Il Brutto Italian Restaurant in Austin, Texas has captivated the hearts of the city's Italian food lovers. From its authentic hand crafted pastas to its homemade gelato, Il Brutto provides an unforgettable dining experience. Its contemporary atmosphere takes you through an Italian culinary journey while sitting in the heart of Texas. Located on 1601 East 6th Street, the restaurant offers indoor dining, patio lounging, or bar seating.
As someone that enjoys Italian food and eats this cuisine almost every night, I can say that this restaurant blew my expectations as one of the best Italian foods I have ever eaten in the United States. I commend its excellent service; not one moment passed without being checked on by a staff member. I lucky stumbled upon this restaurant on Google while I searched "Italian food in Austin, Texas." After being told by other Italian restaurants that made Google's list that their restaurant was at full capacity for the night, I called Il Brutto hoping they could make space for a table for three. Quickly I was told, "I have a table open at 8:15, see you then!" It was by mere coincidence that we dined there that night.
We were warmly greeted and seated at this bustling restaurant. I started the night off with a classic house cocktail: Il Brutto Spritz, made with Aperol, prosecco, Topo Chico, and an orange slice. The Topo Chico made all the difference, balancing the strong bitter flavor of the Aperol with the sweet bubbles of the prosecco.
Il Brutto's dinner menu offers antipasti, pizzas, pastas, entrees, and desserts. While we couldn't order everything on the menu, I decided to order a pizza napoletana with burrata, and my mother asked for the roasted beets all to share. The pizza, cooked in a wood fire oven, with its fresh dough, light tomato sauce and fresh burrata brought me back to Naples. The roasted beets salad, a blend of beautiful colors and ingredients that complemented each other, reflect Italy's cooking philosophy: make food with fresh and simple ingredients. For dinner, we ordered three different types of pasta, all made in house: gnocchi con suggo di pomodoro, pappardelle al ragù, and squid ink tagliolini with clams and mussels. All sauces were fresh and paired well with each pasta. Most importantly was the consistency of the hand made pastas. In my opinion, to serve an excellent dish of pasta, the pasta must be cooked perfectly “al dente.” This Italian expression means “to the tooth,” and is used to describe the best way to cook, serve, and enjoy pasta. Although it may seem easy for one to cook pasta, it takes practice and care to know exactly when to take out the pasta from the boiling water because one second too late and the pasta is no longer al dente! I was impressed with Il Brutto’s ability to serve not just one, but all of their pastas perfectly al dente.
After dinner, I asked to meet the chef, Erind Halilaj, a native of Albania and raised in Italy. After chatting about his wonderful menu, he sent over homemade limoncello and a gelato tasting: dark chocolate, hazelnut, and pecorino (yes, the cheese)!
I have nothing but compliments for my dining experience with Il Brutto. Next time you find yourself in Austin, visit this authentic Italian restaurant that offers Italian food from the country's fresh southern cuisine to the country's rich northern flavors!
Roasted beets salad and burrata pizza (stilo napoletano) #antipasto
dark chocolate, hazelnut, and pecorino #gelato
"fatto a mano con love" -Il Brutto
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