by Joey Stewart photos by Joey Stewart
A month ago we reported that Up On Knox has a new chef, Texas native Chef Wes Whitsell. Wes spent the last fifteen years in fine establishments in New York and LA, but restaurateur Stephan Courseau lured him back to his home state where he instituted a new menu and vision for the bustling hot spot.
Last night we had the opportunity to dine there, and the new dishes are exciting and full of fresh ideas. The menu still offers plenty of seafood, along with salads, pork, and beef, but Chef Wes now sources a large percentage of it from Texas suppliers.
“We really seek out those small family farms and try to support them,” Wes says.
Take a look at some of our favorites from the evening:
Grilled Avocado with house made crème fraiche, pomegranate seeds, cilantro and sea salt
Chef Wes uses his great grandmother’s recipe for his pickles, which are covered in mustard for three weeks.
House fermented and cider brined pickles, cauliflower, carrots, onions, turnips, radicchio and celery
There is no shortage of new salads, which will certainly please the groups of female diners we see each time we are there.
Grilled Little Gem Lettuces with buttermilk dressing, crispy capers and dill
Roasted Beet with house made house ricotta, honey, blood orange, pistachios, candied walnut, fennel and arugula
The beets are grown organically in Austin by Johnson’s Backyard Garden.
Tuscan Kale with lemon tahini dressing, pomegranate and avocado
A great option for vegan diners
Wes sources the pork from Chubby Dog Farm in East Texas. The pigs roam free in the piney woods on the 69-acre farm and are fed with non-GMO and non-soy feed with no hormones or antibiotics.
Tomahawk Pork Chop, fennel & paprika, lemon chili vinaigrette
Braised Pork Meatballs with San Marzano tomato sauce, parmesan and toast
Up on Knox still offers a full raw bar as well as many new seafood dishes.
Blackened Gulf Snapper with fermented daikon, beurre blanc and garlic greens
Wes’s goal at Up On Knox is to showcase his passion for food, utilizing local, seasonal ingredients from his home state, and overseeing the direction the restaurant is heading towards in terms of sustainability. “We’re representing the change we really want to see,” said Whitsell.
Up on Knox is located at 3230 Knox Street, Suite 140, the hours are 7am to 9pm Monday; 7am to 10pm Tuesday – Thursday; 7am – 11pm Friday; 9:30am – 3pm, 5:30 – 11pm Saturday; and 9:30am – 3pm, 5:30 – 9pm Sunday 469-250-4007
