So I went to Austin for the first time earlier this month for 9 days and attended South by Southwest. I have a couple of friends who had been living there since January who are super foodies so they knew the lay of the land when it came to food and made sure we hit some amazing spots.
They ruined me. I ate some of the most amazing tacos I have ever had in my life. So lets back up a little. Unbeknownst to me, Austin is full of food trailers - Airstreams and variations of the like parked in lots, sometimes clustered with other trailers that serve some of the best food street food I’ve ever had.
First stop: Torchy’s.
Torchy's Taco Trailer
Torchy’s Tacos , located on South First Street was my initiation into the world of taco trailers. The menu is creative and exciting, but I decided to start my first trip (yeah, I went back more than once- what?!) with something fairly traditional; Green Chili Pork Taco, the description reading “Slow roasted pork carnitas simmered with green chilies and topped off with queso fresco, cilantro, onions, and a lime wedge served on a corn tortilla with our green salsa.”
Wow, just wow. I mean COME ON! I had been warned beforehand that part of the magic of these tacos is the tortilla’s and that’s no joke. The double layered corn tortillas were the perfect texture and flavor, and the perfect vehicle to shove the porky deliciousness into my mouth. (and please don’t take that last sentence out of context. Ever.)
My second Torchy’s taco (different day) I decided to go a little on the dicey side: Brushfire - Jamaican jerk chicken, grilled jalapenos, mango, Sour cream, and cilantro served on a flour tortilla with our Diablo sauce.
The Brushfire- not kidding on the fire part!
So, once again totally delish but watch out baby- they are absolutely not kidding on the fire/diablo/jerk part! My mouth was en fuego, my nose was a-running but boy was I happy!
Second Spot: Izzoz Tacos
Izzoz Taco Trailer- Austin
Izzoz, literally a stones throw from Torchy’s was always stop #2 in the taco crawl. (On a complete side note my friend is totally the mayor of Izzoz on Foursquare- Woot!) I bring you: The Slowrider
The Slowrider- awwww yea.
Braised Machaea pork, Cotija cheese, cilantro and carmelized onion. First time it actually melted my face right off it was so good. Face. Off. Second time, I have to say slightly less impressive (but not by any means bad) and I wondered why. My friend found some Austin blogs that explained the phenomenon: Apparently, the young guy on the grill (owners son) always turns out great food but the old guy with the white hair (who was working when you had the bad taco experience) is not up to par. I guess you need to learn their schedules.
Next up: Other Austin trailers, Hey Cupcake and Cutie Pies!
September 11, 2010 at 10:04 am
Yay for moveable food! Izzoz’ tacos rocked our world…