Dining: Las Palomas

Las Palomas feels like eating dinner with the family

By Dale Rice
American-Statesman Restaurant Critic
Web posted: Oct. 27, 2004

Like a family, there are some restaurants that -- no matter how long you've been away -- make you feel instantly at home when you return.

Perhaps that's why 90 percent of the customers are repeat visitors at Las Palomas, the longtime Mexican restaurant in the back corner of the Westwood Shopping Center at Walsh Tarlton Lane and Bee Cave Road.

Something as seemingly small as a warm smile and greeting at the front door launches the welcoming ambience and establishes the expectations for friendly service, which never relents throughout the meal.

Photos by Larry Kolvoord/AA-S Las Palomas will warmly greet you and then lovingly present a meal of flavors from interior Mexico. Try the steak tamarindo, left, shrimp chipotle, top right, and the flan. Las Palomas 3201 Bee Cave Road (512) 327-9889 Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Wheelchair access: Yes Wine: 9 by the glass ($4.25-$5.75), 6 by the bottle ($14.95-$17.25) Rating: Oct. 28, 2004 Reviews: • Las Palomas • Ben's Longbranch Barbecue More In Restaurants: • Complete Restaurant Reviews • Austin360 Foodie Board • Girl Walks Into A Bar

While the restaurant has always been a family operation, it is more than that. It's a comfortable place for families, as demonstrated by several tables of multigenerational diners on a recent evening.

Even the recipes reflect those familial links: They were collected from generations of Amelia's family in the interior of Mexico. Consequently, they do not represent the border dishes of typical Tex-Mex restaurants.

The tortilla soup ($3.50 for a cup, $3.95 for a bowl) is a good example of that. It has a hearty, moderately spicy, tomato-based broth made with chicken stock. But it is not thick with chunks of chicken and vegetables like the more familiar version of the soup. In fact, it contains only a few thin, fried tortilla strips and crumbled cheese. Here, it's all about the tasty broth, not the added ingredients.

Another appetizer, the empanadas ($5.95) were golden envelopes of pastry, one filled with cheese and the other stuffed with pork (two of the four choices available), served with a side of guacamole.

The ceviche ($7.95) featured small cubes of white fish that had been marinated in lime juice with onions, cilantro, tomatoes and spices, reflecting the Corona family's emphasis on freshness at Las Palomas.

In fact, the first taste of salsa -- with its sharp, distinct bite of cilantro -- was a good indicator of things to come.

For the entrees, the cochinita pibil ($10.95) represented the influence of the Yucatán: shredded pork loin cooked in a spicy red sauce and topped with marinated onions. It was served with a white rice (not the typical Mexican rice cooked with tomatoes and bits of vegetables) and refried beans.

The shrimp in lemon sauce ($12.95) picked up the European influence that is often found in the dishes of interior Mexico, with a delicate sauce of citrus, capers and butter.

The chimichurri steak ($12.95) extended the menu southward, with a parsley-based sauce mostly identified with Argentina. The exceptionally tender beef was accompanied by a chicken enchilada with a tomatillo sauce, rice and refried beans.

For a sweet finish, the flan ($3.75) delivered a wedge of dark custard that was accented with a bit of Grand Marnier, the orange-flavored liqueur.

The tres leches cake ($3.95), a rectangle just a bit more than an inch thick, had a finer crumb than many similar confections and only a scant puddle of cream surrounding it. But it was one of the most evenly moist -- and one of the best -- pieces of this style of cake that I've had.

For decadence, there are always the sopapillas with ice cream ($3.95 for two). The fried rounds of dough are drizzled with honey and crowned with scoops of vanilla ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon, perfect for the young -- and young at heart -- in your crowd.

For the most part, though, the fare at Las Palomas is as sophisticated as the tastes of its founders, who embraced legions of diners as family.