Poetry, Like Food, is Meant to be Shared.

Words Ben Haguewood | Photos Ashley Haguewood

Located in the base of The Frances Modern Inn on historic Eleventh Street, just east of downtown, the intimate space at Poeta provides a beautiful setting for a decadent, yet approachable, all day menu of comforting classics laced with modern twists.

The inspiration for the name and approach behind Poeta is to bring ingredients together in a dish just as a poet uses familiar words to “evoke, comfort, inspire, fulfill, provoke, ultimately adding meaning to our lives and nutrition to our souls.” The former poet laureate Ted Kooser remarked, “A poem is a record of discovery,” and at East Austin’s latest addition to Italian cuisine, Poeta, guests are guaranteed to discover a new combination of flavors, approaches, and ingredients shared straight from the heart of co-owners and co-chefs Krystal Craig and Ian Thurwachter. 

The menu features a combination of familiar classics and surprises. “Inspiration is drawn from the various regional cuisines Italy has to offer, and we wanted to provide that diverse look at Italian cooking as each region has its own specialties. Dishes we offer are based on the many classic options you’d find there,” notes Austin native Krystal, “but certainly through a more contemporary lens which is a normal creative liberty and mentality for many chefs.” Diners will find balance in every entree, shareable appetizer, and hand-shaken cocktail in an elegant atmosphere. 

Pictured Cocktail – Game of Wits, combining bittersweet averna, smoky mezcal, and egg white for a frothy, refreshing bite

“Chef Ian and I knew at one point that we wanted to open an all-day Italian place such as Poeta but hadn’t actually planned to bring that idea to fruition until we met the proprietors of The Frances Modern Inn; everything naturally aligned as a beautiful partnership from there,” says Krystal. And the concept had merits that merge with contemporary and eclectic Austin. “We consider Italian cuisine to be adaptable towards varying dietary considerations and individual palates of patrons as well, making it a great fit as an all-day provision, especially in a hotel and city central location. East Austin continues to be a vibrant area of the city which feels like a great connective centerpoint to be that accessible dining option for neighbors and visitors alike,” Krystal shares.

With the ideal setting established, Chefs Ian and Krystal set about aligning the dining experience with the neighborhood and context, which, at Poeta, all starts with quality ingredients and careful preparation. The all-day menu offers something no matter one’s mood: filling entrees like braised beef shoulder and crab cakes, to house-made pasta, gnocchi, and familiar, but elevated, salads and sandwiches. For example, to most lunch-goers, the term ‘Panini’ evokes a flat, hatch-marked sandwich one encounters at a fast-casual chain. At Poeta, you’ll find something much more inspired: housemade meatballs, grilled vegetables, or slow-braised beef, nestled inside fresh bread, smothered in a sauce, and lightly broiled to melt the artisan cheese on top. 

For breakfast, egg-centric dishes such as an Italian-inspired Eggs Benedict that swap ham and hollandaise for prosciutto and bearnaise, or the standout Arancini – lightly breaded and flash-fried risotto balls in tomato butter topped with poached eggs – will satisfy any craving. 

Guests are guaranteed to find themselves going back and forth for a rendezvous, because the versatile flavors offered at Poeta will fit the occasion any time of day.