Las Palomas

Tucked away in a strip mall corner in Westlake is Las Palomas, a Mexican establishment that's been around for years. It's been at least 12 or 13 years since I last dined there (and before I was "really" into food), so it was a little bit of a blast from the past when I met a friend there for lunch recently.

They still had a decent crowd at 1 pm on a Tuesday; the restaurant is very large, though it doesn't feel like it, until you start looking around for the restroom, located towards the rear. You pass some smaller dining areas that would be good for private events. It's a little dark in the main room dining though, and that's during the daytime.

My friend and I started with the rajas from the appetizer menu. Strips of poblano peppers are sauteed with onions and served with a nice melty cheese and tortillas. Their version was quite good, others I've had in town end up being rubbery, but Las Palomas has picked a good cheese to use. (I swear it wasn't as greasy as it looks in the picture.)

I picked the chicken mole enchiladas from the lunch menu, which came with a choice of soup or salad; I chose the corn soup over the tortilla, and wasn't disappointed. It had a nice velvety texture, and good corn flavor. I don't know if it was fresh corn or not, but it at least didn't taste like canned corn. Maybe a touch of heat (spice, not temperature) would be a nice addition.

The enchiladas were a disappointment. I often pick mole when I go to an interior-style Mexican restaurant (as opposed to a Tex-Mex spot), because I love a good mole for what should be it's flavor nuances. This one was flat, very little notes of chocolate, nuts, or much else for that matter. It had a little bit of sweetness to it, but was pretty much a one-note dish. The refried beans weren't much better. My friend had the fish tacos, which were deemed okay, but certainly nothing spectacular either.

To give Las Palomas a shot at redemption, we ordered flan for dessert. And we were very happy we did, because it was terrific! It was served in a wedge, like pie, rather than unmolded from a custard cup, which is more typical. It was smooth and dense, but not heavy. Now the online menu says it is prepared with Gran Marnier, and while I don't recall tasting that at all, I didn't miss it. Good choice!

Looking at their website, they do have info on facility rentals and catering, and extensive information on the family that founded and still runs it. The website seems fairly modern, with Open Table reservations added, whereas their printed menus seemed a bit dated. They had praise from an Austin American-Statesman food critic who I have never heard of (and I've been in ATX awhile....). Maybe the lunch specials are just meant to be quick in-and-out meals for the business diners, which could be why they both seemed to fall short. I'd be real curious about some of the other traditional Mexican plates like the cochinita pibil or Veracruzana. They do also have a menu with gluten free offerings, which is nice to see. And in this day and age of Facebook and Twitter, Las Palomas doesn't appear to have either accounts, but after more than 25 years in business, it looks like they don't need to.

Froyoyo

If you hadn't noticed, lots of frozen yogurt shops have been popping up all over town. For ages, all we had was TCBY near the Drag, but now it looks like every area of town has at least one. And there's at least one franchise that is trying (and I think succeeding!) in setting themselves apart: Froyoyo on Bee Caves in the Westwood Shopping center. 

I chatted with owner Joan over multiple samples of their different yogurts. They offer three distinct varieties: 1) uber-creamy, 2) a low calorie/carb, fat free, no gluten version called Only 8, and 3) a tart one (and here's where they are leading the pack) produced with locally made White Mountain yogurt. I love tart yogurts, such as the White Mountain (which is made with a lot of probiotics in it) and Greek yogurt, so it was no surprise to me that I found the original tart and pomegranate tart flavors to be absolutely delicious. Pomegranate actually tasted like the fruit, and Joan said they do other fruit flavors like mango and passion fruit. Many other yogurt shops have a tart yogurt, but it's made from a pre-made mix, rather than from real yogurt.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Only 8, in that it didn't taste like something made with artificial sugar (which I am very taste-sensitive too).... because it's not! It's named Only 8 because there are only 8 calories per ounce of it, and usually they have 3 flavors available. It's certainly not as rich as the creamy yogurts, but really, if you didn't have the regular in front of you to compare it to, you wouldn't really know the difference. All of their flavor selections vary -- they've got a huge range they can choose from, but typically, they'll have vanilla and chocolate in the Only 8, and the original tart flavor.

At Froyoyo, you pay by the ounce, rather than by a standard cup size. So you can get a little bit of yogurt with a ton of toppings on it (and, yes, there ARE a ton of toppings!) or you can get a lot of yogurt with just one topping, and still pay the same price per ounce. And in this hot weather, we can all use a little extra something to help cool us down without weighing us down! 

Ooops, I forgot to actually take a picture of the yogurt! That's ok, you can use your imagination. Or better yet, go try some yourself!

New Mexico Green Chiles

 Okay, time to vent, people. 

There is no such thing as a "Hatch chile" -- let's just get that straight RIGHT NOW, as we're getting into the chile season. They are all variations on New Mexico green chiles, and in New Mexico, they are known as GREEN CHILES. They are predominantly grown in the Mesilla Valley, which stretches about 40ish miles from Las Cruces to the northwest on Interstate 25, to the little town of Hatch. It's a fertile agricultural region, that also sees pecans, lettuce, cotton, onions, all within Dona Ana county.


This whole "Hatch" thing is something that's become trendy here in Austin from the fine marketing people at places like Central Market and Whole Foods -- places where you can buy large quantities of them, and who will dedicate a week or more-long festival to them. Also, the town of Hatch is known for it's Hatch Chile Festival every Labor Day weekend. But they can call it "Hatch" because they're IN Hatch!


Why is this such a pet peeve of mine, you ask? Because, my grandparents were farmers in Las Cruces, and one of the things they raised were green chiles. Furthermore, my great-uncle, was a researcher at the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Known as "Mr. Chile," he developed several varieties of green chiles, including Big Jim.

Sandias are bred for their heat -- they're long and pointy. Big Jims were bred to be meaty -- a mild to medium flavor, and good for stuffing, like for chile rellenos. Other popular ones are the NuMex 6-4, Rio Grande, even the ordinary Anaheim. A good history of green chiles can be found here.

There's also a movement to preserve the heritage of the green chiles grown in New Mexico, as much of the green chile that's on the market now comes from Mexico, where it's cheaper. NPR even ran a story on the local growers and the NM Chile Association.


The pictures here are ones I took in 2005; the top one is of chile fields, with Picacho Peak in the background. To the east, are the beautiful Organ Mountains, this taken from outside my aunt's house.

Enough on this soapbox (or rather, sack of chile) for the time being. Now, ask me what "Christmas" means in New Mexico.

Bits and Bites

Yours truly is a member of the Austin Food Blogger's Alliance, and one of the organization's missions is philanthropy. I've been sitting on that committee, and am excited to share an upcoming event, open to the public! The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is holding a screening of the movie Waitress, on Sunday, August 21st at 1 pm. The movie centers around Jenna, a diner waitress, trapped in a bad marriage, who dreams about having her own pie shop. We'll have a table outside the theater with pies donated from local businesses that will be available for sale (on a donation basis) after the movie.  Proceeds from the ticket and pie sales will benefit Safeplace. Advance tickets can be bought here. Come down and see us!!

The food bloggers will also have representation at the first Slow Food Quiz Bowl, this Sunday at the Highball. Local food peeps will compete for the title of foodie geek, in a food-based trivia challenge, hosted by Statesman food writer Addie Broyles.

From a recent Twitter conversation between @BarleySwine and @tomcolicchio, it appears Tom dined at Food & Wine Magazine's  Best New Chef Bryce Gilmore's place at the end of July, with Tom saying he'll most likely be back in town for September's ACL fest. But this lends more proof to the pudding that Top Chef has been filming in the area. Another rumor recently seen somewhere online was that Uchiko Chef and East Side King King, Paul Qui is apparently doing quite well in the competition....

Local food blogger Austin Gastronomist compiled a fantastic list of some of the top movers and shakers in Austin's food circles who are under the age of 35. The 35 Under 35 list is a great reference and resource, and a lot of hard work was spent compiling it!

Opening/Moving/Closing/Etc.

-- GoodPops All Natural Frozen Pops is launching a pop-up location (pun intended?) near South Congress and Riverside Drive through October. The locally sourced pops are also available at Whole Foods and Royal Blue Grocery. No high fructose, refined sugars or artificial junk!

-- The now defunct Screaming Goat at Lamar and 10th is about to become a restaurant called Bacon. Drool. Seriously, this has the potential to be amazing!!!!

-- Kerbey Lane moving a hair south, for bigger location, more parking. The Statesman reports they are moving to 3001 S. Lamar, where Torchy's and Half Price Books are located. Since Baker Street Pub took over the Old Aligator Grill spot, I think this is the old Blockbuster video locale. 

-- Guess I am behind the times, because I wasn't even aware that Vivo had a second location; I haven't been to their original spot on Manor Road in a number of years, but I never felt their food was extraordinary. Now, there may be reason to check out the newer spot up at 620 and 183 --  Paul Peterson is now the executive chef. After time at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, and a stint on The Learning Channel's Pittmaster BBQ road show, he's back in Central Texas, where he belongs!

-- A new upscale pizza wine bar (yes....) is expanding from Dallas to the trendy 2nd Street District; Coal Vines is scheduled to open on August 29th, at 314 W. 2nd, right across from City Hall.

-- The only Austin location (Burnet and 183) of Benihana's has closed.

Bits and Bites

Cue music: It's too darn hot!

And yes, therefore I've been slacking on the blog, and not paying a whole lot of attention to Twitter lately. (There, I said it....sometimes it's just too darn hard to keep up with Twitter!) So here's what's up in ATX that I am immediately aware of.

News/Events

--  Going on right now, is the Go Texan Restaurant Round up, where local foods are being cooked up and proceeds donated to area food banks. We <3 local!

-- SugarMama's Bakeshop will be hosting Australian baker Jess Pryles on Sunday, July 31st, and she'll be doing some guest baking!

-- The Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival returns on October 22 to Auditorium Shores. Hopefully it's better organized than the first go around! 

-- Local mixologist extraordinaire Bill Norris will be joining the Alamo Drafthouse to head up their beverage program. Cheers!

Openings

-- Cha Thai, a recent addition to the trailer scene, on Jessie St., near South Lamar & Barton Springs. Two Thai sisters serving "modern Thai fare". Excited to go try, but not in this heat! 

-- Also, Mai Thai, a new restaurant downtown at 2nd & San Jacinto. Very nice website!

-- Eater Austin had reported in their email newsletter that the east side new home for John Mueller's BBQ had fallen through, and they would be going for a trailer on S.1st Street. I can't find any further info on that, nor where along S. 1st they're looking, so stay tuned! 

Closings

-- Iggi's Texatarian vegan foods trailer

Okay, that's what I got for now!