L'Oca d'Oro - Austin, Texas

Juan S. V.

Excelente experiencia, muy buena preparación de platillos y bebidas, y mucho mejor la atención. Gracias por tarde espléndida.

Owilson R.

Muy elegante

Penelope Y.

Stopped by L’Oca d’Oro for pasta while visiting Austin. The restaurant is cute, and the service was good, though a little rushed. We tried the sourdough focaccia, green corn panisse, rigatoni with broccoli, and mafaldine with guajillo butter. The focaccia and panisse were delicious! I was unsure about the mafaldine since it was vegan, but it turned out great. My partner liked the rigatoni, but it was a bit heavy for me. Overall, a nice spot, but not mind-blowing.

Rodrigo B. (. B. J.

Chef Fiore Tedesco's L'Oca d'Oro is an Italian neighborhood restaurant that celebrates the traditions of Italian cuisine but innovates in a surprising way with whimsical dishes and surprising combinations. Located in Austin Texas, Chef has painstakingly created a fixed and standard menu that provides folks an opportunity to try many dishes or follow a path along a curated trajectory Chef Fiore Tedesco has selected.

The fresh mozzarella and cima di rapa (w/ parmigiano & anchovy) are delightful and standard dishes as appetizers and carry that tradition; but it's the daring combinations like the beet cashew dip that open up your imagination. I was lucky to try several dishes when we dined and was surprised and in awe of many of the dishes including the spaghetti alla limone which was a very different take with its lime kosho & grana padano; airy and fresh, it resonated with everyone who tried it. Other standouts included the chicken milanesa marsala, the blue moon panna cotta, and the pistachio chocolate chip cookie.

Chef Tedesco's philosophy of creating everything in house is seen in the freshness and quality of the ingredients. Chef Tedesco has founded a memorable restaurant but more importantly has created a consistency that is hard to replicate. It's this constant commitment that drives not only the quality but the passion of L'Oca d'Oro.

Even more impressive is the philosophy of his restaurant; from L'Oca d'Oro's website:

"All of our dishes are prepared with sustainable, locally grown produce and meats--a reflection of a farm-to-table philosophy that extends to our handmade pasta, cheese, salumi, bread, vinegars and liqueurs. We care for our team members by including a 20% pre-tax service charge to guarantee a base wage of at least $17/hr, Direct Primary Care, PTO & low cost
counseling for our entire team. Since 2016, L'Oca has paid above the federal minimum wage, accompanied by benefits like healthcare and retirement plans. During crises, L'Oca prioritizes community health and social justice, collaborating with organizations like Good Work Austin, co-founded by L'Oca owners, and Lilith Fund, setting an example for culinary excellence and positive societal impact through unwavering dedication to quality and responsibility."

In 2018, Chef Fiore Tedesco spoke on behalf of restaurants before the City Council in defense of a paid sick leave ordinance. In 2019, he and his co owner the pair co-founded Good Work Austin to continue pushing for increased pay, better benefits, and now improved family practices. Thanks to those efforts, L'Oca D'Oro earned its reputation as a leader for redefining industry standards. At a panel discussion, he discussed the recent election and how so many folks within Good Work Austin now had a tension, unsure of what changes have come. Chef addressed this and his words were comforting to folks like myself who understand the challenges in the restaurant industry and the community who works in it, namely the hundred if not thousands he represents in Austin."

I very rarely straight up copy paste website info on a post but this summarizes Chef's goals with his restaurant. To have such a high standard for the ingredients, the staff, and the culture shows how wonderful L'Oca d'Oro.

John

The tasting menu was overall good. But not mind blowing. There were several dishes that were excellent. The starter course for the most part we're all very tasty with decent portion sizes. The meatballs off the a la carte menu were fantastic.

Main courses were solid but not amazing. The swordfish was dry, the spaghetti our group either loved or hated. Lasagna was great but a little heavy on cilantro. The chicken dish was well prepared.

Dessert was good. Cocktails were reasonably priced but heavily featured gin paired with other heavy florals.

For the price it's a good dining experience with good parking and pretty good service.

galuh A.

The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and you can tell right away that a lot of care goes into everything they do. The service was fantastic super friendly and knowledgeable staff who made great recommendations.

The food? Absolutely amazing. The handmade pasta was perfect, and you can really taste the freshness of the ingredients.

Brittany E.

My friend and I enjoyed a really lovely happy hour meal yesterday (8/28).

We sat at the bar where we had a front row few to the open kitchen which I really enjoyed. I'm a big fan of watching the kitchen staff work. The cooks working did a wonderful job and looked like they had great attention to detail as they prepared dishes.

The bartenders were very attentive throughout our entire meal as we ordered a few drinks and several dishes to split.

My friend had a few glasses of wine and I had the Orange Cream Soda with Tito's and Limoncello Spitzers. We were happy with all of our drinks.

For dinner, we split several items: Rosemary Sourdough Focaccia, Fresh Mozzarella, Zucchini Fries, Spaghetti alla Nerano, and Pappardelle. We ate every single bite and were impressed by the quality of the meal. You can tell the pastas were made fresh and were cooked perfectly. The beef shoulder in the Pappardelle was tender and insanely flavorful. The focaccia was crunchy and soft in all the right places. The mozzarella was super smooth and paired nicely with the onion jam and thinly sliced melon. I think my least favorite item was the zucchini fries only because the zucchini got kind of flabby during the frying process. I think I would have liked them more if the zucchini was thicker cut to hold up better, but I still enjoyed them.

Overall, we had a wonderful experience and I look forward to returning.

Jonathan A.

We love this place and what they do: fair wages for the staff, local providers for the food, always changing menu that is always inventive and tasty. It’s not your spaghetti and meatballs kinda place (but the meatballs are amazing) so open mind is required. Wines are always thoughtfully selected and very affordable.