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Former Driskill Grill chef David Bull said Friday that he plans to return to the downtown culinary scene in September with two restaurants at the Austonian.Bull, who shaped the Driskill Grill into one of the city's best restaurants and competed on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America," will oversee an upscale restaurant named Congress and a more casual spot called Second at Congress.

Both will be on the ground floor of the 56-story luxury condominium tower, which is scheduled to open in June at Second Street and Congress Avenue.

Bull will supervise both restaurants as part of La Corsha Restaurant Partners, an outgrowth of the hospitality group that manages the Stoneleigh Hotel and its Bolla restaurant in Dallas and the St. Anthony hotel in San Antonio.Bull will continue to oversee food service at those hotels, but he'll be cooking in Austin.

"There's a very exciting scene happening downtown, and I can't wait to be a part of it," said Bull, who lives in Manor with his wife, Fawn, and their five children. "It's an accumulation of everything that I've learned over the past 15 years put into something that I can call my own."

La Corsha founder Jeff Trigger, who worked with Bull at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas and the renovation of the Driskill Hotel, said the Austonian's location is ideal for Bull."Downtown Austin can support the types of food we're looking to do. It's a gateway to the Second Street District," he said.La Corsha is also involved in the planned retail development at the former Seaholm Power Plant, which includes another restaurant project.

David Mahn, vice president of the Austonian's developer, Benchmark Development, said national chains and other restaurant groups were interested in the Austonian, but the company gravitated toward working with a local company.

The La Corsha team is planning two distinct restaurant concepts for The Austonian.  One of the restaurants will be facing Congress Avenue and will be named Congress. It will offer sophisticated service and a cutting-edge, chef-driven cuisine featuring ultra-premium seasonal ingredients. On the 2nd Street side of the building will be a restaurant named Second at Congress and it will offer a comfortable and inviting food and drink experience serving American regional cuisine. Bull will personally lead the kitchen operations for both restaurants