Zed's A beautiful setting to get fat in

When you build on a breathtaking site, it's best to blend into your surroundings -- had Craig T. Nelson designed his residential community to look a little more "Native American", maybe the dead Indians buried underneath wouldn't have forced him to endure the ultimate terror: nine seasons of Coach. Merging beautifully with its stunning, not-cursed location, Zed's.

Seated on three acres of Tech Ridge hillside that includes a walking trail, pond, and natural amphitheater, this comfort-food retreat was designed by architectural hotshot Michael Hsu to jibe with its environs via angular dark wood and dramatic falling-water features throughout, an idyllic setting for downtown-style entertainment including a late-night bar scene and impending live bands that'll keep north ATX from remaining a musical Lonelyland. Coma-inducing cuisine includes buttermilk-battered Southern Fried Chicken w/ black-pepper pan gravy, St. Louis-style Smokehouse Ribs rubbed with Shiner BBQ sauce, Tecate-fueled Beer Can Chicken, and the Angus chuck/venison/roasted tomato/mozz Hill Country Meatloaf -- also an overweight Texas folk singer sometimes derided as "Jerry Jeff Waddler". New World Bakery-bunned sammies run from the Big Eye Swiss'd Smoked Prime Rib Dip, to the Big Pig (smoked pulled pork w/ Zed's slaw), to burger action like the El Tejano (venison chili, jalapeno jack, grilled onions) and the bacon-stacked, TX-toasted Throwback, curiously topped with cheddar instead of Love Ya Bleu.

The cocktail menu's still in the works, but the alcoholic deliciousness will flow until 2am, abetted by local taps from Shiner to Independence's Austin Amber, plenty full-bodied enough to keep you from disobeying Craig T.'s first commandment of beer, "Don't go into the light".