XL Food & Drink

Getting your Mexican food fix

By Dale Rice
AMERICAN-STATESMAN RESTAURANT CRITIC
Thursday, March 16, 2006

When it comes to Mexican food in Austin, choices abound. And it's not just the Mexican restaurant selection — choose from more than 200 — but the style of food, which varies widely from place to place.

That's because two broad categories of Mexican fare have settled here: interior and Tex-Mex. Each has distinct characteristics that lead to disparate meals.

Interior Mexican cuisine represents a style of cooking found in South and Central Mexico — places such as Oaxaca and the Yucatán — while Tex-Mex marries dishes common to northern Mexico and Texas.

That North-South divide also cuts through several main ingredients that differentiate the two regions.

In the interior, seafood, chicken and pork dominate the menu, along with black beans and corn tortillas. On the border — where the culture of the vaquero mingles with that of the cowboy — beef is the heavy hitter, accompanied by pinto beans and flour tortillas.

Even the preparation of the beans is distinct. In Tex-Mex, they are typically mashed or refried; in the interior, they usually are served whole. The Tex-Mex variety also tends to be spicier, with a much heavier use of jalapeños.

Beyond ingredients, the cooking styles contrast as well. Tex-Mex results from a simpler, rural way of cooking, while interior fare is steeped in urban European influences that add a complexity to the cuisine.

The 15 restaurants profiled here can serve as a virtual tour of Mexican food and its abundantly flavorful traditions as interpreted by Central Texans.

Tex-Mex

El Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant
The nachos, covered with refried beans, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños and fantastic fajita meat, could be a dinner unto themselves. 1419 W. Texas 71, Bastrop; (512) 303-0838.

Juan in a Million
Start with the fiery salsa that accompanies the chips, and then move on to memorable breakfast or lunch items such as the machacado con huevo (dried beef with eggs), beef soup or chicken tacos. 2300 E. Cesar Chavez St., 472-3872.

La Terraza
The chile relleno here is packed with large chunks of tender, moist pork and served with charro beans, rice and a small guacamole salad. 1605 E. Oltorf St. (on the northbound Interstate 35 access road), 444-0018.

Mi Rey
Sample the border with a botana platter for two: nachos with refried beans, ground beef and melted cheese; chicken flautas; guacamole; and a cup of chile con queso for the chips. 1505 E. Seventh St., 476-4211.

Olmecas Mexican Restaurant
This small place serves a tasty version of what may be the ultimate Tex-Mex breakfast: migas, which combines fried strips of tortillas, eggs, onions and jalapeños. 2121 E. Oltorf St., 440-0809.

Santa Rita
For a modern Tex-Mex twist, try the mushroom and spinach enchiladas, which are stuffed full of vegetables. Ask for two sauces: the zesty tomatillo and lighter Suiza (sour cream). 1206 W. 38th St., 419-7482.

Vivo Cocina Mexicana
The puffy chicken tacos are full of flavorful, well-seasoned fare that fills light, half-moon-shaped tacos made from masa. Bonuses: a great patio and equally good smoky salsa. 2015 Manor Road, 482-0300.

Interior

Curra's Grill
The cochinita pibil, a classic Yucatán dish, features delicious, tender pork leg cooked in a banana leaf and served with rice, black beans and grilled plantains. 6801 Burnet Road, 451-2560; 614 E. Oltorf St., 444-0012.

Evita's Botanitas
The chicken Juarez is a chicken breast stuffed with chorizo, mushrooms, white cheese and peppers that has been breaded, fried, baked and presented in a pool of zesty tomatillo sauce. 6400 S. First St., 441-2424.

Fonda San Miguel
One of the most famous interior Mexican restaurants in the United States, Fonda tenders dishes such as ensalada de nopalitos, combining marinated cactus with cilantro, onions and tomatoes. 2330 W. North Loop Blvd., 459-4121.

Garibaldi's
From a fiery bowl of fish soup to the mole sauce and the alhambres, a version of fajitas that mixes beef, chorizo, mushrooms and pineapple, this small spot delivers full-bodied flavor along with handmade tortillas. 4201 S. Congress Ave., 326-9788.

Las Palomas
Emphasizing freshness, this longtime family-owned restaurant makes ceviche with small cubes of white fish that have been marinated in lime juice with onions, cilantro, tomatoes and spices. 3201 Bee Cave Road; 327-9889.

Manuel's
In the campechana, a classic Mexican dish, poached seafood and shrimp are mixed with a salsa fresca of diced ripe tomatoes, onions, cilantro and serranos to form a colorful, lightly spicy appetizer. 10201 Jollyville Road; 345-1042.

Both sides

Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy
From the upscale, interior Mexican portion of the menu comes the alambre de camaron, grilled bacon-wrapped shrimp stuffed with jalapeño and cheese. 2901 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), 306-0857.

Azul Tequila
The chile relleno en crema, on the interior side of the menu, introduces a poblano pepper stuffed with pork, almonds, onions and raisins, topped with an almond-tomato cream sauce. 4211 S. Lamar Blvd., 416-9667.