Embracing your roots is a philosophy that Austin is die hard about. It’s an idea that The Highball also subscribes to, perhaps none more so than Trish Eichelberger, our executive chef who has worked to offer patrons a trip back to the days of the classic American diner. Like the town, it’s important to understand Eichelberger’s history to understand where she and The Highball are headed.

“Prior to taking the helm of the Highball kitchen, I worked with the Alamo for almost six years.” said Eichelberger. “Before that, I worked with chef John Bullington at a restaurant called Mars. I got hired as a grill cook there and worked my way up to pastry chef and then sous chef. Prior to that, I had worked around food my whole life. Starting around fifteen, I started working in Houston and was exposed to a lot of food from all over the world. I worked with these wonderful Lebanese women who got me turned on to all of this stuff. That’s kind of where it started.

Trish’s journey continued in Austin, Texas, where she developed a deeper passion for the culinary experience.

I moved to Austin and worked at a couple of different places here like the 34th Street Cafe. I even worked at a bakery inside Schlotzky’s for a while and that was a huge turning point because I got to deliver bread to a lot of restaurants in town. That’s when I started meeting a lot of chefs and realized that was where I wanted to be, the back of the house. I’ve worked at all three Alamo Drafthouses that Tim and Karrie League own. I started out as John Bullington’s assistant, moved up to the executive chef position at The Village and had the opportunity to work at The Ritz. When The Highball came along, Tim and Karrie offered this position to me and I couldn’t pass it up.”

The position has offered Trish a chance to take her love of local foods and extend it into The Highball community.

“Being able for the first time in my life to write a menu from the ground up is one of the things that has stood out to me about working here.  I’m not going to say it’s exactly as I want it to be or that I don’t have some regrets [about the menu],” Eichelberger explained. “There are some things that we will definitely be changing. But working for the first time with local farmers and getting to go to Boggy Creek Farms, I talk to Larry and Carol Anne about fresh produce. I’m using it for a restaurant and not just for my home anymore. I’ve been going there for ten years and it’s really awesome to actually buy something with the knowledge that it’s not just for me. I get to pass it on.

Signature entrees like the Dewberry Hills Farm Fried Chicken and Loncito’s Lamb Tips and Rice are just two examples of how Trish uses a locally grown product to create a delicious diner dish.

Eichelberger said, “Dewberry Hills out in Lexington, Texas  actually had to drop accounts because my demand is so high for their chicken. That’s an honor and exciting. I have to guarantee that I get a certain amount from them a week, and they specifically grow them to our specifications. They weigh less than three pounds, which is a perfect size for frying, unlike the ones you see at the supermarket that are huge.

I also work with Loncino Cartwright of Loncito’s Lambs in Deniro, Texas, we have pretty much bought him out completely of the lamb tips we use for the stew, so something is going to have to change with that. I’ve got two more months worth of lamb from him, so I told him he needs to give the lambs whatever they need to feel sexy about each other. That to me is something that is exciting. It’s one thing to look at a huge order guide from the food service people, but it’s another to be able to actually talk to these farmers and to go see where this food is actually coming from. It’s so cool to come full circle.”

The Highball has taken the old school dining philosophy aesthetically as well, having their chefs work behind the counter in an open kitchen. The result is mutually beneficial, offering patrons a look behind the scenes while the cooks get to see  people enjoy the dining experience.

“The fact that we have an exposed kitchen further seals the deal,” said Eichelberger. ” I’m not only going to the farm to see where the food comes from. I get to watch the customers actually eat the food. It’s a cool thing.”

Eichelberger was excited about the prospect of future additions to the menu, saying, ‘I just got in three cases of strip steak this week. We’re going to try and do a strip steak special, a New York Strip, for this weekend. We will do a blue cheese and a bourbon caramelized shallot to keep with the booze theme. I’m excited about doing a steak. It adds something more high end. It seems like we have to have a steak. If you have martinis, then you have to have steak. I think it will be a big hit. We will probably do more fish also, which is only currently featured on Fridays. I am getting some fish from Roberto San Miguel, who you can find at the Downtown Farmer’s Market every Saturday. He’s a way cool guy who drives straight from Corpus Christi to deliver my fish. He will also cut it for me if it’s way too big  to deal with in the kitchen. We definitely are going to try to add that because it seems to be so popular.”

With an eye for local and fresh made products, The Highball menu is in good hands with Trish Eichelberger. Combined with a throwback to the diner experience of the mid-twentieth century, it promises to be an instant classic.

-Adam Sweeney-

Tags: Alamo Drafthouse, The Highball, Trish Eichelberger