I am originally from the east cost, and I think anyone else in town who is also from there would agree their isn't much in the way of good Italian food in Austin.  Since I moved here about 9 years ago the amount of decent Italian has increased dramatically, one of the places I do enjoy is Asti.

Once a year Asti does a 1 weekend Lobsterfest where they fly in Lobster fresh from Maine and cook various delicious Italian lobster dishes.  I missed this event last year so when I got the email this year I jumped on it.  

The menu was a 3 course dinner for 2 for about $100.  

The dinner started with a caprese salad for each person.  This dish is something I will never get tired of but I must say their tomatoes were delicious and I believe they make their mozzarella in house.   

Then for the main course you can get corn risotto with lobster or spaghetti fra diavolo with lobster (fra diavolo is just a spice red sauce).  We each ordered one so we could share. My favorite was the corn risotto the sweetness of the corn and creaminess of the risotto paired well with the lobster.  It also had some other yummy fresh veggie in it like zucchini one of my favorites. The other pasta dish was my husbands favorite.  They put a light sprinkle of breadcrumbs at the top that gave it a nice crunch to the bite but I found the spice was over powering the lobster a little and I would have preferred something with a little less kick. 

For desert they had watermelon granita, which is basically fancy Italian ice, perfect for the Texas summer heat.  The desert layered watermelon, shaved watermelon flavored ice, creme fraiche, and specs of mint.  Which all paired nicely together into a cool and refreshing desert. 

I hope to visit lobsterfest again next year and would recommend it to you all if you like Italian and lobster - it gets a phenomenal in my book!

http://www.astiaustin.com/ 

All of my comments on restaurants are based on my personal tastes and preferences, but I have decided to set a rating scale the restaurant review section of this website and it goes as follows from low to high:

I would rather go hungry - Food is a rather huge part of my entire life. For me to rather not eat anything then eat at this establishment says something.  
Fine -This comes from my husband asking me questions about what I think of a dish in front of the person who made it.  If I don't care much for it, but deem it edible, and he asks what I think I will say "it's fine."
Outstanding - My mother has a tendency to exaggerate things, to the point where I think almost every time I have had dinner with her in the past 5 years each meal has had some element that has been "outstanding," because of this I feel most people should translate this rating to mean average.
Phenomenal - This is another mamma original, this is the term she uses when something is better then outstanding.  I know what you are thinking -  What could be higher then outstanding?  Well phenomenal is that, at least in my family. Translation - above average.
Life Changing - This is the term I use for the best in class, it might not be the best in the world, but in my opinion it has the best of something in Austin.