The harmony of brewing and cuisine found a new expression this week when the Brewer’s Table opened at 4715 E. Fifth St. in East Austin.
The restaurant founded by longtime beer veteran Jake Maddux focuses equally on food and craft brewing, exploring the duo’s essential similarities and the ways in which wood influences both. The food menu also takes inspiration from different beer regions around the world and uses ingredients from the brewing process in the cooking.
Venison tartare at the Brewer’s Table. (Contributed by Logan Crable)
The seasonal menu from executive chef Zach Hunter, formerly of Southern restaurant Fixe, features dishes like venison tartare with toasted Sonoran wheat and toasted brewer’s yeast, malt-poached grouper, a grain bowl with malt-soaked hen egg, and chicken paprikash with beer grain spaetzle. In keeping with the wood-centric theme, the kitchen cooks meat and vegetables with a 7-foot custom wood-fired grill
“Beer and food not only go well together, they’re the same thing. The same processes apply in a kitchen and in a brewery. The layering of flavors, colors and aromas permeates both crafts, and together they form a harmonious interplay of ingredients and methods,” Maddux said. “The Brewer’s Table is on a mission to show how a chef and a brewer are kindred spirits, and through that we maximize collaboration and minimize waste.”
The Brewer’s Table in East Austin opens April 19. Contributed by Robert J. Lerma
Drew Durish serves as Brewer’s Table head brewer, overseeing a roster of six signature wood-fermented beers that will be available in late May.
The restaurant, colored with warm wood and steel and illuminated with stringed bulbs, is located in a 1950s quonset hut and was designed by Austin-based Design Hound; it also features a beer garden designed by local landscape designers Big Red Sun.
The Brewer’s Table is open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.