Holiday
The ricotta cavatelli arrives al dente in a shallow pool of parmesan broth with blistered tomatoes, and the Spanish anchovies come with preserved lemon salsa verde and cultured butter.1
Why go
Erin Ashford, John DiCicco and Peter Klein are Olamaie veterans. They opened this East 7th bar on 24 March 2023. DiCicco also co-owns Kinda Tropical.2 The food is small European plates that have spent time in Texas. A cheese plate with tomatillo jam, mussels steamed in Lone Star, mixed nuts dressed in rosemary and Emeril's Essence.1 A whole section of the drink list is martinis, about half a dozen, from a semi-dry freezer build to a lychee version made with honeysuckle vodka. The rest is riffs on classics, including a Jungle Bird named for the grackle.1
Order this / avoid
- Order the ricotta cavatelli. It is the one plate Nicolai McCrary calls excellent, and it is the only thing on the menu near entree size.1
- Also: the Spanish anchovies with cultured butter and baguette, and the chips with cashew onion dip.1
- Drink the 87 Club, the freezer martini, which McCrary reads as silky and not bone dry.1
- Avoid: the Lone Star mussels. The portion is small, and McCrary's own advice is to leave them for a second or third visit.1
What locals & experts say
- Nicolai McCrary rated it 8.1 for The Infatuation, page-dated 26 July 2023 and scoped to the 5020 E 7th room. On the cavatelli:
Cooked to a perfect al dente, the pasta is served swimming in a shallow pool of parmesan broth with blistered tomatoes.
On the anchovies, he calls the dressed fish great and says they would be better still with the baguette toasted.1
Good to know
- The room: a bright dining space, and then about ninety percent of the place outdoors, on a lot that was probably a gas station once.1
- Hours: I haven't found published hours, so check before a trip.
- Hygiene: Austin Public Health scored the kitchen 99 on 11 July 2025, on a scale where 70 is the failing line. That is the only inspection on file for this door, so it is one good reading and not a trajectory.3
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Eater, new 2023"
Verdict
should-visit — Walk in and sit outside. Order a martini before you look at the food. Go in spring or fall.