chavez

chavez

There are several things I have come to expect about any establishment in which Chef Shawn Cirkiel is involved. The place will be stylish and attractive, the food will be fantastic, and the service will be stellar. So it was with these expectations in mind that I eagerly went to chavez. So how did chavez do? Well my fine readers read on to find out. The restaurant itself was beautiful to look at. Lots of clean lines and stylishly decorated without being in your face. The service was fantastic and it alone might be enough to bring me back. As for the food, well it was....just keep reading my lovelies!

We were of course excited about the opportunity to check out chavez and our server Desirae really helped make the evening perfect. She picked our coursing menu on the fly and knew every detail of every dish served. The service was exactly what you want: there when needed but otherwise invisible. And each course she brought to us was fantastic.

Ribs

We started with the baby back ribs and empanadas. The empanadas were a fabulous vegetarian offering. Fried masa dough stuffed with black beans and Oaxaca cheese (pronounced Oh a haca) and served with a delicious salsa verde (green sauce). As for the baby back ribs...well I still dream of them. They were perfectly cooked; the meat fell right off the bone. Normally I'm not a huge fan of sweet ribs but I gladly make an exception here. The agave glaze was sweet without being cloying. The ribs were a little sticky from the glaze but not to such a degree as I've usually seen, where the ribs are bathed in sticky, cloying syrup. No, these were near perfect. This will be my appetizer of choice from here on out.

Next was one of the best fruit salads I have ever had. I think what sent it over the top for me was its simplicity. It was Just some mango, jicama, lime juice, and a little chili powder. It was sweet, tangy, a little spicy, and just playful enough to leave a smile on my face!

Mahi Mahi

For our entrees we were served Blade Steak al Pastor and herb crusted mahi mahi. The Blade Steak was hands down one of the best pieces of pork I have ever had. It was served with roasted radishes, tomatoes, and onions and will probably be my go-to dish.

Next was the Mahi Mahi. There two fish meals that I will always remember. One was a 30 inch trout that I pulled out of Flathead Lake in Montana when I was about 14. The other was the trout I had Andiamo, and now I have to add a third to that list. This was one of the most perfectly cooked pieces of fish I have had. I have cooked mahi mahi a few times myself and have never managed to get these kind of results. It was served with a nice salsa negra, which reminded me of a mole poblano, turnips, pineapple, and scallion.

Cafe Cake

To finish things off my daughter and I split the Cafe con Leche. It was a plate with cafe cake, cajeta, chocolate espresso sauce, cocoa nib ice cream, and a chocolate crumble,

To everyone at chavez, thank you for a fantastic evening. And to Desirea, your service made a great evening absolutely fantastic.

Official AFJ rating- 5 points of the Lone Star  

Benji's Cantina

Photo credit- Reagan Hackleman

West 6th street. For an old-timer like myself (I've been in Austin for nearly 18 years) the entire area has lots of great memories: Gatemouth Brown at Antone's with my buddy Noah, Sue Foley also at Antone's, with Dave and Alex. Social Distortion, the Misfits, and Clutch all at Liberty Lunch (RIP). And after great shows like that we would grab a bite at places like Best Wurst, and Katz's (RIP). But things change. Liberty Lunch is gone, and so is Katz's. Change is inevitable and not always a bad thing. For instance, one of the newer arrivals to 6th street is Benji's Cantina, a Tex-Mex and Mexican inspired gem that has popped up recently. The place was recommended to us by good friend Paula, and when Paula suggests a place it is bound to be good. Here's a quick rundown of what we had-

To start we opted for the guacamole. Guacamole so fresh it's made at your table. The avocados were mashed just the way I like them. Creamy but still plenty of texture, and the tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro were just right with a little fresh squeezed lime juice. Table side guacamole service.....I need this at my house.

 My lovely wife opted for the fish tacos. A piece of lightly fried redfish with tomatoes, cilantro, and topped off with fresh crema (Mexican style sour cream) and a little green sauce. Like much of what is served a Benji's the tortillas are made fresh which went perfectly with an absolutely stellar piece of fish. It was tender, flaky, and not even slightly dry. I'd order this again in a heartbeat.

I decided on Pork Adobodo. I'm not even sure where to start with this. We were told that this dish was one that they worked on for weeks to perfect. Quite frankly it shows. The flavor of the Adobo sauce was deep, rich and just a little sweet. The pork was cooked perfectly. Honestly I don't remember the last time I had pork this good. I ordered mine with corn tortillas. These were some of the best I've had in a long time. Seriously. I've had tortillas made right in front of me in Monterrey Mexico and these tortillas rivaled any of the tortillas I have ever had there. This one is a must order when you go.

The atmosphere of Benji's is pleasant and upscale. The service is as you would expect at a restaurant of that caliber- helpful, courteous, and attentive. Another thing that impressed me was that both the General Manager and one of the owners were walking the floor and did not hesitate to stop and chat and make sure that things were going as they should. It's that kind of attention that helps to ensure that a restaurant will succeed.

Benji's Cantina

El Monumento

El Monumento

Hey there food fanatics! I know, I can see the hurt look in your eyes and I am sorry that we have been absent. It's been a long, cold, lonely winter with nary a word from the fabulously fanatical, furiously fiendish Food Junkies but we are back friends! And back with a fantastic new find for you in Georgetown, TX.

For years in the Austin area if you wanted high end Mexican or Tex-Mex fare your options have been limited. Yes I know there are plenty good little places around, Maudies, Vasquez, or classic Austin staple Chuy's. But when it comes to higher end fare you pretty much have had two long-enduring options- Z-Tejas (Tex-Mex) or Fonda San Miguel (Mexican). And to be clear, either of those options are FANTASTIC, but little Georgetown has now produced a third option that is easily on par with those two places.

"Georgetown? Seriously? What could ever come from there?," you may be asking. And if you are, stop it. First, Georgetown is a lovely little town worth a visit in its own right. Secondly, Georgetown has already given us one of my favorite diners- Monument Cafe. And now they have El Monumento to offer us as well. El Monumento, as you may have guessed by the name, is the sister to Monument Cafe and given the quality of food from Monument I automatically set the standard high. Extremely high to be honest, and they met my expectations easily.

Located just down the street from Monument El Monumento specializes in Mexican and Mexican inspired food. Like its elder sister, much of its produce is grown on site and any of the ingredients they don't produce are sourced as locally as they possibly can.

The restaurant and the property it sits on are very striking. Seriously, Dave and I could have spent all afternoon just wandering around and admiring the place. That creates certain culinary expectations, and the food lives up to those expectations.

So here's a quick look at what we had-

Campechana Cocktail- Shrimp cocktail  but so much better than shrimp cocktail. Texas Gulf shrimp, crab, tomatoes, green olives, and lime juice. It was a little sweet, a little tangy, the olives are not overpowering (even Dave loved it and he hates olives) and there is a generous portion of seafood in the mix. It comes served with chips. We ordered a small and found it to be a perfect size for sharing.

Mexican Benedict- Their take on Eggs Benedict. It may not be traditional Mexican fare, but it comes served with a deep fried avocado. I'll say it again: Deep fried. Avo. Cado. The only place I've been to that serves deep fried avocado as good as this is Izzos Tacos (now called Mellizoz) and Izzos is still my favorite nontraditional taco trailer in town. The avocado comes out warm and soft and buttery and is topped with a tomato remulade........But wait! There's more! It also comes with a bacon (pork belly) flauta, poached eggs, and black beans. Order this.

El Mon Casserole- Eggs, chorizo, poblano pepper, onions and tortillas are some of my favorite things. How do you make them better? Serve them up together as a casserole! Imaging the best breakfast taco you've ever had, turn it up to 11, then serve it with fresh home fries and fresh fruit. When I go back I may have to order this and something else so I can have this for dinner!


As expected El Monumento easily met the standard set by Monument Cafe. The food was excellent, the setting was beautiful, and the service was superb. I can't wait to get back!

Official AFJ rating  5 points of the Lone Star  

Taco-Mex: Aqui se venden tacos

Taco-Mex

The taco — one of the world's greatest creations. How does one improve on the idea that is the sandwich: two pieces of bread, some meat and some sauce of one kind or other? I posit they take the filling and wrap it in a tortilla. One of my favorite things about visiting Monterrey, Mexico is when my friend's mom makes tacos from the leftover barbecue we always eat. In fact I have trouble finding a satisfying taco north of the border; decent taco places are few and far between for me. Our subject today, Taco-Mex on Manor Road, is most definitely one of my favorite places in Texas for a taco.

The owners of Taco-Mex are from Monterrey, Mexico or Nuevo Leon at least, which may explain why I love their take on tacos as dearly as I do. All of their meat is well seasoned, the tortillas nice and tender. Their salsa verde (green sauce) may just be the best I have had, other than that made by anyone in my friend Patricia's family. The spice is just right and doesn't drown out the other flavors in the salsa, nor does it over power your palate and the meat in the tacos.

Picadillo

We were joined this time by our close friends Colby and Janai as well as their son Josiah, who is like a nephew to me. I ordered one picadillo, one barbacoa and one migas taco. Picadillo, a mixture of ground beef, onion, potatoes and spices, is one of my favorite dishes. The seasoning is perfect, the potatoes soft, in all a well balanced dish, I love it.

Barbacoa- So good I couldn't wait for Matt to take a picture!

Their barbacoa is perfectly tender with just a little sweetness from the meat and topped with a great pico de gallo salsa. What is barbacoa, I hear some of you wondering? Barbacoa, at least on this side of the border, is the meat from the cheeks of a cow, braised to perfection. Some folks will tell you barbacoa is a whole sheep, slow roasted in a pit overnight, which is also fantastic. So who is right? Well I put this to you: in Spain a tortilla is an omelet, not a flour or corn flat bread, so it really depends who you are talking to, doesn't it?

The migas were wonderful, a mix of tortillas, jalapeños, cheese and eggs also called chilaquiles in various regions of Mexico (there is that regional food naming again). These are good, the eggs not too wet or too dry and the jalapeños are a nice touch. And the chips are added in right at the end so that they stay just a touch crunchy.

Carne Guisada

We also tried the carne guisada plate. The plate comes with re-fried beans, rice, and of course the carne guisada. Carne guisada is simply beef stew. At Taco-Mex it is rich, flavorful and just a touch spicy. The meat is cubed and slow cooked in the sauce until it is nicely tender. The beans are made, as any proper refried beans are, with a little lard to fry them. The result is a rich and slightly meaty flavor. I have always felt that carne guisada is usually a good measure of the quality of a Mexican restaurant and this is some of the best. The carne guisada at Tacomex tastes like home cooking: simple and full of flavor. 

So, how are the prices at Taco-Mex? All breakfast tacos are $1.75 and all lunch tacos $2. You can have a tasty lunch for about 5 bucks, so prices are fantastic to answer the question. All things said, if you want an authentic Mexican taco this is the place to go get it.


AFJ Rating: 4 Lone Star Points




Address:
2611 Manor Road
Austin, TX 78722
Map

Izzoz Tacos

Izzoz Tacos

In the relatively short time since we started this little culinary adventure there is one thing that we have found to be consistently true: most of the best food in town seems to come from the trailers that are sprinkled throughout Austin. I have been asking myself for weeks now why it is that chefs with the ability to turn out such quality would opt for an AirStream over a brick and mortar operation or a job at high-profile and well established restaurant. The only answer I have been able to come up with is: Freedom.


Freedom not just to be your own boss but to create as you see fit. Freedom to make the food that you want to make. And these little trailers are the perfect venue for it. It could be Gourdough's Doughnuts and their giant sized mutant concoctions that make you do a double take. It might be Crepes Mille on S. Congress (they will be the subject of a future review) with their crepes stuffed with all manner of wonderfulness like Chicken Burgundy or Panang Curry. These little places seem to work perfectly because they are based out of a trailer. I can't imagine some of these places working in traditional restaurant setting. I wish them best of luck and continued success. Not only are they delicious and exciting, but they add so much character to our cityscape. They fit perfectly in a town like Austin and I hope that they continue to flourish.


After reading that overly long intro it should come as no surprise that this week's review is about a trailer. A taco trailer in actuality. I think the thing I like most about good Mexican food is its homey feel. The best Mexican food, even if served in a restaurant still has the feel of a home cooked meal. And at some of the better places in town, grandma really is in the kitchen helping to make dinner. I know what you're thinking, A taco trailer? Really? There's practically one on every corner in Austin and most are not that great. Well no worries because the place we went to was Izzoz Tacos, which is now one of my two favorite places for tacos.


Unlike my other favorite place, where grandma actually is in the kitchen, Izzoz is run by a very skilled chef, John Galindo. How does his food stack up to the standard? The first thing that struck me was how true this food was to it's roots. The second thing I noticed was that he is not trying to reinvent the wheel here. He has taken some of my favorite things and added touches that only a chef can, while staying true to the original. Take the Escobar, a Carne Guisada taco for example.

The Escobar

For my money there's really nothing better than a good plate/taco of Carne Guisada, and this taco is as good as any I've ever had. It tastes like it could have come from grandma's kitchen. It's just beef stew served in a tortilla and finished with a little cilantro, onion and tomato. There's no pretense here, it just wants to be a good plate of stew and achieves exactly that. The chef's touch comes in here as it is finished with a little fresh cilantro. John's understanding of Mexican cuisine is apparent because it is only a little cilantro. I don't know how many times I've seen some chef on TV (who thinks that he or she knows Mexican food) absolutely demolish a dish or a salsa by adding a huge amount of cilantro. So to any trained chefs out there: Yes, Mexican food uses cilantro but it's not the only flavor you're going for. It's powerful stuff, take it easy people! Maybe you should all go to Izzoz to see how to use it properly. Speaking of salsa, the Escobar is served with a made fresh daily roasted salsa. How good is the salsa? Chef Galindo told me that on whim, literally hours before it was to start, he decided to enter a recent hot sauce competition. So he quickly made a batch, brought it to the competition and ended up taking second place. In short, it's pretty awesome.

The Vegitarian

Ah, yes the Vegitarian sandwich. It is in my opinion this is one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. I have had tortas (sandwiches) in Monterrey, Mexico and this one stands tall among the best of them. Perfectly fried portabella mushroom, fried avocado with a sherry chipotle vinaigrette. You might be tempted to think that there should be some sort of meat on this sandwich. But let me tell you, this is quite possibly one of the most perfect sandwiches ever created. Everything here works in perfect harmony to create a sandwich that is very well balanced in relation to both flavor and size. If you just can't decide on what you want, this makes a good "go to" kind of meal. It is also served with a large side of fries. The fries are done exactly as they should be done: hand cut, perfectly crispy and lightly salted. They also have a little bit of roasted garlic added to them. Very nice indeed. 

Fried Avocado

Now for something that is near and dear to my heart: the Fried Avocado Taco. I love a deep fried avocado, in fact I made a batch a couple of nights ago. This is one of my favorite tacos of all time. I suppose it's not too traditional but who cares? If you've never had one, then you are depriving yourselves dear friends. A properly fried avocado should just about melt in your mouth like butter, and that is exactly what is accomplished here. The batter used is basically a tempura batter that stays crunchy long after being removed from the oil. The result is a perfect texture of crunchy and soft. The taco itself comes served with arugula, cotijachese and a sherry chipotle sauce. And yet again, these ingredients serve only to highlight the real star of the show, the avocado. Not only is the avocado fried to order, but it is cut to order as well.

John was kind enough to sit and chat with us for a while, which is a good lesson for any current or aspiring restaurant owner. Your customers will love it if you are friendly enough to take a personal interest in them. We found out that, not surprisingly, he has been in the business for quite a while, about fifteen years. His passion for food really shows in the final product. But this comes as no surprise from a person who on his days off is known to show up at his friend's restaurants and help out in their kitchens. Now that's dedication. It's a dedication that shows in the products he turns out.

Take the guacamole, for example. If you order a side of guacamole or if something comes with guacamole it is made to order at Izzoz. Why go to all of that trouble? Because it tastes better that way. In fact the guacamole is exactly as I like it- uncomplicated. It is just avocado, salt, garlic and lime finished with a little tomato. Nothing fancy, just good food. While the tortillas at Izzoz are not made in house, it's about as close as you can get. He orders them from a local tortilla shop called El Milagro, on 6th Street. But these are not the run of the mill tortillas either. He special orders them according to his recipe, and do not contain any preservatives. It's just the basic ingredients which is all you need.
 

So how much weight will your precious wallet lose when stopping by Izzoz? Not very much, actually. Prices start at $2.00 and go up to $6.00. You'll leave Izzoz with a full belly, and a plump wallet.Portions are also nothing to scoff at.


Lastly, in case there is anyone out there thinking, "Man, I'd love to cook like that," he's got you covered. John offers cooking lessons. If you're interested, check the Izzoz website for more information. Now get out there and get yourselves a taco!

-Matt

AFJ Rating- 5 Lone Star Points

Izzoz Tacos Website
Google Maps Location
1207 S. 1st St.
Austin, TX 78704
Hours: 7 Days a week 9AM-9PM