Corazon at Castle Hill: First visit

Posted by Cabeza De Taco | Dec 18, 2008 · Filed under Austin, Central, Downtown, Reviews

Corazón at Castle Hill
1101 W 5th St Austin, TX 78703 | Map | Menu | Website | Photos

Beef Carne Asada with Pablano Cream sauce

After 22 years of owning and operating one of Austin’s original fine dining favorites, Castle Hill Cafe, David and Cathe Dailey have translated their experience living in San Miguel de Allende into their new neighborhood restaurant & bar, Corazon.  The executive chef is now Michael Taddeo. The building and some of the classic CH dishes still remain.  But they’ve updated the interior design and added a small but inviting Full Bar. here’s a quick run-down of Taco Town’s lunch trip to Corazon:

Service
ice-tea fillups every 30seconds, waiter gave good recomendations, and even brought out the secret habby sauce for us. great service for a lunch/ Chappy says: snooty undertones. copious ice tea refills

hand painted signage facing 5th st.

Atmosphere

I thought the brooding castle theme was kinda gay for a daytime lunch…Clientel was fur-coat silver spoon housewive sluts…Hey, great location, though.  Chappy said “it wasn’t too fu fu…tho grego would prolly not approve.”  Bernie said “the bathrooms are fuckin freezing” all 4 times he went in there to “washup”…He also noted the fact that their baffroom trash bin is a cloth bag that can just be washed, thus saving the Hefties.  Good work, GREENIES.

Quality
Overall great freshness and presentation- I dig the banana leaf garnish & jello-mold rice servings
Chappy says: creative sauces and combinations

Chips/Salsa
The chips were thin, warm and fresh, ass.  Red Tomatillo Salsa was pretty good, tangy (7/10)
the Habanero/Mango sauce was awesome – very sweet and hot. We had to order by special request, and the waiter warned us it was really hot. We told him “pah-leez…why don’t you just step aside, pal”.  This salsa was simply delectable.  Chappy was craving more, but had to stop for health reasons. (8.5/10)

Tortillas
corn were thick homemade crusty goodness (7.5/10); flour:???

Fail Factor
$2 for chips and salsa, $2 plate sharing fee, NO childrens Hot Dog and Fries option

onto the entrees…

Al Pastor Plate

Al Pastor Plate $10.95
Al Pastor plate was loaded with goodness:  chopped well seasoned pork, yellow rice, sour cream, cilantro, chopped onions, and pineapple.  was also served with a non extraordinary side bowl of barracho beans.  Right away made a taco filled with the pastor, onions, pineapple, sour cream, xtra cilantro and then skeet skeeeeted some of that mango hab sauce on there and it was just about perfect.

Carne Asada plate $12.95
ingredients: Carne Asada steak, red-cream sauce, rice, pico and a bean gordita
Very nice cut of beef.. tender, succulent, very flavorful.. the rice was good.. the bean gordita was just ok..

Shrimp Taco

BBQ Shrimp Taco $5.95
ingredients: a thick corn tortilla, base coat of monterey jack cheese, plenty of shrimp, mango slaw, pickled red onions, and candied walnuts
notes: expensive, but utterly delicious. all the flavors melded perfectly together.  2 of them would’ve been an good meal.  Chappy: very good.. tangy bbq-like sauce was surprisingly good.. great textures..awesome corn tortilla.

Lamb Empanadas

Lamb Picadillo Empanadas $4.95
ingredients: Two fried empanadas filled with roasted lamb, raisins, and toasted pecans. Served with a coconut cilantro salsa.
Lamb was tasty & moist, but not gamey. Empanada crust- was it wheat? it was crispy fried but not too greezy.  Coconut dipping sauce was odd, but not bad – i ended up eating the last one with habanero sauce – much better.  Chappy agreed: good taste, texture .. sauce did not compliment the flavor of the empanada, but it was interesting on its own..