San Antonio’s dean of fine cuisine has established a beachhead in the ‘burbs with Auden’s Kitchen, a more casual eatery than his River Walk stalwart, Biga on the Banks. Who knew that ‘burbanites would flock to fancy fried chicken?

But there’s more to AK than buttermilk fried fowl. Small plates include an odd but oddly successful tempura shrimp bowl with watermelon and rice noodles, and conventionally contemporary pizzas such as the mushroom and arugula with truffle oil are worth waiting for; pastas, though, can be stodgy, with uncooperative elements friending for the first time on the plate.

Among the big plates, the “Duck Duck” that comes out of the open kitchen consists of an Asian-inspired leg-thigh joint and a pan-seared breast served with a cherry Zinfandel sauce that is pure genius—a good thing since the double duck is merely clever clever. Unexpectedly good is a simple roast trout stuffed with lemon and thyme.

Service can be slow. Take the time to uncover modest gems from the three-tier wine list, then sip the finds at an outdoor table, ignoring the smart but noisy interior in favor of a setting that may someday evoke somewhere vaguely European.