Food-o-File
Around town, with an appetite
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Nov. 17, 2006
In the off with my head department, sincere apologies to chef Brenton Childs for misspelling his name two weeks ago in a blurb about the Nov. 14 opening of Bess Bistro on Pecan (500 W. Sixth, 477-2377), where I'm told his title is corporate executive chef... To the frantic reader who asked for help in her desperate search for the recently relocated Torchy's Tacos (1207 S. First, 366-0537): Owners Michael Rypka and Bill Roberts moved their spiffy portable operation to a tree-shaded parking space overlooking Bouldin Creek. The new spot has plenty of parking, a shady outdoor seating area with picnic tables, and easy access from the street. I picked up a selection of tacos before the Oklahoma State game and was particularly impressed with the hearty Ranch Hand ($3) stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, juicy beef fajita strips, and cheese on a flour tortilla and the Green Chili Pork ($2.50) that offers tender shredded pork cooked with Hatch chiles topped with diced onions, chopped cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, and a slice of lime. Guests can also build their own breakfast tacos or choose some tasty vegetarian options. Additional adornments include sides of rice, beans, guacamole, and marvelous salsas. It's no wonder the salsas are so good: chef/owner Rypka is a frequent individual winner in the annual Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. Torchy's sells a full line of distinctively delicious tacos from 7am-11pm daily, and they deliver in the downtown and SoCo areas on zippy little Vespa scooters... Lately, I've found myself having lunch meetings at the new El Gringo (1917 Manor Rd., 391-9500, www.elgringoaustin.com). It's near my house, and I've become addicted to pastry chef Alexandra Manley's wonderful desserts. The talented young woman dishes up individual pies, such as lemon chess topped with a coconut sorbet, seasonal fruit crisps served warm under scoops of sweet cream ice cream, a daily selection of homemade cookies with a choice of ice creams, a red-velvet cupcake, a luscious banana pudding, and an ice-cream sandwich. Last week's luxuries included a ramekin of the new lemon apple ginger crisp hot from the oven one day and cookies with caramel and manhattan ice creams (talk about an elegant bourbon delivery system!) another. Alex relocated to Austin earlier this year from Maiya's restaurant in the arty far West Texas hamlet of Marfa, where she was responsible for both sweet and savory dishes. Marfa's loss is definitely Austin's gain. Currently, Alex creates signature desserts for both El Gringo and El Chile Cafe y Cantina (2209 Manor Rd., 457-9900), but owner Carlos Rivero is so impressed with her skills, he's talking about adding a neighborhood bakery to his growing stable of Manor Road attractions. I'll be there for sure. And speaking of new attractions, be sure to check out the Joel Mozersky-designed Red House Bar/Lounge/Patio now open for business directly behind El Gringo.
