Round the Table

By Eric O'Keefe

Executive Chef and Owner Charles Mayes creates an exotic diversity

In the early '80s, Sixth Street in Austin was the place to be.

A decade and a half later, the action is shifting to the West End of town. "Unlike Sixth Street or the Warehouse District, the West End is truly a neighborhood, built around a part of old Austin known as Clarksville," says Charles Mayes, chef at Cafe Josie. "It's nice to know that on any given night a good percentage of my patrons actually walked from their homes or apartments to join us for dinner and drinks."

Guests at Cafe Josie enter from a trellised patio into the simple, elegant dining area. While icy blue hues highlight both the patio and the bar, the dominant feature of the sage-colored interior is the single-sloped ceiling, which rises to 15 feet. High windows allow warm northern light during the afternoon, and the nine-foot antique oak double doors which lead to the patio are open more often than not.

Mayes refers to his unique style as "Cuisine of the American Tropics." "Most of the foods I find myself using come from that wide belt of countries and cuisines which circle the globe along the Equator," says Mayes. "This allows me to incorporate an enormous diversity of tastes, colors, and ideas, and also keeps the menu fresh and current."

Mayes's menu amply demonstrates this diverse blending. Our table started with the Seared Yellowfish Tuna and Seven Spice Won Ton Chips with wasabi, ginger tamarind, and passion fruit essence, the Grilled Pistachio Goat Cheese with pesto, mojo picado, and bruschetta, and the Cajun Spiced Calamari with chipotle aioli. Certainly eclectic, the artful presentation mirrored the care that was evident in the preparation, particularly with the tuna.

The entree selection was equally imaginative. Our table ordered Mesquite Grilled Jerk Pork Tenderloin with spiced rum glaze and garlic new potatoes with fresh vegetables, Grilled Pepita Crust Redfish with mango habanero butter on saffron rice with black beans, and Fettucini Margarita tossed in an alfredo with grilled corn salsa and finished with pesto.

Clearly the fabulous food was expected. One aspect that did come as a welcome surprise was the wine cellar at Cafe Josie, which showed a surprising balance of sophistication and moderate prices. A King Estate Pinot Noir, a Niebaum-Coppola Rubicon, and a '93 Silver Oak Cabernet were served during dinner. Prices ranged from less than $20 to over $100, with most bottles in the $25 to $60 range.

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