Austin Restaurant Guide

You know downtown Austin is firming up its identity as a neighborhood when a place like Blu Cafe pops up, a place where you can get a breakfast crepe and coffee on the patio in the morning while the dog walkers stroll by, or a sandwich and cappuccino alongside the stray construction worker for lunch, then bruschetta with a martini at night, when a jazz duo might set up in the corner while a group of 10 urban party people celebrates a birthday across the room. Blu Cafe is a three-in-one spot whose multiple identities can shift to fill in the weaker spots and step back to show off the strong spots. But the only way to find that out was to have breakfast, lunch and late dinner at Blu. There are worse ways to pass the day.