soon-to-open Austonian.

The two restaurants will be an upscale affair called Congress while the second store will be a casual dining operation entitled Second at Congress.

I was sorry to see Bush leave the Driskill after his six-year run. And his successor, former Chef de Cuisine Josh Watkins, also left, although after a much shorter tenure. Frankly, I don’t think the Driskill has matched up since the departure of both chefs. The place is still good, but lacks the absolute panache one could always count on with Bull and Watkins.

The key question though is can Austin absorb another fine-dining high-end restaurant downtown? Several have already come and gone and as talented as Bull is, there are no guarantees. Still, I would be disinclined to bet against him. This is the man who kicked the tar out of Bobby Flay on Iron Chef only to be jobbed by a rigged panel. You are never going to convince me that Bobby Flay could outdo bull on a Texas-inspired Wild Boar!

So I await the return of one the city’s most inspired chefs. If anyone can pull this off, and if anyone is in touch with the Austin palate, it is most definitely David Bull. Stay tuned for the announcement of an opening date.