First Look: El Chipirón

Editor's Note: closed Summer 2019

New Spanish restaurant El Chipirón (meaning little squid...yeah, I had to look that one up) opened at 2717 South Lamar at Manchaca at the end of June, after what seemed like a very lengthy process. Looking back at their Facebook page, the exterior sign went up in May 2016, a full 15 months before they actually opened. While I haven't spoken to anyone with the restaurant about the delays, I would guess it has to do with the City of Austin and various delays in being able to get permits issued and certificates of occupancies authorized. I can only imagine how maddening and expensive it is for new restaurants to get started. Anyhow....

While the exterior is your standard and somewhat blah new-build apartment building with street-level retail (it's seems that's all there is on South Lamar these days), El Chipirón's interior is a beautiful light-filled space. Big windows facing north and west and a modern design, anchored by a huge white (limestone?) bar. Though the use of vertical elements as space dividers did remind me of South Lamar's other Spanish restaurant, Barlata, I also wonder why El Chipirón would open so close by, just 1.2 miles south per Google Maps. But apart from a few tapas dishes, their menus appear to be quite different.

El Chipirón's interior

The bar (restaurant entrance is in the back right in this photo)

We arrived a little before 7 pm on Monday night, which turns out to be all-night food specials (aka Pincho Mondays) at the bar. Here's a look at our evening.

Tempranillo, red sangria, and the Gypsy Flower. They are becoming quite well-known for their gin drinks.

Each diner was given a little plate of olives and manchego cheese as a starter.

Padron peppers (also known as shishitos) with a light mustard aioli sauce.

Patatas bravas; these were ok, but unexciting; I couldn't tell you what the sauce was.

Oxtail empanadas, while small, had a wonderfully flaky pastry and very tender meat inside, served with garlic aioli.
Would definitely get these again!

Mejillones (mussels) + chorizo, with a broth made from an Albariño wine and garlic,
that definitely called for more bread. Great flavors!

Churros with a nice thick bittersweet chocolate sauce (there was a fifth churro that got snatched before I could get a photo!). There was a density to the churros which I liked, and a lack of grease which I loved!

All in all, a nice experience. Both the gentlemen tending bar were personable, but it was my dining companions that really made it a fun evening!  And not that it really matters, but I am curious about the El Chipirón logo up top, is the stylized "ó" a squid ink stain or a drippy wine glass? Clearly I need more sangria!

Dali spies on you as you head to the restrooms.

Recent Eats, part one

I got to celebrate my birthday at the end of March with my parents in town, which lead to many (ok, all!) meals out. So here's a recap of the highlights, as well as a couple of events I attended, and some other meals -- the good, the great, and luckily only one bad. I feel fortunate to live in such a great food city!

Birthday celebrations started at The Flying Carpet and Regal Ravioli trailers! Special thanks to Maria, Abdu, and Zach  -- these guys all do such great work (and both do catering!) -- go check them out and tell them I sent you!

Lunch at Sway, their tom kha soup had such a flavorful broth! It's also a clear broth, not a coconut milk-based one, and while it was still rich in flavor, it was relatively light. I could eat this everyday.

Brunch at Barlata; they have some traditional dishes like their take on French toast called Torrijas, with a wonderful array of fresh fruit, and this house-cured salmon was simple and tasty.

Dinner at Uchi, the one place my father HAD to visit while they were here, and I was more than happy to oblige. This was one of the nightly specials, perfectly cooked wagyu beef with sweet potatoes done three ways: pureed, roasted, and somehow made into light as air crisps.

An invite to Paggi House, to try their new spring menu. We were treated to a multitude of dishes, from delicious herbed butter with the bread to this tuna with coconut panna cotta (that's my interpretation of it at least) to braised veal cheeks over polenta (one of my favorites of the evening) to a marvelous grasshopper brownie concoction with "dirt" that was delicious. Plus during April, they are donating money from sales of their signature cocktails to the Glimmer of Hope Foundation for their summer camp programs. (I was invited to try their food, but was not paid for my opinion.)

Lunch with a friend at the new East Side King on South Lamar. I have really loved the trailers, but haven't been in a while. We opted for the old standbys from the trailers, and am sorry to say we were left disappointed. From top left, the Brussels sprouts hardly had any Brussels, it was mostly cabbage; the chicken kara-age was soft, no crispness to the pieces; the fried beets were soggy; and the pork belly bun was just alright. I Instagramed this same photo and expressed my sentiments; happy to say someone from ESK responded with apologizes and said they would notify the kitchen of the issues. Now whether things improve, that remains to be seen, and from comments left on the photo, others have noticed a decline in quality at the trailers as well.

A dinner meeting at Stiles Switch BBQ. I have heard very mixed things about this place from day one, and from various people who's food opinions I trust. They made Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ places in Texas,  and clearly Texas Monthly was there on a good day. I'd say this meal was ok, but nothing spectacular. I got the three meat sampler plate: pork ribs not bad, sausage had a really really fine grind, I like mine a bit chunkier, and the brisket on the right.... it was cut really thick, had no smoke ring, and was quite dry. Great BBQ is all about consistency, and based on this one meal, I don't see how they get the high marks. The service though was uber-friendly, and they do get kudos for that! 

Winebelly

Here in South Austin, the South First/Oltorf/South Lamar food corridors have gotten a lot more interesting  in the past couple months. First Barlata on South Lamar, a Spanish tapas bar (see my post here), and now Winebelly at South First and Oltorf, also a tapas bar, but serving a wider range of cuisine. (And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Austin Beer Garden Brewery, just east of Lamar on Oltorf with their various beers brewed on site and delicious pizzas.) I tracked the openings of both Barlata and Winebelly and waited a good six weeks for things to shake down before trying either one. Verdict: worth the waits.

Winebelly took over the Green Muse Coffee Bar; it's on the south side of Oltorf, just east of South First, with sort of a disparate grouping of businesses (the gas station/convenience store on the corner, Pizza Patron, two financial services, Austin Rebuilders and Habanero). Fortunately, once inside, you don't feel like you're in a (quasi) strip center. The bar is directly in front when you walk in, with table seating around to the right and back, including what looked to be a nice patio area outside.

We started with some cocktails, I had the John Lee Hooker, a very tasty concoction of Gewurstraminer, Cava, agave nectar, ginger, and a dash of hot sauce. Winebelly presently offers only beer and wines, no liquor.

My friend started with the panzanella salad, which was beautiful and delicious! Lacinato kale dressed in a light sherry vinaigrette with watermelon radishes, idiazabal cheese (an aged Spanish sheep's milk cheese), and crisp bread cubes, which I much prefer over soggy ones often found in a panzanella.

I had the cauliflower soup, which was creamy and velvety beyond belief. It's topped with smoked trout and trout roe, and what you can't see but was an amazing addition was little bits of lightly tart apple at the bottom of the bowl. All the flavors were extremely well-balanced.

This is the specials board, which I didn't see when we walked in; it's on the wall to the left of the door when you walk in, but the hostess stand was to the right, so I missed it. We had a great waitress who was knowledgeable about the menu, and didn't hesitate to name her favorite dishes when I asked. Her only miscue was when describing the pork belly special, she said "summer squash puree" which sounded odd to me, and I even repeated it back to her. Clearly it didn't stop me from ordering the pork belly, and fortunately, it was with a sweet potato puree, whose sweetness countered the savory nature of the pork belly. The belly was nicely crisp on top, but still fatty -- without seeming fatty -- in the middle, you know what I mean? The Brussels were good, though I am having a hard time remembering how they were seasoned.

The meat balls was the one dish that neither of us were real impressed with. It's a decent enough serving of five not quite golf-ball sized  pieces, and they are a combo of pork, veal and beef. The flavor was okay,  however something was off with the texture. They held together, but were too....loose? Squishy? Undercooked, but not raw? Can't quite put my finger on it, but we didn't finish them.

We both wanted dessert, but presently Winebelly is only offering sorbets and gelatos. Something toothsome like cake or a brownie is what we both were craving.....hopefully in the future, they will offer more of a selection. The place has a great vibe, shabby chic decor, though a little dark even in the daylight hours (had to use the flash on the food pictures). I look forward to sitting out back and sipping on some wine for my next visit. Or perhaps some bubbly! The Mark Twain quote was inside one of the bathroom stalls.... might have to sneak a peak inside the men's room to see what inspiration is in there. Cheers to a great new addition to the neighborhood!

I believe Winebelly does a seasonal menu, so all items I described might not be on the menu when you go! Another side note, the owners are the Tran family that owns Hai Ky on East Oltorf.

Barlata

In case you've been away from Austin this summer, Barlata is finally here.  After close to two years of rumors that Daniel Olivella (a Spanish chef, by way of San Francisco) would open a tapas restaurant in town, the doors opened the beginning of July. Immediately, there were rave reviews. I've waited a bit to let things settle down, but I have been excited to try Barlata.

Located at 1500 South Lamar, Barlata occupies a street-level position at the Post South Lamar apartment complex; parking is available in the garage behind the building. I'll call the interior and decor a modern industrial look, but without the coldness that often comes with that style. Service was extremely good throughout our visit. Water glasses were regularly attended to, finished plates whisked away, and our server was knowledgeable about the menu. And happily, when we arrived on a weekday at 6 pm, they were not that busy; by 7 pm they were at least half full, and by the time we left around 7:45, it was 80-90% filled, but there was no line waiting for tables. And on to the food!

We started with the cheese plate, which is probably the only dish that I would not order again, only because the value is not there. (But in their defense, most cheese plates are not a good value.) It's great to have the variety of 6 cheeses, but they are such thin slices. At $12, I'd rather have three cheeses, and thus more quantity of each. This is certainly a sampler plate. And at a table of four, we each got half a piece of toasted bread. The fig cake and quince paste are good traditional pairings with the cheeses. Fortunately, the food and value got better as we went along.

Next were the Mussels in Sofrito. Delicious, and well worth their $9 price tag. Beautifully presented, the sofrito (generally a sauce made from onions, garlic, and tomatoes) and the green peas gave a nice pop of color and presentation.

While my Lamb Brochette picture did not turn out exceptionally well, this $9 plate was delicious, though I am partial to lamb. The meat was grilled to a nice medium rare, was savory and juicy. I think I was too excited about the lamb to remember much about the sauce with it.

In Spain, a tortilla is an egg dish, not a type of bread that comes in flour or corn. This is the Tortilla Espinaca, with spinach and Manchego cheese. The tomato sauce/relish had a really nice kick to it, and certainly made the dish more interesting. The pan con tomate (bread rubbed with tomato) was a bit soggy from the condensation.

Barlata offers 10 different paellas, including a vegetarian option and two made with fideua (fideo, or vermicelli pasta). We picked the Arros Cacadora, made with rosemary instead of saffron, and chicken, rabbit, pancetta, and mushrooms. As you may be able to tell from the sheen, the dish was on the oily side; I also don't recall finding any pancetta in it, and the rice was not crispy on the bottom. But despite these, it was still incredibly tasty. The mushrooms really added a nice depth and that umami quality to it. This was the "small" size, which was in an 8 or 9 inch paella pan ($15), and with the other items we ordered, was perfect for four people.

And a meal would not be complete without dessert. There was the Mel i Mato, a traditional Catalan dish, of goat cheese mousse (or I'd say cheesecake) on top of a walnut crust with a oloros (sherry) ice cream and caramel drizzle. It was really delicious. And then there was the Crema Catalana. This is probably one of the single best desserts I have had at a restaurant, so simple and clean. It's the Spanish take on creme brulee; Barlata's is lightly infused with lemon, and while it's rich, it's not overly decadent. The "crema" was so velvety smooth and contrasted nicely with the caramelized sugar crust on top. Worth every single penny and then some.

I would go back just for the Crema Catalana, but fortunately there are other things on the menu that I am interested in trying. Barlata has happy hour Sunday through Thursday, from 5 - 6:30 pm in the bar area only. From their social media posts, it appears each day has a different drink and food offering. It's a great addition to the growing Austin food scene, and I am extremely happy to have Barlata in my backyard.  

¡Salud!