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Raphael Brion

Critic — Austin restaurants, bars, breweries and trailers, scored on The Infatuation's ten-point scale.

Listed with the critics and writers in Austin.

Raphael Brion ran The Infatuation's Austin desk as its senior editor until 2024, after editorial jobs at Bon Appetit, Wirecutter and Eater National, where the site was shortlisted twice running for a James Beard Foundation journalism award. He cooked in Michelin-starred kitchens in New York before he wrote about anyone else's. His byline carries the Austin scores on House of Three Gorges at 9.2, Bufalina Due and Carnitas El Guero at 8.4, Sour Duck Market at 8.3, Kome and Tomodachi Sushi at 8.2, Hopfields at 8.0 and El Primo at 7.6, and he wrote the unscored pages for Austin Beerworks, Billy's on Burnet, Central Machine Works, CM Smokehouse and Easy Tiger at the Linc.

Their own reviews and picks.

Their own judgment, in their own words, by the piece it appeared in.

The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2025-04-17
- Bufalina PizzaEast Cesar Chavez
  “There are also devastatingly excellent handmade pastas that transform Bufalina from a mere pizza joint into a fully functioning Italian restaurant”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2025-04-17
- Nixta TaqueriaEast Austin
  “Here the beets are almost like a beef tartare, but the beets are roasted and not raw, and they're served with an avocado crema, fresh horseradish, and lime.”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2024-05-23
- Joe's Bakery & Coffee ShopEast Austin
  “The super-crispy bacon at Joe’s defies the laws of pork belly physics—either order it as a side or add it to your breakfast taco, where it’ll hang out on top like the tortilla is a hammock that’s too small.”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2024-04-17
- épicerieRosedale
  “The menu veers French by way of Louisiana, and our go-to is the shrimp po’boy, the gnocchi, or the quiche.”
The Infatuation ↗their review · 2024-01-30
- Matt's El RanchoSouth Lamar
  “There are countless imitators, but there can only be one Bob Armstrong Dip, and you will only find it at Matt's El Rancho.”
- Matt's El RanchoSouth Lamar
  “The food is not life-changing, but it's always better than it needs to be.”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2023-08-30
- El Naranjo - South LamarSouth Lamar
  “We're especially fans of the deep, rich, nutty mole negro that's served with the expertly seared duck breast”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2023-06-06
- Allday Pizza: TarrytownTarrytown
  “charred, crispy, hearty, well-done New York-style slices”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2023-04-13
- Julie's NoodlesNorth Austin
  “We're big fans of the soups here, especially the spicy beef suan tsai noodle soup with the pickled greens”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2022-05-16
- Tâm Deli & CafeNorth Lamar
  “They’re probably most well known for their bánh mì served on crisp yet doughy homemade baguette.”
The Infatuation ↗their review · 2022-05-04
- WatertradeSouth Congress
  “this is probably one of the very few places in the world where you can get caviar that comes with sansho-dusted Funyuns”
The Infatuation Austin ↗their review · 2022-03-16
- Vaquero Taquero - DowntownDowntown
  “their al pastor tacos off the trompo are excellent”

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