First Look at Alcomar

Last week, I was invited by Alcomar to come try their menu; I was not paid for a blog post and opinions are purely my own. Fortunately, it's all good things to report!

I live in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, so I was surprised earlier this year to hear that the El Chile at South First and Mary Streets was going to change its concept to become at Latin seafood spot, as El Chile always seemed popular. Chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas of sister restaurant El Alma, and Chef Jeff Martinez of El Chile teamed up to form Alcomar, and barely a month in they're making waves (bada bing!) in the Austin culinary scene.

My friend and I each started with some sangria roja, and they brought fresh tostadas, a habanero-pumpkin seed salsa called siklipak and some pickled veggies (yes it was habanero, but no, it wasn't that hot). Beautiful color and flavor on the sangria, and that was just a preview, as everything we had looked and tasted fresh and vibrant.

We started with the snapper ceviche, which has mint, olives, serrano and jicama in it, and is served with yucca chips. Loved just the hint of mint!

My friend had the scallops Veracruzana; and if the scallops themselves aren't fabulous enough, it comes with a cauliflower flan, which was as decadent as the name flan implies.

I opted for the crab cake from the appetizer menu as my main dish, and also ordered the cauliflower a la carte. The tortilla crusted crab cake was loaded with crab, and the plate had tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and a grilled lemon aioli which popped with flavor.

For dessert, there was the dark chocolate tart with Bolivian sea salt and what I think was cajeta (goat's milk caramel). Love the star burst presentation, and this was over the top delicious!

And bunuelos, fried flour tortillas (I think) dusted with sugar, and a highly edible coconut tequila crema alongside.

The interior was completely revamped to give it an upscale Mexican beach feel, and my friend who lived on the Mexican coast for several months was immediately transported.  Each window has a different rope curtain and the simple light fixtures are covered with huge open-weave baskets. And the ever-present octopus graces the north wall, both on the interior and exterior.

Alcomar is a great addition to the Austin food scene, as I don't know of another Latin place like this in town. Catch the wave and go try it for yourself! Mariscos y mas, con sabores fabulosos! Gracias a todos, Alcomar!

Alcomar
1816 South First Street
open 7 days a week, 11 am - 9 pm (til 10 pm on T/W/Th and til 11 pm on F/Sa)

El Alma Cafe

El Alma Cafe is the latest reincarnation of the corner spot at Dawson (South 5th) and Barton Springs Road. I've stopped counting how many different restaurants have opened in this spot, and I thought we finally had a winner with El Chile. Then, in summer 2011, it seemed somewhat abruptly El Chile announced they were turning the kitchen and hence menu over to Chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas, a veteran of places such as Jeffrey's and Fonda San Miguel. So El Chile morphed into El Alma. I was invited to an opening tasting, and I had drinks and apps last summer, but not a full meal.

It was a warmer February night so we took advantage of their great rooftop patio. El Alma has generous happy hours, from 3 - 7 pm on weeknights, and 3 - 6 pm on weekends; there are some drink specials, and the regular appetizers are half price. And while the pricing of the sangria and house margarita was good, neither were exceptional drinks; the sangria really didn't have any kick to it, and the margarita had too much -- all sweet and sour mix. (My sangria from last summer was certainly better!) Our friendly waitress told us of some evening specials, which turned out to be quite delicious!

There was a creamy mushroom soup special, with cauliflower and scallops, which we all thought was pretty killer! Great deep flavor from all those umami mushrooms, and just super creamy. Not sure what else was in it (almonds?), but all three of us agreed we'd eat it again in a heartbeat. 

The shrimp chelada from the regular menu was less successful, as the shrimp were "overcooked" by the lime juice (it's ceviche-style), and were tough and very salty.

The other appetizer special was gorditas with chorizo, potato, crema Mexicana, and topped with chicarrones. The flavors were really good, as the chorizo did not overpower the other items. The gordita shells were crispier than I have had them before, but it was a nice texture contrast with the other ingredients. They kind of filled me up for the time being though, and I knew I wanted to try more of their food.

I ended up ordering the Duck Enmoladas to go -- duck enchiladas with their mole sauce. Yes, I am on the quest to find the best mole in town! El Alma's was quite good, but I am still searching! ;) Theirs is made from pasilla chiles, almonds, and the waitress said they use ground animal crackers as the thickener! It had a nice sweetness, some chocolately notes, and some heat to it! I also loved the pickled onions that were on here as well as the shrimp chelad, and at $15, a reasonable price, given that it is duck.

The upstairs patio practically doubles their seating space, and I know from past experience it can get a bit loud in the main room. The colorful artwork gives a nice visual pop to the interior stonework. It's also a good spot if you're coming to an event at the Long Center or Palmer Auditorium, as they are right across the street. Go sit upstairs while the weather is nice and enjoy the views of downtown. And pay attention to the dishes on the daily specials, or you might just miss something quite tasty! It's nice to have a semi-upscale interior Mexican spot in the neighborhood.

El Alma

The corner of Dawson (South 5th) and Barton Springs has been a revolving door for restaurants for a number of years. Most recently, it was an outpost of El Chile, and it appeared to be doing well. Then, it seemed without warning, El Chile closed last June, but rebranded itself with a new executive chef, Alma Alcocer, formerly of Jeffrey's.  I attended a tasting they hosted, but haven't been able to get back for a full meal. This time, happy hour, and their half-price antojitos (appetizers) beckoned, so I still need to go for a main meal!

During daily happy hour, they've got specials on margaritas, sangria, and Lone Star beers. I was more than happy to sip on a sangria while waiting for my friend to arrive! The corn tortilla chips were nice and light, and the green sauce with tomatillo, avocado and lime was particularly tasty!

To snack on, I picked the emapanadas and the queso blanco y rojo. The corn masa empanandas are filled with mushrooms and cheese, and must have achiote paste in the masa to give them their orange color. The salsa was called picosa (different than the one that was with the chips), and it had a nice light, roasted flavor. The queso was really good! Great consistency (no crappy cheese by-products!), and nice bits of rajas (sauteed poblano pepper strips) and onions. It's served with tostados, or, yesterdays flour tortillas that are cut and fried. I love how thick they are, but several were very greasy. 

My friend had the ceviche clasico, prepared with black drum. She offered me a bite, which for some reason I turned down at the time. She loved it, and I missed out!

I have heard the duck rellenos are delicious, but they will have to wait until another time! Hopefully, El Alma has the right recipe for success at this corner spot.

El Alma

I attended a media tasting last night of the new El Alma (the former El Chile) at Barton Springs and Dawson Road, headed up by Executive Chef Alma Alcocer. We were seated in the upstairs terrace patio area, which, given the late summer heat, was still quite comfortable, and you don't really hear the noise from the street. The white-washed walls and how it's built into the hillside evoke an image of Greece!

It started with the Guacamole al Chipotle, on the right, and the Ceviche on the left. I really liked the sunflower seeds on the guac, and while ceviche isn't usually my first love, this was done with black drum, and was nicely prepared with pickled onion, and not at all "overcooked."

Next was Sopecitos with beef, which was delicious! It's not a regular menu item, but it's worth getting if you see it on their specials. The masa cake was nicely done, not overly dry or heavy.

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Then the Gringas quesadillas with mushrooms and caramelized onions, with a nice sauce, that if memory serves, I think was chipotle.

Followed by the crab cakes, also a non-regular menu item. They were pure crab with whole corn kernels on the inside (no filler!), with a heavy tortilla breading on the outside, served with remoulade and pickled onions.

And a pork taco al pastor that had nice flavor.

Finishing with a bite of Tequila Lemon Cream Cake!

I have it on good authority that the duck relleno is fantastic, so I know what I will be ordering from the entree menu when I return! Nice to have another quality establishment in the neighborhood!