My highlight of the 2008 Chronicle Hot Sauce Fest would have to be tasting “The Source” …and by tasting, i mean one drop of it on the center of my tongue – administered by a pig-tailed clown-chick. The next 15 minutes of my life were a combination of agony and endorphins. Shit was reedick. They claim to be the hottest extract on Earth…i’d have to agree. Old people and generally weak people could easily die from eating this stuff…You can buy it here for only $100 a vile. But that tiny bottle would probably upgrade 200 pots of chili to “Fuck-Alarm” status. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by chappy »
Aug 25, 2008
» Filed under Events, News
We braved the heat and made a respectible showing at the 2008 Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival.. Taco Town entered 4 salsas in all.. unfortunately, none of them were able to take home trophies.. but by the end we were too blasted to care.. this was the biggest year ever for the event, with over 600 entries.. basically doubling the last years numbers..
we topped the evening off with a stroll down to Stubb’s for the sold out My Morning Jacket concert, which was f-ing amazing!
• The Chronicle’s Hot Sauce Festival is this Sunday August 24
Its that time of year again. The music is better (Heathens, Black Joe Lewis, etc), the judges are qualified (Robb Walsh, Tyson Cole) and the food vendors are tasty (Curra’s, Oaxacan Tamaleo, etc) For those wanting to compete – The rules have changed a bit- possibly because of the pepper scare (see below) – basically, you must have your salsa made in a commerical kitchen if you want the public to have a taste- but its NOT mandatory for the judging portion…that should cut the lines down considerably for the tasting tents. It should be HOT too, so come prepared/ <More info> <Louis Black’s Diatribe>
• Be Careful…
…where you buy those fresh jalapeno’s for your salsa making projects this weekend- Mexican-grown peppers are the likely cause of the latest salmonella outbreak- and many smaller stores & restaurants are still serving them, according to reports…Cabeza has been eating copious amount of mexican peppers in order to build an immunity… <USA TODAY: Mexican peppers posing salmonella risk still being sold>
• Over-Hyped but Under-Sold?
Our doppelgangers at Taco Journalism recently did a piece on Austin’s most over-hyped tacos. While I applaud their excellent use of “no mames” (and am aware of the very real dangers of hipster hype), I should also point out that “over-hyped” doesn’t necessarily mean bad food. Notorious hipster havens Torchy’s & El Chilito actually DO have some of the best and most adventurous tacos in this town. AND I for one refuse to let hype, price, or hipsters OR Yuppies stand in my way of a good taco. Alas, i’ve always scratched my head about taco shack’s breakfast taco (especially the chorizo= dogfood)…i guess its the safe, gringo gateway drug into the sleazier (and more rewarding) side of tacos. yuppy-gringo hype….I DO like their crispy beef tacos, though.
TacoTown is proud to accept the award for ‘best place to find a decent taco’ in the 2007 Austin Chronicle Best of Austin Awards. Despite having to share this prestigious honor with rival taco-nauts: taco journalism, we here at tacotown will continue to be trusty sources of taco knowledge. So if you’re in from out of town, or just stumped on where to go in Austin to find the best taco, burrito, enchilada, torta, or other mexican food dish.. look us up and you’re sure to get the no holds barred report.. and maybe you’ll see some kind of non-related funny video or picture.. who knows? we wont apologize for our taco lifestyle.. its all we know.
Best Way to Find a Decent Taco:TIE: Taco Town, Taco Journalism (Critics Picks, Food & Drink)
We suspect these guys love tacos more than they love sex. Taco-passionate bloggers fulfill their destiny as pioneers in the quest for the perfect Mexican meal. The search starts in Austin and often ventures far beyond home. From Torchy’s Tacos to Zuzu Handmade Mexican Food, from Brownsville to Seattle, these Austin gustatory guides take it in the gut, sample it all, and report back with their findings to all of our gastronomical delight. So straighten up, taco stands and Mexican restaurants, Taco Town and Taco Journalism are coming to critique your flan and fish tacos and tell it to the world. www.tacotown.org; tacojournalism.com
and for the record.. we make love to tacos…so your point is moot.
UPDATE: We made a return visit today. the tortillas are amazing…worth the price of admission alone. Also, get the mango/cucumber pico at all costs…really refreshing and tasty. I recommend the pork and fajita beef tacos. Would NOT recommend the fish- low quality me thinks. And the Dublin sodas seal the deal – Cabo Bob’s is a winner. –Cabeza
Cabo Bob’s just opened in Austin.. its locally owned and this is the first location.. Its laid out kinda like a Chipotle or a Freebirds! where you build your own tacos,burritos, or bowls as you are sent through a cafeteria line.
The kicker that sets Cabo Bob’s apart from its competition is that they make their own tortillas right before your eyes.. there are four varieties- flour buttermilk, ancho chile, cheddar, and cilatro/tomatillo – and they are all tasty.. You can choose from 4 different meats – shredded pork, chicken , fajita beef, cripsy fried fish.. also mixed grilled veggies..
The fountain drink station also features old school Dublin Dr. Pepper and some other interesting soft drink varieties with real cane sugar (if you’re into that). Overall, it was a nice experience and I will return for sure..info after the jump
Posted by jenny »
Aug 6, 2008
» Filed under Abroad, Reviews
I recently spent a few months over in Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The cuisine was amazing: street food on every corner that rivaled some of the best I’ve ever had, just because of its simplicity, fiery flavor, ease of access, and (I’m not going to lie) novelty. I was one happy wandering roly-poly. I always make a point of eating like the locals when I travel, and on this trip I even went so far as to try regional delicacies like raw cobra heart and dog: but that’s another story. That said, when my travel companions and I came across the Chiang Mai Saloon in Northern Thailand and saw that they offered NACHOS on the menu, we couldn’t resist trying them out to see what the Thai take on Tex-Mex would be like. Read the rest of this entry »
Cabeza is diggin the new campus taco spot- Cuatro (4) Bases covered: beer, burgers, bunnies, and tacos
Atmosphere: just barely recognizable from the space that used to house Bongo’s BBQ-the former occupant and classic UT slacker haunt from Cabeza’s formative years…the new digs are modern, open-air (and dog-friendly) patio – all with a laid-back breezy summertime vibe. For the sports buffs, there’s plenty of big shiny tv’s (but not too many), and a great full-sized bar, with Plenty of young-pros and college hotties mingling about. Plenty of fresh material for AmericanGlute. atmo:[4/5]
Service: quick, friendly and unobtrusive…We did have to order chips & salsa ourselves- a minor annoyance..but the thick, red, chunky table salsa was better than average, and the warm thin corn chips were tasty. We got big ol’ sweet teas that were perfect for sippin’ in the sun, with frequent refills. Their Tacos usually come 2 to an order, but Cabeza requested to split the order with 2 different tacos- which they said “no problem”. Points! service: [4/5] Read the rest of this entry »
7, 100,000 Scoville Units!
Service: quick, friendly and unobtrusive…We did have to order chips & salsa ourselves- a minor annoyance..but the thick, red, chunky table salsa was better than average, and the warm thin corn chips were tasty. We got big ol’ sweet teas that were perfect for sippin’ in the sun, with frequent refills. Their Tacos usually come 2 to an order, but Cabeza requested to split the order with 2 different tacos- which they said “no problem”. Points!
