Making the Grade

Tournedos Rossini at Ventana (Photo By John Anderson)

Bleu River Grille

Tuesday-Saturday, 6-9:30am, 11am-3:30pm, 5-8pm
Located next to the IBM campus in North Austin, the Bleu River Grille might just be the best place in town to spy on computer geeks or, alternately, to gawk at the culinary students themselves. The Bleu River Grille is not only staffed by students, it is also patronized by them. Part coffee shop, part sandwich shop, this stylish little orange-and-green cafe is the casual-dining arm of the Texas Culinary School's new on-site training program. But unlike the more formal Ventana, which was designed primarily for public patronage, Bleu River Grille was envisioned to serve the students; and consequently it coolly bustles during most of the business day with young chefs-in-training.

The food at Bleu River Grille is homey and unpretentious. Chef instructors Lloyd Banks and Talyon Lange manage the kitchen and the students, encouraging their trainees to come up with specials that reflect their personal experience in the kitchen. Veal Parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, turkey tetrazini, and chicken cordon bleu are just a few of the specials that have sprung from the repertoires of TCA's enthusiastic student chefs. A regular list of sandwiches, tacos, soups, and salads buttresses the menu board.

Is the food any good? Honestly, it's hard to judge. My own experience there has been mixed. I have eaten an excellent Reuben sandwich -- laden with thick slices of corned beef, crunchy sauerkraut, and the classic Thousand Island dressing, all spilling out of crisp grilled rye. I adore the fresh focaccia bread that they bake at the cafe daily. And I was impressed by a thick hamburger, served on an onion roll, ordered medium rare, and grilled to just the right temperature. The servings are abundant. All grilled sandwiches come with fries, all other sandwiches with chips.

I must admit, though, that I was not as enamored of the tuna-salad sandwich, which was too runny for my taste, and their oriental chicken wrap definitely needed a dose of salt to give it a little more character. I sampled a black-forest cake, iced with a lovely light whipped cream and candied cherries. However, the cake itself was decidedly dry. Most importantly though, the staff shorted one of my to-go orders and charged me anyway. When it comes to details, this particular kitchen could still use a little more training.

But then again, in six weeks it could all change, depending on who's working in it. And the potential is there for the Bleu River Grille to be a wonderful snack shop. The atmosphere is relaxed, the menu comfortably familiar; all the ingredients are excellent, and the prices are certainly below the average for food of this sort. The Bleu River is worth a visit, and while you're there, tour the TCA state-of-the-art training facility. With digs like this, it's no wonder the TCA is making a strong impression on Austin's culinary community.