Corn or Flour?

So yesterday was La Casita on Anderson Lane - as Chomps says: it was wicked. Perfect Austin moment. Unassuming little place in one of those odd, semi-derelict strip mall type things. I went for the special: 3 for 2.59. Sad about the gringo-salsa, but I spied someone else spooning on some verde which I bet is fantastic. They do their own corn tortillas, for which I have mad respect.

So this begs the obvious question: corn or flour?

I was talking about it last night with an old friend of mine - a real south Austin-ite who's lived here for ages. He's got amazing taste in food (and life in general) and I always Hound him for taco tips. He waxed almost lyrical about the beauty of the homemade corn tortilla. He says they're having an up-swing here and is pleased as punch about it. Got me thinking. (He also gave us some fantastic south Austin taco tips - more on that later.)

Anyway, I've always been a flour Hound, but am starting to think I'm missing out on something.

I have two issues with corn: 1) they smell a little like bat guano (and/or spunk, I must say) to me. Fine things in their own right, but for breakfast? Not sure. 2) Texture. There's something so soothing about the silky smoothness of the flour tortillas that keeps me coming back. That odd rigid-floppy thing of the corn ones freaks me out a little.

I reckon I'll stick to flour for breakfast, but I'm going to give corn another go for the next non-breakfast outing.

I hope they're made fresh.

La Casita

Ok this was a wicked place. Everyone in there apart from the THound and myself were Mexicans - always a good sign I guess when in search of the perfect taco. They also has a massive rear-projection television that must have dated from 1989. Shame it was just showing more boring Democrat bickering.

I have no idea where this place was - the THound is the Navigator and Driver - I just turn up and Chomp down. And Chomp I did - a couple of lovely tacos one with beans and cheese and the other with bacon and egg. I'm still searching for my perfect filling combo, I'm thinking the beans and cheese are getting close. (Refried beans that is, still yet to try the black beans). Todays salsa was a bit disappointing - I'm certainly no heat-freak (not like TH who puts tabasco on everything) but I do like a bit of a kick in the breakfast taco to wake me up. Maybe we got given the Gringo salsa as it was v. mild (comparable to a chicken tikka-type heat). Apparantly La Casita makes its own corn tortillas... I dunno if corn tortillas are good for breakfast - I'm liking the flour tortillas and I'm thinking that corn tortillas might be a bit weird.

Anyway roll on tomorrow - I'm hungry already.

Enchiladas and More

Yuuuum yummm - this was a great place. The THound decided on the classic pcb - I went for the bacon/egg/cheese combo. Pretty good - the egg was a bit of an omelette but the bacon was gooood. We call this type of bacon 'streaky' back bacon in the UK - our normal bacon is a lot flabbier - so this was a nice surprise.  Mind you I'm still not convinced by having all this stuff for breakfast everyday - I'm more of a cup of tea in the morning type of bloke - its going to take some getting used to big fat tacos. Maybe tomorrow I'll pass on the eggs.

Day 2 - starting out aces

Enchiladas y Mas. Oh. Yeah.

We got up extra early this morning (well, ok ... at 8) so we could squeeze in a proper breakfast. Cruised on down to Burnet in our rented Chevy Cobalt for some sweet bacony ambrosia at Enchiladas y Mas.

Totally different (not to say better, by any means!) experience than that of yesterday's Tamale House adventure: actual table service by smiling people who were happy to bring us extra salsa and coffee refills! Felt kind of strange to me, though, as I usually scoff my E y M tacos in my car while listening to John Aielli rambling on about some crap. But you get chips and salsa (mmmm chips for breakfast...) if you eat in, plus Chomps was all dressed up - not good for car eating when salsa's involved.

So I stuck to my usual potato bacon and cheese affair. It didn't disappoint. My only gripe about EyM is the "cheese". It's definitely cheeze food. Bright yellow stuff that turns into McDonald's-y cheeze-glue when it melts. Ah, but their bacon is divine, so I forgive. And the salsa rocks too. Always consistent.

Alas, Chomps went for the bank-breaker orange juice, which put us over the $10 mark for the first time so far. Still, though, it was a giant beer stein of oj and we didn't miss the mark by that much...all for $11.27!

I love this town.

Tamale House 3

So being a 'Limey', this whole taco thing is a bit weird for me. I mean tacos back in the UK are crisp corn shells filled with some powdery crap out of an El Paso packet that you fried up with a bit of mince you found in the back of the fridge. They are certainly not soft, lovely flat bread wrapped around an amazing variety of fillings with fresh salsa. And they are DEFINITELY not for breakfast.

What a treat then to go to Tamale House 3 and have the breakfast tacos and orange juice. I think my breakfast habits have changed for life! The guacamole taco was a little bit too much vegetable for breakfast - but the potato/bacon/cheese combination was spot on. Like a good ol English Fry-up but wrapped up in a bit of bread with a bit of a spicy kick. I have no idea if the other taco places in Austin are comparable to Tamale House 3 - but if they are then breakfast just became my favourite meal.

Day 1 - Tamale House No. 3

Aaaaah. Got our first taco nut this morning at 9:30. Where else but at the TAMALE HOUSE (No. 3, of course)!!!!!!!!!!!! And boy oh boy was it good. It's always good.

2 bacon, potato and cheese for me
1 chorizo, egg and guac and one bpc for Chomps
OJ for all!

Oh my god the salsa never lets you down. How's it possible that it all still comes out at less than a tenner ($7.15, to be exact).

It's good to be home.