Geraldine’s, the restaurant tucked inside Hotel Van Zandt, doesn’t really reach its peak until the low stage near the kitchen lights up. It’s as intimate as Rainey Street’s Blackheart, but instead of cramming up against 30 people, you’re sitting at a table having the best ceviche of your life. Though only open since November 2015, its 260 seats are destined for local ubiquity from singer-songwriters, pop acts, and who knows what during SXSW.
At this counter-service eatery located in the Austin Central Library, Chef Drew Curren of ELM Restaurant Group uses recipes from inspirational cookbooks, with a focus on the South and Mexico. The menus change seasonally and often incorporate local farm-to-table ingredients.