If you’ve been to Lutie’s in Central Austin, you know the setting is hard to beat. But now there’s something new happening in the kitchen, too.
This Foodie Friday, KVUE Daybreak visited Lutie’s at the Commodore Perry Estate off Red River Street to take at the new chef’s menu and the flavors he’s bringing to the table.
While the estate has been around since the 1920s, the restaurant itself is in its fifth year.
New executive Chef Jakub Czyszczon is bringing his own perspective to Lutie’s, inspired by his Polish heritage and childhood memories.
“I used to spend a lot of my summers in Poland. That’s kind of where my love of food came from,” he said. “I spent a lot of the time with my grandmother who had a farm. It kind of was the original farm to table and it just a great experience. From a young age, I knew I wanted to cook.”
That farm-to-table philosophy continues today at Lutie’s, where some ingredients are sourced steps from the kitchen.
“One of our octopus dishes has fig leaves in it, which are literally right outside the front door here. So we use as much as we can from the estate itself. And with the help of our landscaping team and the beautiful gardens that they planted,” Czyszczon said.
For starters, the restaurant has small plates like the gougère, which is a French pastry filled with apricot jam and topped with cheese.
For something heartier, Lutie’s offers entrees like the roasted chicken or dry-aged duck served with mole and sweet potatoes.
And don’t miss a new fan favorite: the crispy soft-boiled egg.
“It is then battered and fried and then we serve it with a really refreshing salad and you can add some Polish caviar to it if you like,” Czyszczon said.
While Czyszczon is adding his own touch to the menu, some Lutie’s favorites aren’t going anywhere. That includes the estate bread and the restaurant’s Kouign-amann ice cream, which is “A laminated pastry with caramelized sugar on the bottom,” according to Czyszczon. “We serve it for brunch in its larger format. And then we also put it in ice cream and add salted caramel.”
While the mansion off Red River Street is only for members and estate guests. Lutie’s is open to the public. The restaurant serves customers daily from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dining and Cooking