Eden East Opens Eden West at Desert Door Distillery
The farm-focused restaurant moves to Desert Door Distillery with a revamped food truck, brand new menu and big plans
Big things are happening at Eden East. Helmed by Chef Sonya Coté and husband David Barrow, the celebrated farm-to-table restaurant has officially set into motion exciting plans to create two new culinary experiences for Austin diners.
It started in 2018 when Springdale Farm, the restaurant’s long-term home, was purchased by local developer Storybuilt with the intention of expanding the property into a mixed-use destination. Luckily, the effort also aims to preserve Eden East’s homegrown ideals.
Chef and owner of Eden East, Sonya Coté, photographed by Claire Schaper.“We have been collaborating with Storybuilt for the last two years about the Springdale property,” Coté says. “Our intention is to return to our original location with a micro farm, plus a brick and mortar farm stand restaurant constructed from the original farmhouse that currently sits on the property.”
The project will take around two years to complete, so in order to make room for bigger and better things to grow, the East Austin staple has packed up shop and headed west for a temporary stay at Desert Door Distillery in Driftwood for yet another enticing endeavor.
Opening the weekend of August 15th and 16th from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., the group will once again serve seasonal dishes out of their revamped food truck, aptly named Eden West. “We utilized the time we had while waiting on our new permit to give the trailer some major TLC that included a fresh paint, logo and interior updates,” says Coté.
Besides the cosmetic refresh, guests will be able to enjoy a new selection of thoughtfully crafted recipes that source from the nearby surroundings – meaning you can expect fun collaborations with the sotol masters at Desert Door.
Desert Door’s sotol is crafted from the Dasylirion plant found in West Texas.“We have been tasting and testing our opening menu over the last few months while also offering some of our greatest hits,” Coté explains, noting how the restaurant has adjusted to accommodate newly available flavors. “We incorporate byproduct of the sotol plant into some of our dishes such as Eden East’s signature Farm ‘BQ, which consists of slow-smoked Eden East Farm vegetables in sotol fiber, chèvre, molasses pecan romesco.”
Other tempting creations include Chilled Watermelon and Hot Quail Knots. And while the experience will no longer offer the option to BYOB, the on-site distillery is right there with its delicious cocktails that pair naturally with the summery bites.
Eden West’s Hot Quail Knots are made with blue corn crust, pickled mustard greens, carrot mole and fermented hot sauce.Beginning next week, the food truck will fully open for dinner on Thursdays, with extended hours from Friday through Sunday. That means even more opportunity to enjoy a cozy spot on the outdoor patio and to pop into neighboring Desert Door for a cool drink. You can also place your order online for farm freshness you can bring home.
Yep, we’re thinking the same thing: summer just got even better.