Emmer & Rye

is a new (to me) Austin restaurant that I visited tonight for the first time.  Its serving style is one I had not seen before:  a short printed menu that the chefs augment with carts of additional dishes, about ten a night, that waiters bring to your table.  As their site explains, the ever-changing dishes on the carts let the chefs prepare dishes that reflect exactly what is available from their source farmers each day.

We sampled several dishes from the main menu and quite a few of the small plates on the carts.  I enjoyed all of the dishes, with the lamb belly (from the menu) and pickled vegetables (off a cart) being my favorites.

No dish, though, gave me that magic "wow" moment in which you realize the chefs have created something wonderful, surprising, and still amazingly delicious.

For my taste, Emmer & Rye is a good restaurant and a fun place to eat, so I recommend it on those terms, but it is not at the level of the very best Austin has to offer.