Posts Tagged ‘breakfast tacos’

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The best of Austin’s cheap eats


2012
02.28

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Posted in Restaurants | No Comments »

While most of the tastiest and cheapest eats in Austin are undoubtedly found right in my own kitchen, once in a while even the most dedicated of shoestring budgeteers has to venture forth in search of sustenance slung by a stranger. Whether you’re looking for tacos, treats or the truly bizarre, Austin has a variety of inexpensive restaurants and food trucks that cater to the budget lifestyle.

Here are just a few of my favorites from around town, along with links to our more detailed write-ups.

  • Ice cream at Amy’s Ice Cream – Celebrity Intern and I will argue about this one all day, because he loves his Häagen-Dazs (and I can’t lie, so do I), but Amy’s definitely gives our supermarket fave a run for its money, especially when someone says “Vanilla is vanilla, what’s so special about—MMMMMM!” after tasting their Mexican Vanilla; their seasonal specials and rotating daily offerings will keep you coming back for more
  • Beanitos chips and Texas-Texas salsa (available at H-E-B, Whole Foods and Central Market) – a tasty, healthy alternative to corn chips, all made locally!
  • Iced mocha at Epoch Coffee – the best iced mocha in Austin really hits the spot on a 105-degree day
  • Fresh Plus Grocery – this place is so mom-and-pop that they don’t yet have a website, but their prices on upscale food items like gourmet cheeses, wines and beer plus amazingly fresh and beautiful fruits and veggies make stopping at any of their three locations (Hyde Park, Clarksville and a brand-new Allandale store) a delicious adventure for the home chef on a budget
  • Hot chocolate at Caffé Medici – it’s on the pricy side, but it’s well worth it for the smoothest, creamiest hot chocolate in town (the secret is a homemade chocolate sauce, which the barista is on pain of death never to reveal to nosey food bloggers like me)
  • Salgadinhos at Rio’s Brazilian – I still don’t know how to properly pronounce these dealios, but they’re savory stuffed pastries kind of like a Hot Pocket but about a billion times tastier
  • Pho at Saigon Kitchen – choose from fatty or lean meat, or get a crazy mixture of both and build your own soup sensation
  • Breakfast tacos at Taco Cabana – because they’re cheap, I love their green salsa, and you can get $1 off pretty much every time you go if you fill out the survey at the bottom of your reciept, plus they’re near my house and convenience is sometimes king
  • Tacos at La Tapatia – the trip up north is worth it, as these tacos are always tender and delicious (and while you’re in the neighborhood, there’s a Half Price Books across the street worth hitting for some inexpensive reading materials)

Additional cheap eats to seek out, via Erin McReynolds, editor of Fearless Critic Austin:

Recommendations for $5 or less treats via Crystal Esquivel, author of The Food Lover’s Guide to Austin:

And Twitter recommendations from some of our followers!

  • Hill Country Pierogis (@ATXPierogiTruck)
  • Bits & Druthers – “best fish and chips in town” (@bitsanddruthers)
  • Tom’s Tabooley Thai Salad (via @aneelee)
  • Pho Saigon “large bowl of pho” (via @bearpatrol)
  • Torchy’s Tacos (via @mikegalante)
  • “Soy milk and fried dough at Asia Café only on Saturday mornings, pork bone ramen at Komé for lunch only” (via @pwang)
  • Hopfields – “French-style street food” (via @jen_stamps)

So tell us, what’s YOUR favorite cheap eatery in town?

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Learn to Cook with Hilah Cooking


2011
09.23

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Posted in Books & Lit, Recipes | No Comments »

Okay, guys and dolls, it’s Foodie Friday and guess what? Another awesome local has written a super-cool book that you need to get your hands on, stat. It’s called Learn To Cook, and it’s by Hilah Cooking‘s one and only Hilah Johnson.

For those who don’t busy themselves with all things Austin and food-related because they’ve got day jobs or whatevs, Hilah is basically Austin’s version of Martha Stewart, all jacked up on sweet tea and Breakfast Tacos. Coincidentally, breakfast tacos are also the subject of her first book, which you can get FOR FREE by clicking that link. The girl knows her breakfast tacos, and will explain exactly why breakfast burritos are not, remotely, the same thing.

After writing about all things breakfast taco-y, and presenting tons of weekly episodes of her online cooking show, Hilah decided to go for the hot sauce and write a book that would help everyone learn how to cook. That’s right, EVERYONE. That includes even the most clueless peeps who’ve never been in a kitchen in their lives, and those of you that can burn water. (True fact: an ex-boyfriend of mine once admitted his mother was able to do this; please do not try it at home, as it involves leaving a full pot of water on the stove for so long that it entirely evaporates and ruins the bottom of your pot. Bad idea.)

If you, too, have been wondering how to get started in the kitchen without burning the house down or feeling stupid because you don’t know what directions like “fold in gently” or “saute” or “julienne” mean, check out Hilah’s website and buy a copy of Learn To Cook. The best thing about this book is that there’s a totally free 17-page sample you can try before you buy, and if you totally hate it (which you won’t), she’ll even give you your money back. There’s also a super-cool option to get bonus videos with the book, so you can watch Hilah cook everything step-by-step. Sweet, right?

So screw going out on Friday night and wasting your dough on expensive meals and drinks that you can totally make at home. Hilah will teach you how to do it up right, whether you’re looking to impress a guy or gal, or just feed your own dang self. Enjoy!

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La Tapatia


2010
11.03

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Posted in Restaurants | 4 Comments »

After the closure of our beloved A La Carrera, Celebrity Intern and I were mooning about, wishing we could reunite ourselves with their delicious, cheap, oh-so-close-by breakfast taco-y goodness. Our stomachs were empty, our kitchen was bare. Whatever would we do to fill our growling bellies?

A flash of inspiration! I spotted the yellow paper where Foodie Banker’s original recommendations were listed, and summoned the powers of Authentic Mexican to discover…

… a place on the list we hadn’t yet visited!!

And thus we got into the truck and zoomed up north for a little action from La Tapatia (13450 Research Blvd).

The Yelp reviews were good, Foodie Banker’s other suggestions had all been solid, and so we approached La Tapatia with high hopes. Could this be our new breakfast taco fave?

photo via Yelp reviewer Kantiki J.

An unassuming little taqueria, La Tapatia is definitely a casual joint. We immediately liked their laid-back atmosphere, with beer posters and signs everywhere, bamboo shades blocking out the harsh glare of the morning sun, and plenty of Mexicans working in the kitchen and enjoying the cheap eats.

Perusing the menu, we discovered the Foodie Banker had been right about the cheapness of the place: you could actually get 3 breakfast tacos for a mere $3! Since we’re actually more into regular tacos for breakfast (as opposed to the egg/bean/potato mixes most people think of as breakfast tacos), Celebrity Intern ordered one a piece from the slightly pricier (but still exceedingly inexpeez) taco menu, choosing one beef fajita, one chicken and one beef barbacoa. I went the breakfastier route and selected the migas, which I’d never tried before but always heard good things about, around Austin.

Celebrity Intern inhaled his tacos, moaning with ecstasy, and so we have no pictures, unfortunately.

As for my plate, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the giant size of my migas platter, particularly since the whole thing only cost $3.50. Piles of potatoes, refried beans, and an enormous omelette with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, and plenty of salsa to top it all off right. It reminded me of the “mishmash” dish I occasionally ordered at a greasy spoon in Montreal, and I wondered how I’d manage to eat it all.

I ended up eating about 1/3 of the delicious creation, and got the rest to go. I was able to stretch one meal out for the entire day, since they provided tacos as well. You could definitely share this plate with a friend… or two!

We’ve been back to La Tapatia to sample more of their tasty tacos (I enjoyed the thick pieces of steak in their carne guisada, and Celebrity Intern is still salivating for more of their chicken tacos), and would highly recommend them to anyone with a hankering for some real Mexican in North Austin.

A La Carrera may be dead and gone, but La Tapatia lives on and has taken up the mantle of Best Breakfast Tacos. ¡Viva la revolución!

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The secret to great homemade tacos


2010
05.31

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Posted in Recipes | 3 Comments »

The secret to delicious homemade tacos does not, number one, lie within:

Old El Paso isn’t being particularly singled out here; it’s just one example among many. People seem to think that you need “taco seasoning,” purchased in a packet such as this one, in order to make great tacos.

This is a lie.

The way to great tacos, my friends, lies in combining just five important seasonings you probably already own. They are:

  • chili powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • cumin
  • oregano
  • salt

You can also toss in some ground coriander seed, to bump up the corianderliciousness of your cilantro leaves (sprinkled over the top of the finished dish), but it’s purely optional. If you’ve got chili powder, cayenne, cumin, oregano and salt, you’ve got it made in the shade. Enough with the pre-packaged “taco seasoning”! Free your kitchen of this sodium-laden packet of injustice, and marinate your meat in deliciousness.

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Brown about a pound of ground beef (or pork, or chicken, or whatever) in a buttered skillet.
  2. Chuck in your minced garlic (2 or 3 good sized cloves) and chopped red onion or shallot.
  3. Add your spices, as mentioned above, plus about a cup of water to create the “sauce.” My spice ratio is about a teaspoon to a tablespoon each of the coriander seed, oregano and cayenne pepper, plus about 1/8 of a cup of both cumin and chili powder; adjust these as you please for heat and general taste, adding more if you like it more savory. Simmer down your sauce, stirring occasionally, until most of the water has evaporated—about 10 minutes or so.
  4. Spread on your favorite tortilla, garnish as desired, and enjoy. Suggested garnishes include: lettuce, tomato, white cheddar cheese, cilantro, guacamole, salsa (I enjoy both red Salsa Casera and green Salsa Verde from Herdez), pickled banana pepper rings (I’ve been using some from Mt. Olive), and Celebrity Intern’s favorite, La Vaquita’s Crema Salvadoreña, a kind of El Salvadorean crème fraiche.

That’s it, that’s all. No fuss, no muss. Just great tacos. You’re welcome.

Also, if you’re looking for a great recipe for breakfast tacos, my fellow blogger Shim’s got you covered, over at Diet-of-Insects. (And no edible insects, I promise.)

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Juan in a Million


2010
05.23

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Posted in Restaurants | No Comments »

I’ve been meaning to post about Juan in a Million for a while now, as it was one of the original suggestions from our Foodie Banker, and Celebrity Intern and I hit the place hard fiending for some breakfast tacos on a lazy Sunday.

A word to the wise: Go early. I mean, like, buttcrack-o’-dawn early! (They open at 7 AM, daily.) Otherwise, you will regret the error of your foolish, foolish ways. Especially if you’re looking for parking. OY!

Now, aside from having the most awesomely punny name in town (and me having missed this weekend’s O. Henry Pun-Off, scandal!), Juan in a Million has reportedly The Best Breakfast Tacos in Austin. This has now officially been confirmed by my co-workers, who reguarly bring in a couple of the Don Juan tacos to share. At 3 bucks (and 60 cents) a pop, and with multiple tortillas supplied to divvy the booty from “El Taco Grande” up, they can squeeze 4 breakfast tacos out of one Don Juan, so that’s some mighty fine bang for your buck!

The Don Juan and its not-so-secret ingredients, revealed! (photo by Flickr user Mike Barish)

The Don Juan comes with “a secret combination of potato, egg, bacon and cheese,” but you can also try the fajitas (beef or chicken), beef or chicken tacos, carne guisada, or guacamole tacos for significantly less fat cash (i.e. $1.95 and up). Mix and match ‘em for maximum satisfaction.

I’ll admit that I was a silly billy and went for a lunchtime menu item, the chicken enchiladas, when we first stopped by Juan’s fab taco house, but having tasted the (not-so-)secret sauce, I’ve seen the error of my ways. Sure, enchiladas are always a good bet, but their breakfast tacos are truly divine. Grab ‘em to go and win the undying loyalty of your staff by sharing them around the office!