The Mighty Cone
www.mightycone.com1603 S. Congress #1, 383-9609
When Hudson’s on the Bend chef/owner Jeff Blank and chef de cuisine Robert Rhoades were developing a signature dish to be served at the Austin City Limits Festival a few years back, they had four important criteria: The dish had to be flavorful, portable, affordable, and easy to produce quickly in large quantities. They modified a hot and crunchy fish dish that was a longtime favorite on the Hudson’s menu, and Hot & Crunchy Cones were born: chicken tenders, shrimp, or avocado slices battered in a mixture of nuts, seeds, cornflakes, and seasonings, then deep fried and served in a tortilla cone with a fresh, zippy slaw and a smoky ancho chile salsa. The cones were a huge hit in the Austin-flavored ACL food court, earning bigger legions of local and visiting fans every year.
This spring, Blank and Rhoades entered their signature festival dish in South Austin’s burgeoning street food sweepstakes, installing a Mighty Cone trailer on South Congress Avenue. Guests order at the trailer window and sit at picnic tables enjoying Blue Bell shakes and floats while waiting for their cones. The menu is simple and delicious, with everything made from scratch: three types of cones ($4.95-5.45), plus two combos ($5.95-6.45); fresh-cut, chili-dusted fries ($1.25); a house-made venison sausage cone dog with homemade ketchup ($4.95); juicy Angus beef sliders atop cones of fries ($5.75); and an ultrarich frozen brownie in a cone ($2.75). This is some of the tastiest street food to be found anywhere in Austin – and Jeff Blank is right when he says it’s “the best Hudson’s meal available for under $10!”
This article appears in June 12 • 2009.