Apt 115 is such a surprising, imaginative, and wonderful place that halfway through my dinner, I had two thoughts; I need to come back very soon, and should I really tell anybody about this place? But like Austin’s growth over the last couple of decades, people will inevitably beat a path to a great thing.
The original bar, located on the ground floor of the ‘7East’ apartment building, was the brainchild of Joe Pannenbacker, who, according to some of the waitstaff, loves travel (“he’s in Sweden just now”), music, (he plays guitar and bass,) and knickknacks. That interesting combination yielded the cozy space filled with old books, chachkies, and stacks of vinyl records that just happens to be a pretty cool wine bar.
In 2018, Joe’s vision for Apt 115 centered around what the bar now calls “low intervention wines.” They were on the early wave of biodynamic and organic wines. Eventually, they found that focusing on small, quality producers fit the bill better than some concepts with looser definitions. The wine list is now over 400 offerings from all over the world. The initial food offerings were charcuterie boards that changed often and paired well with their curated wine list.
About six months ago, a beautiful thing happened. Joe partnered with Chef Charles Zhou, who had been sous chef at José Andrés’s two Michelin star, Minibar in Washington D.C. In our brief chat, Chef Zhou told me that he wants to bring some Michelin style to Austin.
Like Minibar’s intimate 12-seat concept, Apt 115 seats only 22 diners, with a few extras on the side-walk patio. The shocking thing is that Chef Zhou manages a tremendous amount of magic with just a couple of induction plates and a few other gadgets in one corner of the bar. He’s also a one-man show, cooking and plating all the beautiful surprises without kitchen staff.
My first introduction to Apt 115 had been a few weeks ago for late-night drinks with my friend Sammy who owns the popular Wanderlust Wine Bar downtown. I was impressed that we could get in on a Friday, as reservations are usually tight on weekends. Though already full of dinner, I couldn’t help ordering a few of the great-sounding small plates. A crazy-good piece of Tilefish in beurre blanc and a strawberry and elderflower dessert assured that I was coming back for the full tasting.
Saturday evening rolled around, and a friend and I were set for the full ten-course tasting menu. (13+ items) We also opted for the fifty-dollar ‘daily wine pairings’ with dinner, which were excellent. (For a hundred dollars per person, a bespoke list of wines can be had with the tasting menu.)
The first bottle to our table was a Loimer, Extra brut from Niederosterreich Austria. The color was a medium gold with very tiny bubbles and had a bright, tasty acidity.
Our first of many surprises was a very convincing log with natural moss and a few flat rocks. Atop each was our course of Summer Vegetables. These included Shishito peppers filled with a crab roe mousse, tiny candied carrots with a toasted hay and honey sauce, and a mild onion-flavored rosette outlined with an herb cream. Each item seemed like a little present.
Our next wine was the Sybille Kuntz, Qualitatswein, Mosel Riesling. Though relatively mild, the aroma still featured the Riesling signature hint of diesel. (Happily, this was a hint and not a boxing glove.)
The following dish, Smoked Trout Roe, threw us for a loop. The small bowl had a mound of icy melon-flavored granitas and was topped with brilliant coral-colored roe. The dish was so flavorful that I poured the last few drops of liquid onto my spoon to finish.
The next course was served in a giant scallop shell. Very fresh Scallop Crudo was drizzled with a bright yellow passion fruit sauce with just a bit of heat. The whole was topped with tiny tomatoes and a few microgreens. The blend was perfect with the cold Riesling.
The third wine, the Domaine de L’Abbaye, Clos Beylesse Rosé, came in an eye-catching cobalt blue bottle which the winery explicitly chose to protect the delicate wine from UV rays.
Its first partner was a very photogenic ‘crown of Zucchini’ filled with deviled egg and accented with small pumpkin pips. The rosé had huge floral aromas finishing in herb notes that worked well with the egg and mustard.
The Sablefish served next flaked in the most perfect way allowing every piece to be coated in a bisque-like Lobster Butter.
The Vigne Del Malina Pinot Grigio served with the subsequent two courses; I liked so much that I bought a bottle to take home. Due to extended skin contact, the wine has a deep tawny-port color. It has some mild oxidative qualities, very typical for this maker but unusual for a Pinot Grigio.
The unique flavor in the wine made perfect sense with the following two dishes.
What was brought to the table looked to be lovely meat/pork lettuce wraps. It turned out to be made entirely of Lion’s Mane Mushrooms. The illusion continued with a stack of lettuce leaves and the standard condiments of ssamjang paste, shaved carrot, and cucumber. The dish was delicious but a bit disorienting as everything about it suggested it was something else.
(It reminded me of a long-gone restaurant in Washington D.C. that had an entire menu of items that were designed to “trick the eye.”)
As soon as we were comfortable with the somewhat familiar, a pair of twig nests with an egg was brought to the table. The ceramic eggs were filled with warm, Truffled Custard and topped with very finely shaved parmesan. A tiny silver spoon allowed access to the custard, and the truffles sang with the coppery Pinot Grigio.
For meat lovers, the Wagyu Short Rib served next was very satisfying. The meat was tender, and the sauce had a very pure beef flavor. The simple corn side was like a riff on American food in the best possible way.
The beef was served with a Railsback Freres, Roman Ceremony Cabernet. Luckily the cab was light enough not to fight the fantastic meat.
The last dishes were dessert and then a special present.
An outstanding Ercole Piedmont Moscato was paired with the Strawberry & Cream as the first dessert. (The same dish I had the week before.) Like everything else, one of the strawberries turned out to be made of a strawberry and elderflower sorbet.
By any stretch, the cleverest surprise of the meal was “cereal and milk.” Chef Zhou made cereal flakes of sweet potato served in a small cereal box (complete with a prize). A small bowl allowed the flakes to be topped with flavored milk. The prize, it turned out, was integral to the last surprise served in a box. Though the courses will undoubtedly change, I’ll leave the final surprise a secret.
About a day after his trip, I had the pleasure of sitting with Joe for a glass of wine surrounded by a few folks comfortable enough to sit crossed-legged on the long sofa-like bench on one side of the room.
We talked about wine, travel, Austin and I felt that his initial dream of a comfortable wine bar was, beyond a doubt, a reality. He seemed pretty happy that it now has fantastic food.
Apt 115 is on east 7th Street. Parking is available in the lower level of the garage just to the right of the restaurant. À la carte and Chef’s tasting menu available WED-SUN. Wine Bar available 7 days a week.
By Richard Arebalo
OTL Features Editor