Claudia Alarcón’s Top 10 Dishes
In no particular order (that would be too hard):
Quesadillas at Taquería El Mesón: The homemade corn tortillas filled with huitlachoche (corn mushroom) or flor de calabaza (squash blossom) and melted cheese remind me of snacking in the markets of Mexico City. Dressed with a generous spoonful of Marisela Godinez’s excellent salsas du jour, they are a dish fit for an Aztec king.
Gyu Tataki at Mikado: Although Mikado is best known for their grilled Robata dishes, this unique appetizer of thin slices of rare beef with lemon Ponzu vinaigrette and radish sprouts, served in a martini glass, is a refreshing and different taste sensation. Fireworks for your mouth!
During this year’s screening of Babette’s Feast at the Alamo Drafthouse North, chef Jean-Luc Salles and his students from the Texas Culinary Academy prepared an amazing version of the movie’s pièce de résistance: Quails Stuffed With Foie Gras and Truffles in Puff Pastry. As I told Chef Salles later, I am glad the lights were out, so nobody could see me wiping the plate clean with my finger.
I cannot pick a favorite from the menu at Lambert’s: Superbly grilled meats, perfectly cooked fish, homey yet elegantly prepared vegetables (the individual gratins of scalloped potatoes were almost my pick), and unbelievable hazelnut chocolate ganache cake are all inspired creations.
During the Southern Foodways Alliance Taste of Texas barbecue road trip this spring, we wowed the out-of-town, barbecue-is-better-in-our-Southern-state crowds with the ribs at Crosstown BBQ in Elgin. Peppery, falling off the bone, with that spicy vinegar sauce I love so much, this was the cherry on top of our wonderful, barbecue-filled adventure.
On a recent special celebration, I enjoyed the most amazing pâté at Jean-Luc’s Bistro. Chef Shawn Cirkiel has brought this dish to ethereal new heights with his melt-in-your-mouth, light as air, flavorful Foie Blond pâté with a tangy strawberry relish with just the right amount of sweetness. I can’t wait to go back and have it again.
The sandwich Cubano at Habana — incredibly tender roast pork, ham, and cheese piled inside a grilled crusty roll — is a satisfying and inexpensive meal. Get some extra garlic mojo sauce on the side and a cold Cuban-style beer to wash it all down, and you’ll be ready to rumba!
Favorite sport of mine: sitting at the bar at Ranch 616, drinking a Michelada or a Conchita (fresh Rio grapefruit juice and tequila reposado, with salt on the rim) while feasting on their incredible fried oysters and calamari with chipotle tartar sauce appetizer. Viva South Texas!
Of the many excellent chocolate desserts in Austin, my favorite is that decadent chocolate torte at Aquarelle. The soft, moist cake is served warm, so when you cut into it, the rich dark chocolate center oozes out. Candied orange peel provides just the right touch of perfection. Help me somebody!
If there is one single reason for Schlotzsky’s bakery to have changed their own breads for those of La Brea bakery, it must be their Roasted Garlic Sourdough Loaf, with its excellent crust and chewy inside, studded with golden roasted garlic cloves that thoroughly infuse the dough with flavor.
This article appears in 2002.