Austin Taco Project

If there is one thing that everyone in Austin can agree on, it's tacos. Tacos for breakfast, tacos for lunch, tacos for dinner - it's the food for all occasions.

The Hilton recently dove into the taco fray with the Austin Taco Project. They invited us out for a meal on them (we covered alcohol and grat) and we jumped at the chance to check out the newest tacos in town.

Is it just me, or did they model this guy after Brandon Watson?

We kicked off our experience with cocktails, of course. I chose a Last of the Oaxacans, a fabulously smoky take on the Old Fashioned, with Mestizo mezcal reposado, Luxardo, and blood orange bitters. 

Last of the Oaxacans ($12)

Austin Taco Project's quest to cull flavors from all over the world can be seen in this North Pacific Poke "Taco" appetizer. Raw salmon, lotus root, cucumber, and sesame seeds were served on slices of daikon radish. 

North Pacific Poke ($8)

My husband loved their take on poutine - tater tots topped with rib eye cap barbacoa, fried cheese curds, poblano gravy, and a fried egg. A person could easily make a meal out of this appetizer!

Poutine ($7)

For the taco portion of our meal, I tried the Bulgogi, the Oc-Thai-Pus, and the Wake Up! tacos. The Wake Up! is our server's favorite taco (not just here, but anywhere) - chili & coffee smoked brisket, apple anytime slaw, and blueberry ghost pepper crema on a flour tortilla. My hands-down favorite of the three was the Oc-Thai-Pus: tender Thai BBQ octopus with crispy garlic and cashew cilantro coconut curry on a saffron tortilla.  

From left to right: Wake Up! ($7), Oc-Thai-Pus ($7), Bulgogi ($6), Mexican Street Corn ($4)

My husband also got a Wake Up!, as well as a Wilbur & Huevos (mojo pork, sunny egg, Oaxaca cheese and arbol sauce on a corn tortilla) and a Barbacoa On Deck.

From left to right: Wake Up!, Barbacoa On Deck ($7), Wilbur & Huevos ($5)

We were pretty full at this point, but the dessert menu wooed us. My husband chose the Southern Affair, a bread pudding made with doughnuts and topped with pecan pie crumble, vanilla bean ice cream, and bourbon butterscotch.

Southern Affair Bread Pudding $5)

I had to have the trio of stuffed churros: spicy salted caramel, creme brulee, and ganache stuffed chocolate, served with a warm chocolate dipping sauce and Mexican vanilla whipped cream. I could not get enough of these - they were fabulous.

Trio of Stuffed Churros ($9)

In a city full of fantastic tacos, Austin Taco Project has some stiff competition, particularly given their price point of $5-$7 per taco. Nevertheless, I think Austin visitors and locals alike will enjoy the wide-ranging menu, the well-made cocktails, and the killer desserts.

Austin Taco Project
500 E. 4th Street (inside the Hilton)
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 682-2739

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Veracruz All Natural

I recently discovered what may very well be my favorite tacos in town. I'd heard many raves about the charms of Veracruz All Natural, and finally made my way to their trailer down south for a late lunch one Sunday afternoon. It was well after 2:00 and I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I'm afraid my usual propensity for copious photo-taking was a little hampered. But don't let my lackluster photos dissuade you. These tacos are amazing, featuring fantastic tortillas (both flour and corn are housemade), flavorful fillings, and addictive sauces that almost make you wish the fillings were ever-so-slightly less flavorful, so as to justify more sauce usage.

Migas

Al pastor

Rich & luscious chicken mole

Full o' flavor fish

The tacos run around $3ish apiece; an absolute steal. And the south location is conveniently located outside the lovely Radio Coffee & Beer, so you can order any number of caffeinated or adult beverages to complement your taco goodness. I fell madly in love with this white blueberry tea made by one of my favorite local companies, Zhi tea, as well as the sweet infuser pot it was served in.

Veracruz All Natural has quickly earned a spot on my shortlist for a freshly prepared, very reasonably priced meal. Enjoy it on Radio's patio while basking in this absolutely gorgeous fall weather, and you have the recipe for a perfect Austin meal. 

Veracruz All Natural

1704 E. Cesar Chavez

Austin, TX 78702

or

4204 Manchaca Road

Austin, TX 78704
Hours at Manchaca location: 
6:30a - midnight (weekdays)
7:30a - midnight (weekends)

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Getting Peached at The Peached Tortilla

It used to be that the American Dream was defined by the small business owner who became successful by virtue of hard work and clean living. For later generations who were fortunate enough to benefit from their parents' and grandparents' pursuit of that dream, another element was added to the mix: the desire to succeed at something they were passionate about.

It is obvious to anyone who's spent a few minutes talking to Eric Silverstein that he is on track to achieving the new version of the American dream. He quit a lucrative job as a lawyer in Missouri to launch The Peached Tortilla, a mobile food truck business that has spent the last four months winning the hearts of food lovers in Austin. Not only is the food being turned out of this truck outstanding, but Eric's passion is infectious, and his humble, friendly demeanor means that every visit to The Peached Tortilla is not just a food run, but a visit to a friend.

The Peached Tortilla open for business.

As anyone who knows me knows, I tend to be a little suspicious of Asian fusion. I'm not sure whether I'm a traditionalist or just protective of the flavors I grew up with, but I typically cast a wary eye upon perceived attempts to evolve Asian flavors into something different. But Eric and his chef, Louis (who has worked the kitchens at Maria Maria and Imperia), have done this right. They've captured influences from Asian, Mexican, and Southern cooking and have married them in a way that makes the finished product into something altogether new, and definitely delightful. Everything I've tasted here was busting at the seams with bright, crisp, fresh flavors. This is Asian fusion I can get behind. Their menu tops out at $3.50, so it's very affordable for upscale-restaurant-quality food. And with gluten-free and vegetarian options available, there's a little something here for everyone.

Just look at this gorgeousness. How can you not want to eat this?


Top: crunchy catfish taco (Southern spiced, cornmeal-encrusted catfish with creamy slaw, spicy mayo, and purple cabbage);
Bottom: banh mi taco (Vietnamese-braised pork belly topped with pickled daikon and carrot salad, sriracha mayo, and cilantro).


L to R: Southern squash taco (sautéed citrus-scented summer squashes and red peppers, sweet onions, spiced pecans, basil aioli);
chicken pad thai taco (chicken sautéed in pad thai sauce with bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime wedge);
banh mi taco.


Left: Banh mi slider (Vietnamese-braised pork belly, pickled daikon and carrot salad, sriracha mayo, cilantro)
Right: BBQ brisket slider (brisket, creamy slaw, smoky roasted peach BBQ sauce).


Belgian fries - served with your choice of dipping sauces (peach mint, truffle mayo, bacon ranch, smoky roasted peach BBQ, or sriracha mayo). All of the ones I've tasted have been wonderful, but the peach mint is their special, and it is AMAZING.

Want to get peached? These guys are on the move, so check the truck schedule on their website to find them. You'll be glad you did.

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Chi'Lantro Korean BBQ

Korean taco trucks have come to Austin!

At least, one has. I was downtown last night with my dear friend Kimberly when we spotted a shiny new food truck we had never seen before parked at the corner of 5th and Colorado. After consulting Yelp and determing that nobody had reviewed it yet, we decided that we had to try it out even though we were on our way to dinner elsewhere. A girl's gotta have her priorities.

The name of the truck, Chi'Lantro BBQ, is a hybrid between the popular Korean dish kim chi and the herb so omnipresent in Mexican food, cilantro (which, by the way, I never realized until now is the leaves from a coriander plant). The ever-gregarious Kimberly engaged the owner, Jae, in conversation about his food background, which originated in L.A. where his family owns a Korean restaurant.

Kimberly chatting up Jae and showing off her Matrix-esque moves.


Le Menu (easier to read on Chi'Lantro's website.)

Since we were on our way to dinner, it didn't feel quite right to indulge in a burrito, a burger, a quesadilla, or a bowl - all of which Chi'Lantro offers. Instead, we split a spicy pork taco. The marinated Korean pork was served in a couple of corn tortillas, piled high with their homemade salsa, shredded lettuce dressed with Korean chili soy vinaigrette, kim chi (upon request), cilantro, onions, roasted sesame seeds, and a lime. For a mere $2, this thing was huge.



It was a chilly evening, which gave a chilly edge to the already-chilly lettuce and kim chi and robbed the freshly-cooked pork of some of the warm-your-insides feeling I was hoping for. However, 9 or 10 months out of the year in Austin, this could be a good thing. It's also very possible that some of their more meat-heavy offerings might stick to your ribs a bit more; I'm looking forward to exploring that part of the menu sometime soon.

If you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know that I'm a bit of an Asian-food purist and cast a wary eye upon any attempt to ruin it by mixing it with any other food genre (although I do make exceptions; Crepes Mille and Sushi Samba being among them). You may also know that Mexican food (particularly Tex Mex) is probably my least favorite food genre. I don't know if either of these factors explain the reason I wasn't falling all over myself after eating this taco, but there you have it. I was, however, falling all over myself wanting Jae's business to succeed; it was hard not to be enamored with Jae's friendly, fresh approach to a business he is clearly passionate about.

So go check out Jae's friendly Kor'exican taco truck* and see for yourself whether this marriage of two strong food cultures might work for you.

*Taking a page from the playbook of Korean taco trucks in L.A., Chi'lantro moves around depending on the time of day. Follow their Twitter feed for up-to-date info on their whereabouts.

Chi'Lantro BBQ
Location: All Over Austin
(512) 568-0256
4/5 stars on Yelp

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TacoDeli Redux

I know for most of you Austinites, TacoDeli is a place that's been on your radar screen for quite a while. Probably a latecomer to the game myself, I originally reviewed them on Yelp a couple of years ago. Their breakfast tacos have become fairly ubiquitous, of late, and can be found at Emerald City Press, Teo, and Dominican Joe's, among other places. But lest you think that breakfast tacos are all TacoDeli has to offer, think again.

I was inspired to eat at TacoDeli recently upon discovering that a friend we'll call John (because that's his name) had never eaten there. Here is how our e-mail conversation went:

---
Me: Where shall we go for lunch?

John: Somewhere where the beer flows like wine and the women instinctively flock like Salmon of Capastrano. (blogger's note: I like strange people)

Me: I have no idea where the women flock like Salmon of Capastrano, but how about X, Y, Z, or TacoDeli?

John: I've never been to Y or TacoDeli - how about one of those?

Me: You've NEVER BEEN TO TACODELI?
---

Needless to say, we arrived at TacoDeli just a few short hours later. I had raved to John about the Cowboy Taco, which was rated the 52nd best taco in Texas by Texas Monthly in a December, 2006 article delightfully entitled "The 63 Tacos You Must Eat Before You Die." We each ordered one of those; John also tried a Pork Mole taco and I had one of their specials of the day, a Shrimp Taco.

The Cowboy Tacos were perfect, as always. The Cowboy is a stunning combination of succulent, grilled beef tenderloin with caramelized onions, nuggets of grilled corn, and roasted peppers, topped with guacamole & queso fresco. I also usually add a layer of TacoDeli's addictive Dona sauce, which I somehow neglected to photograph - shocking, considering the fact that I dream about bathing in the stuff. It's that good.

Looking down the barrel of a Cowboy Taco


The shrimp taco I had was also fantastic - very garlicky and loaded with shrimp. Unfortunately, I was halfway through it before I realized I should have photographed it.

We also tried the Grasshopper cake balls from Holy Cacao, which are now sold at TacoDeli as well. In all honesty, I wasn't really a fan of these. The chocolate reminds me of Lindt milk chocolate, which I've never loved; it always seems too mild and weirdly mushy to me. The texture of the cake balls is similarly strange - not cake-y at all - more a cross between a Lindt truffle and a really heavy piece of fudge. Meh.



Holy Caca?

Oh, and did I mention that these little balls are $2.25 apiece? I don't think Holy Cacao is going to see any more of my business (although I think they're $1.50 when purchased directly from Holy Cacao).

To my delight, the mediocre cake ball failed to interfere with the luscious taco memory that lingered on my tongue. If the Cowboy is only the 52nd best taco in Texas, I have a whoooooole lot of eating to do.

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