Week of 1/23: Lunch

Here's an update on some great lunches from this week.
My new job is right above the Tacodeli on North Lamar. It's a great taco joint with some quality breakfast (try the migas!). The great thing about Taco Deli is not only their broad selection of pork, fish, chicken, beef (and even bison) tacos or dishes, but also their daily specials. I ate there on Wednesday and the special was Chile Relleno, either a taco or the plate. I went with the plate, and was glad I did. It came with your choice of beans (pinto, black, refried) and rice (white, brown, or Mexican), and two charred poblano peppers stuffed with juicy marinated pork. The dish is toped with pickled purple onions and cotija cheese. The dish was definitely the better bang-for-your buck. It came with two tortillas so I was able to make two tacos out of it, and then some!
I still can't tell which of their side sauces I like best.. the Dona might take the lead, but the Habanero has got some serious heat!
Tacodeli Menu

I went down to South Congress to the food trailers to scout out something new for lunch. Mighty Cone is one of my favorite food trailers, and Coat & Thai has some great Thai dishes. Today I tried Wurst Tex, and was in for a real treat. They've got your typical bratwurst and hotdogs but they also have a variation of gourmet and exotic brats. Their regular brat, the 'O.G.' is made Austin's own Live Oak beer for that extra flavor. I got an exotic 'Elk!' which is a sausage of Rocky Mountain elk infused with beehive cheddar & jalapeño.
The brat was topped with flavorful sautéed onions and sauerkraut. I hadn't realized that I had never had elk before, but when I took the first bite.. I could easily tell the difference. It was flavorful and juicy - very similar to bison.
They had a selection of mustards to choose from, from honey mustard to whole grain. I asked the chef  his favorite type of mustard, or the best one for the 'Elk!', and he suggested the spicy brown and the whole grain mustard. I couldn't decide, so I split it half & half. The bun was delicious and the onions and sauerkraut brought the whole sausage together. Wurst Tex was an awesome experience, and I will deffinitely be coming back to try out their other great sausages.

Wurst Tex Menu

ALSO! Just a shout-out to my followers and readers.. thanks for checking out the site! We hope you are enjoying the movies and meals as much as we are (but we doubt it!). Never thought Movies and Meals would be getting over 3,000 views - and couldn't be more excited. So THANK YOU : )

Torchy's Taco of the Month: January

I'm sorry this is my first post in almost four months. I've still been watching many movies and eating - a lot. I just didn't have the time to update the blog with my hectic schedule. This year I'm getting back in the swing of the things and hopefully going to be posting multiple times a week on here!

The Resolution

What better way to start back my bloggin' than a post about my favorite tacos in Austin,  Torchy's! Their January Taco of the Month is fittingly called 'The Resolution' ($4.50).  In this new taco, Grilled Mahi-Mahi is covered with an arugula salad and tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. It is topped with avocado (although i ordered it without),  cotija cheese, diced mango, and drizzled with Torchy's spicy 'Diablo' sauce. It comes in a corn tortilla, and I wouldn't order it any other way. The taco was amazing and surprisingly light for a Torchy's taco. The mango was sweet and moist and balanced the 'Diablo' sauce out perfectly. I'm not the biggest fan of mango in my taco (The Brushfire) but they worked in really well with this taco. The only upsetting thing about The Resolution is that it will be gone by the end of the month.

 My order: 'The Resolution' (left) and my go-to, 'Baja Shrimp' (right)

Hot Sauce Festival

'The only way to beat the heat, is to eat the heat'. The saying was perfectly true for last week's 21st Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. With triple-digit temperatures, the only way to get through the day was with an equally scorching mouth!

My friends and I noticed many people with Camelbacks walking into the event at Waterloo Park, and once we got in realized their purpose... Lets just way water was in high demand throughout the day.

We even made a picture in the Austin American-Statesman!

I was reppin' my Torchy's shirt, of course

http://galleries.statesman.com/gallery/austin-chronicle-hot-sauce-festival/#210091

Back in Austin!

Boy, does it feel so right to be back in Austin! I was out of the country for nearly all of July, and was in Dallas for the rest of the time. I tried to go to the movies as often as I could, and hit up some awesome restaurants in Dallas. Ziziki's, Eno's, Rise nº1, The Porch, Park on Henderson, The Common Table, Lumi, and La Duni were just a hanfull of some of my new favorite spots I ventured to this summer in Dallas. The majority of films I saw were decent... nothing stuck out as 'the must-see summer blockbuster', but my two favorite films were JJ Abram's secretive 'Super 8' and The New Times' 'Page One'.

 Abram's sci-fi epic was captivating and fresh. The cast's camaraderie and youthful spirit was reminiscent to Speilberg's 'Goonies', while the plot steered more towards Abram's bulk of work ('LOST', 'Fringe'). The film had me laughing, sympathetic, and on the edge of my seat -- a true roller-coaster of emotions! The short film that the kids entered into their contest (titled "The Case") played during the credits and was genius. A neat side-fact is that the children actually wrote and filmed the humorous film without any intervention from Abrams.

The New York Times' all access documentary was great. A film crew followed the newspaper tycoon for over a year - a very interesting period for print media as social media outlets and online news has taken over the 'age of information'. The current global recession occurs, and forces major cutback and layoffs within the media giant. During that same time, Wikileaks breaks on the scene and turns the news industry upside-down. The New York Times eventual compliance with the rouge media source eventually lands much them much critisism.. all the way up to the White House.

Dallas: Eno's Pizza Tavern

I love pizza of all shapes and sizes: cheese-crust, Chicago deep-dish, New York, and thin-crust. Eno's Pizza Tavern has not only mastered the thin-crust pizza in Dallas, but has a great atmosphere (often with live music multiple times a week), great service, and a beer selection that would please even the most sophisticated beer nerd. As a Dallas native, I've had pizza from all over the city. It was not until just recently I was introduced to Eno's Pizza Tavern... and my perception of Dallas' pizza capabilities were changed.
For starters, I ordered the Honey Chile Hog Wings, which the table ended up ordering another because they were amazing. This tender piece of pork came still on the bone (although it fell off instantly) in a cast iron skillet. The pork was glazed with local sweet honey and a red chile sauce. While the hog wings were sweet from the honey, the after-burn from the red chile was enough to make you reach for that cold brew -- but a good temperature burn.. the kind that makes you want to take another bite! The bleu cheese buttermilk dip was a great way to neutralized the spice and added a great deal of flavor. I also ordered the Harvest Pear Salad. Consisting of a mix of Arugula, local greens, and fresh Basil. The salad contained Bleu Cheese crubles, sliced Pears, Pancetta, and was all brought together with a Champagne Vinaigrette. The contents of the salad worked wonderfully together,  and the dressing really brought out their flavors.

When I go to a pizzaria like Eno's, I know I should just trust them and choose a pizza that is a selection on the menu, but when they offer customized pizzas.. I can't help but indulge. The pizza that I concocted was: Pepperoni, Hot Sausage, Charred Green Onion, Garlic, Fresh Basil, Jalapenos, Artichoke, and Sun Dried Tomatoes. These customized pizzas are called 'iPies' at Eno's. These thin-crust pizzas are the perfect size to split with somebody, or fully satisfy you if you are pretty starving.
In addition to great pizzas, Eno's offers a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, and Italian pastas.
It was quite unlike me, but I just couldn't push myself to get any dessert -- I was stuffed! I was regretting my decision when I saw some kind of Hot Brownie Sundae brought to the table next to me.

-- Their dedicated beer menu is vast and contains variety and character. From seasonal draughts, many local Texas microbrews, to 'Micro Cans', they have almost every flavorful beer you can think of. They also have a great wine selection.

Emo's Pizza Tavern is a must if you live in Dallas, or stopping by the area. I can't wait to venture back for dinner, possibly to try a sandwich or homemade pastas -- and most probably a desert!
A must-go for any pizza or beer lover!
Overall I give Emo's Pizza Tavern 5/5 stars! ★★★★★


Eno's Pizza Tavern: Menu (Dinner)

Eno's: Drink/Dessert Menu 

Out of the country!

Going to be out of the country for the next couple of weeks, I'll try to keep you guys posted.. but expect more updates and posts in August!
Thanks!
- Movies and Meals