Jill McRae’s Birthday @ Justine’s

(Community Matters) Jill McRae and I have been the dearest of friends since 1985. I remember when she took over the Austin Children’s Cancer Center, I was totally enthralled and followed her around for months – heck still am and still do.

Her sons, Mark & Eran Gronquist, are like nephews and her husband, State District Court Judge Stephen Yelenosky, is also one of my best friends.

I doubt that there’s anyone in Austin who’s done as much for early childhood development as Jill – she’s taught it at ACC, founded the city’s commission on that issue, has raised tens of millions of dollars for the cause, and has incubated, managed, grown & merged several organizations. Last week was her birthday; last night, a few of us celebrated with dinner at Justine’s, dessert at our place.

Stephen Yelenosky & Jill McRae

Justine’s

I introduced Justine’s earlier today. Lots of buzz from the hipster community. It’s a new French bistro on E. 5th St, just east of Springdale. I read the Yelp reviews which are generally very good with the odd mention of too much salt and inconsistent, not always attentive service.

It’s very good – I recommend it. The ambiance alone is worth experiencing – deep east Austin (feels like early Deep Ellum), fancy smancy cocktails, good menu, good food and once night set in, an outdoor ambiance not unlike Spider House plus boules (French bocce ball, ie, using the smaller metallic balls).

Margo Weisz & Gregory Brooks

Margo organized the outing/celebration. by the way, she raves about the new Buenos Aires Cafe on E. 6th St. We’ve eaten at the one on S 1st but not 6th St, which is basically across the street from the East Austin Showroom and just around the corner from my EF office. Margo & Gregory just off feeding and entertaining (last night) 40 of Gregory’s UT engineering/architecture students.

Ingrid Johannsen between me & Steven

ha, UT law professor Mitch Berman snubbed us, instead attending some little league football game @ Memorial Stadium. We won nonetheless, joined by his better half, lawyer/artist Ingrid Johannsen. Right to call Ingrid a textile artist? She makes beautiful things from beautiful fabrics – sewing, knitting and otherwise creating. I regret I didn’t get a picture of the dolls Ingrid gave Jill last night. They are amazing & I’m betting will be quite a sensation if she markets them. Ingrid also edits a law journal and is raising their three, young kids.

We arrived early b/c of hearing the wait really builds. Dark when we left, and I noticed the great boules lawn with teams in play.

The food @ Justine’s – I thought it was good to very good. Starters: escargot (good), white asparagus with a sabayon sauce, a sweet, usually dessert sauce (very good), snapper with buerre blanc sauce & haricots verts (the snapper was cooked perfectly, the buerre blanc was good, the haricots verts exceptional). Others really liked their grilled pork chop with thyme reduction and the grilled scallops (the latter looked exceptional). The duck was too salty. The frites very good and too salty. The cocktails – super. Simple, unpretentious and modestly priced wine list, though we chose a Barbera off the specials.

back to the house for dessert, where Steven joined us (he’d worked late with students so I insisted he stay behind for a bit of quiet time & the gym. The guy works way too hard and has been a total social trooper with me the last two weeks.)

Happy Birthday, Jill