SAGO – Modern Mexican

There is a lot happening at “The Triangle” where Lamar and Guadalupe merge. It’s another one of those developments where they place apartments or condos on top of a variety of hi-end retail shops and restaurants. I guess the theory is that if you live there, you wouldn’t have to get in your car and drive because everything you need is just below you. Of course, if you can afford the rent (or mortgage), I guess there’s some truth in that theory.

Sago in The Triangle

Mandola’s Italian Market located in the Triangle serves really good Italian cuisine, but we recently discovered a Mexican restaurant there called Sago – Modern Mexican. Since it’s my duty to explore places such as these, we put it on our agenda and visited recently.

When we entered, there were several small dinning rooms and the option to sit outside on a patio. We chose the inside dining room adjacent to the kitchen on this night, but with the volume of the chatter and other background noise, we had second thoughts.

I’ve got mixed feelings about room-noise. I hate rooms with absolutely no acoustical treatment – something soft on the ceilings or walls to absorb rather than reflect room noise. Sampaio’s Brazilian Cuisine on Burnet was one of the worst for noise bouncing around inside – until they recently closed.

Some say that you don’t want a room to be too ‘dead’ and that there is a level of noise that exemplifies excitement and activity. Whatever – we decided the noise wasn’t that bad and enjoyed the people watching anyway.

The chips and salsa arrived shortly after we were seated. The chips were very crispy and the salsa was a dark, red-dish brown with a chipotle, smoky flavor. It was very tasty and not especially hot. We ordered the Tex-Mex Queso with chorizo (Mexican sausage) as an appetizer and settled in with the menu.

A review of the menu presented several very interesting items. There was Mango-Habanero Ceviche and Yucca Fritters in the appetizer section. The‘Specialties’ section included Roasted Garlic-Chipotle Shrimp and Grapefruit Glazed Mahi Mahi. We were definitely up for some experimentation so BJ ordered a cup of the Smoked Corn-Coconut-Butternut Squash soup and the Spinach and Portobello Enchiladas for the main entrée. I went for the Beef Brisket Enchiladas.

Queso with Chorizo

The queso was delivered and was absolutely fantastic – medium thickness (almost perfect) with great cheesy flavor. The chorizo and a spoonful of pico de gallo added a perfect accent to the taste – excellent!

Incredible Soup!

The soup came next and BJ was ecstatic about the flavor. I tasted it and could not agree more – this soup was delicious! It’s garnished with cilantro, pico de gallo and smoked corn making for an interesting combination of flavors. Not your typical Tex-Mex, but something you really must try for yourself. When I talked about this meal to a friend at work and mentioned the soup, she too raved about how enjoyable and tasty the Butternut Squash soup was.

Spinach-Portabella Enchiladas

The main courses arrived, which for BJ was an anti-climax. The spinach and portabella enchiladas were nowhere near the tantalizing level of the soup. I took her word for it and did not sample the spinach enchiladas – besides, I’m a meat kinda guy.

Beef Brisket Enchiladas

The Brisket Enchiladas on the other hand, were very interesting. The meat filling was very tender. The sauce smothering these babies was a very dark, tangy mixture with a rich, sweet flavor – almost like a thick, sweet barbeque sauce. At first I was taken back with the sweet flavor, but with each bite enjoyed it more and more. By the end of my meal, I was completely sold on the flavor of the sauce.

Sago is definitely a different take on Mexican cuisine – a kind of Mexican fusion – and I think you’ll enjoy the variations they have in store. I’m looking forward to revisiting and trying the fish tacos or the tacos al pastor. Whatever I choose, I’ll probably start my next meal the same way I started this one – with that fantastic queso.

Puffy Tacos at Vivo

Coming from San Antonio, there are few things I remember that were unique to the Alamo city. One such delicacy is the puffy taco, served at a restaurant called Teka Molino, but was also available at many other restaurants in town.

With a puffy taco, a corn tortilla is lightly deep fried to a point where air pockets or bubbles develop while the tortilla is still soft – keeping the oil from getting too hot is the secret to achieving this. You then fold it in the conventional ‘taco’ manner and stuff it with beef or chicken and the usual trimmings.

Eating a puffy taco can be a bit challenging in that they are a bit flakey and delicate and can fall apart easily – a bit like a crispy taco except this is somehow worth the effort. Gosh, they are very hard to describe, so you just need to try one and experience it for yourself.

I discovered that Vivo, a Mexican restaurant at 2015 Manor Road, serves puffy tacos, so my wife and I decided to check it out. We invited our friend David along, since he too was raised in San Antonio and is also something of a Tex-Mex expert in his own rite. As we parked, we noticed several other Mexican eateries nearby, so I’ll need to further investigate this area east of I-35 in the future.

Vivo offers seating inside or out and since it was just a bit warm, we opted for the comfort of air conditioning. The interior is really interesting. The lighting is low, making the décor just a little dark. Once our eyes adjusted, we could focus on the variety of eclectic art all around the room. The dominate theme is somewhat erotic, with large bold nudes and paintings of women in various poses and portraiture – all with a ‘come hither’ kind of look.

If this seems odd, all you have to do is look at the top of their menu where it states: “Better than Sex…Tex-Mex!”

As you scan around the room taking this all in, you’ll come to a wall with a very large painting of a longhorn steer – a very good portrait of one – with actual

Bevo at VIVO!

horns extending out beyond its large ornate frame. My guess would be that the owners might be UT alums – ‘ya think?

As we were seated, we each ordered margaritas as well as guacamole and a cup of queso. We munched on chips and salsa as we took in the décor. The chips were quite good  but the salsa was a bit too salty for Dave and BJ. With a nice spicy kick, it didn’t keep me from eating it. I’d heard that the drinks were good here and confirmed that upon their arrival. They serve over 50 different tequilas and have a variety of exotic variations of mixed concoctions.

The guacamole arrived on a bed of shredded lettuce with chunky pico de gallo sprinkled on top. It was good and tasted fresh with a fairly balanced flavor. The queso was VERY good – a little bit of spiciness mixed with a very nice cheesy flavor. It was a bit thin and runny which had us all jockeying for the ‘skin’ when it would develop. When the skin develops on top of queso, it’s much easier to get more of the cheese on a chip without it dripping across the table…but I digress.

Knowing what I came for, I really didn’t need a menu but wanted to scan it anyway. It touts Vivos’ specialties as: Puffy Tacos, Chalupas and Enchiladas – three of my favorites. David wanted to try a variety of things and chose a platter called Emma’s Choice which is a combination of a puffy taco and an enchilada – two of the three house specialties. BJ chose the mini taco special which included two carnitas, one shredded chicken and one pastor taco. It goes without saying; I had to have the puffy taco platter.

Mini Taco Special

All of our entrees arrived looking delicious. The Mini Taco Special looked the most modern as it came on a square plate with a cup of salsa in the middle with the four soft, corn tortilla tacos laid out in the four corners. All of them included chopped cilantro and a slice of avocado. The pastor meat (pork) was a redish orange color and was adorned with an orchid – probably edible but I think BJ left it on her plate.

The carnitas tacos (also pork) appeared to have a red pepper mixed but it’s hard to tell. This being a ‘special’, these tacos are not described on the menu. BJ said all the tacos were good, but she like the carnitas the best. Sadly, this is one of those meals BJ could finish so I can’t confirm her recommendation.

A Puffy Taco & Enchilada - Emma's Choice

The Emma’s Choice combination platter looked more like a conventional Mexican entrée with one puffy taco and a beef enchilada smothered in a dark redish brown ranchero sauce. David gave thumbs-up on the enchiladas – his mouth was full at the time – and he’s rather picky, so they must be good. Next time, I might have to try the enchilada, perhaps the Cameron’s Favorite, which combines the enchilada with a chalupa compeusta.

Excellent Puffy Tacos!

The puffy tacos were absolutely wonderful and stirred up memories of Tex-Mex pig-outs long past. The ground beef was well seasoned and the taco ‘shell’ was soft and flaky – almost chewy. Sliced jalapeno and onion were great additions to the lettuce, tomato and cheese. Like crispy tacos, I tend to finish each once I’ve started because setting it down and picking it up again is risky – it may not hold together. Again, indulging in puffy tacos is well worth this minor inconvenience.

This meal was awesome and each of us was very satisfied. Vivo is perhaps a little upscale and might be considered a bit pricey by some, but it is a truly enjoyable dining experience. Oh, and one more thing – all ladies receive a long stemmed rose at the end of their meal. How’s that for classy?

Do yourself a favor and check out Vivo on a night when you want to treat your lady to something just a little more special. Who knows, you could get lucky.

Fajitas at Iguana Grill

Some Sundays, my wife and I like to look at lake-side properties just to see what the market is doing. Austin’s property values have held up a bit better than other areas of the country but if you’re looking for a short-term investment, it’s not a good time to buy. Right now it’s a buyers market only if you’re a long term investor or someone looking for a retirement home. This is a mute point since lake front property will always be pricey, as we re-affirmed one recent Sunday.

It was interesting talking with a realtor anyway and we got the low-down on how prices vary according to the distance you are to the lake (at least in this particular neighborhood).

Iguana Grill

As we headed back toward town, we decided on the Iguana Grill for a late lunch/early dinner.

Serving Mexican food since 1995, The Iguana Grill is an Austin favorite and provides a view of Lake Travis that almost rivals the view at the Oasis (the more well-known establishment also on Travis). Yes, the view is a bit better at the Oasis because of its higher vantage point. The drinks there are pretty good too, but the Mexican food is better at The Grill – at least in my humble opinion.

Ice Cold Brews with Chips & Salsa

It was a clear sunny afternoon and being 3:30 or so, there were very few customers insuring we would get fast, attentive service. With the open air layout and the warm afternoon, it was a good time for a cold beer. We ordered a couple Negro Modelos and some Guacamole as soon as we were seated.

The chips and salsa arrived with our beer, which was ice cold and really hit the spot. The chips were good and were served with a redish-brown salsa that was quite tangy with a little bit of spicy kick.

Guacamole!

A generous portion of guacamole arrived shortly after and even though we were not eating at a peak meal time, the guacamole seemed fresh, chunky and seasoned well – a very balanced flavor without much citrus taste.

While we snacked, we gazed out at the lake and were amazed at how the levels had risen this year. The last couple years had been scorchers and with sparse rainfall during that period, the lake had gone down some 50 or 60 feet. This time last year, there was so much shoreline exposed with little islands popping up in middle of the lake. With increased rainfall last winter, the lake has returned to its normal level in just a little less than a year.

Sizzling Fajitas with Trimmings

Our fajitas arrived with great sensory fanfare – the meat in the hot skillet was sizzling and trailing clouds of smoke. The smell of fresh grilled beef, peppers, onions & spices surrounded us, triggering our anticipation for this meal. We each had plates with all the condiments and trimmings for the perfect fajitas – hot tortillas, shredded cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and a small bowl of beans.

Beef Fajita!

My mouth was watering as I built my first taco. With leftover guacamole, we were lacking nothing as I wrapped a tortilla around a fist full of grilled pleasure. The very first bite of a fajita is always the best, and this was no exception. The meat was quite tasty – seasoned well and was fairly tender. Even with all the stuff we piled on, the taste of the meat came through.

This was a splendid late afternoon meal. With the outdoor patio (with numerous fans), a great view of the lake and ice cold brews, this is a great way to enjoy Tex-Mex on a hot afternoon.

La Morada Flautas

In the nineties I worked for a company on Burnet road near Metric and I would frequent a place – La Morada – about a mile up the road at Parmer and Mo-Pac.

Located in a strip center (HEB is the anchor store), this little place has a lot going for it. They have a full bar with some booths facing a big-screen TV – usually tuned into sports programs of some sort – and they have a conventional restaurant section for people who can actually break away from television without going through withdrawals.

Being the creature of habit I was back then, my predictable order was always the Chicken Flautas. At the time, I had never seen them served the way La Morada did and love the deviation they took with the preparation of these ‘flutes of chicken’. Now, as I study this genre of gastrointestinal pleasure, I’ve discovered that this deviation is not so rare after all.

So be it. I will continue to search for others in Austin who do it this way, but so far, El Morada is the only one I’ve found who serve Flautas in this manner.

With this new research project well under way, I visited recently to relive those days of yester-year and see if anything had changed. Starting with the chips – these are light, thin and very crispy and they are homemade. What’s not to like? They are not as thin as the chips you’ll find at Chuy’s which can break apart with just a thought, much less dipping them in something – the ONLY knock I have with Chuy’s – but again, I digress…

I’ve always loved La Morada’s salsa – it’s a nice pureed concoction with a very smooth taste and a very subtle hint of heat – a kind of slow after burn. The problem with that smooth taste is that many an afternoon I’d find myself gorging on chips & salsa before the main entrée arrived. These days, they serve two salsas before the meal – a tangy green sauce that is quite good and the traditional sauce I know so well.

On this night, I ordered a guacamole salad. Yes, the flautas usually come with guacamole and sour cream, but I wanted a little more avocado before my meal. This guacamole was very tasty – just a hint of lime, but otherwise that buttery avocado taste I look for. Aside from the rather small portion (okay, so you’re beginning to see a pattern here) the guacamole was very good. Tonight, my wife is in California and is not here to boost my ego by telling me how much better my guacamole is.

The main course arrived looking like it always has. The flautas at La Morada are made with flour tortillas as opposed to the tightly rolled corn you usually associate with Flautas. They are much larger, almost like enchiladas and the use of flour tortillas verses corn makes the outer covering light and flakey, almost

Chicken Flautas

like a mini-chimichanga. Inside, there is also white cheese (probably Monterey Jack) mixed in with the chicken making these ‘flutes’ more like ‘bassoons’. You get two to an order along with sour cream and guacamole and they are simply scrumptious.

The rice was good; light and fluffy – just like it always has been – very consistent. The refried beans were also much better than average, with less of a liquefied texture that you find at many Mexican restaurants these days.

I have always enjoyed this variation of flautas and as yet have not found others in Austin who serve them quite like this. In the name of research, I invite anyone who has had them served with flour tortillas elsewhere in Austin to please let me know and I will make the trip, post-haste to seek out these delicious delicacies and report my findings back to you.

M.F. & M. (Mexican Food & Music)

Over the years, I’ve had many passions besides my love of Mexican food. Early on, I was passionate about listening to the radio and  Rock-n-Roll music. I was listening to The Dave Clark Five when the Beatles hit the scene and changed everything. As I grew older (high school and college) I  attended live performances as often as I could and incorporated my love of photography with going to concerts.  

I’ve photographed many bands over the years and weird as it may sound, my food of choice before most concerts is usually Tex-Mex – what can I say, it’s comfort food for me.  

I still attend live performances and endulge in Tex-Mex before most shows. So for a little variety, I thought I’d write about some of the shows I happen to catch and post some of my early concert photography when possible. This allows me to share some of my other passions mixed in with my love of good Tex-Mex.  

I hope you enjoy this deviation.  

Tres Hombres & A Combo Plate

Growing up in central Texas, I’ve listened to ‘That Little ‘Ole Band From Texas,’ ZZ Top from the beginning of their career. I had friends who’d seen them for two bucks at Texas A&M back when Billy Gibbons’ band was called The Moving Sidewalks. ZZ Top is Texas’ original rock power-trio.

They were popular in Texas early on, but with their third album came ‘La Grange,’ about a brothel outside of Houston known as The Chicken Ranch, which brought them national attention in the early seventies. From that point forward, they were ‘bad – nation wide.’ The eighties saw them garner even more

Dusty & Billy - San Antonio, TX 11/26/75

attention with the M-TV generation – with hot rods, pretty babes and some subtle choreography, they continued to entertain and perpetuate that Texas charisma. This band truly seems timeless and after more than forty years, they’re still touring and playing that raunchy Texas style rock they do so well.

We got tickets to see ZZ Top a while back and my wife suggested we find a good Mexican restaurant along the way before the show. This suggestion was indeed quite appropriate as it brought back visions of the inner sleeve of ZZ Tops’ third album, Tres Hombres (1973), which was a close up photo of a huge, sloppy Tex-Mex feast of tacos, enchiladas, and lots of cheese all over the place. Go dig out that album and look at the inside gatefold – you’ll see what I mean.

Since they were playing at the new Backyard in Bee Caves, we combed the internet for a place along Hwy. 620 and found Flores Mexican Restaurant at 2121 Lohmans Crossing Road in the Lakeway area. There was something familiar about the name but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Located in an upscale strip center – as you’d expect for Lakeway – the parking around the restaurant was packed, which though inconvenient, is a pretty good sign. We walked in to find the indoor seating for the place was on our left and outdoor seating to our right. We decided to sit outside and went forward a few feet and saw a woman frantically making tortillas – this is getting better already.

We made our right turn and went to the patio which was very busy and a bit loud due to several tables with children. We were seated at the table closest to the door we just went through which made for decent entertainment.

Flores Menu

When the menu’s arrived, it finally hit me. For many years, there was a Flores Mexican Restaurant on Anderson Lane in the spot now occupied by Cover Three, a sports bar & restaurant serving the 5th or 6th best hamburger in Texas (according to Texas Monthly). The Flores logo on the menu was the same logo used for the front facade on that location back when. I used to eat there some years back but Flores had been gone for quite some time before the new tenants moved in.

Scanning the menu, I couldn’t get that ZZ Top album photo out of my mind and wanted to tackle a large combo plate of some sort. Most places like this have a variety of combo configurations – one enchilada or two, guacamole or not, etc. I settled on the Gonzo’s plate because it included two cheese enchiladas along with the assortment of other stuff and the name made me think of Frank Zappa for some reason. BJ decided on the Carne Guisada plate which made me very happy because she rarely cleans her plate – I knew I’d get a good taste of it.

The pre meal chips were homemade (extra points!), warm, crispy and very good. The salsa was also VERY good and quite spicy without hurting you. I mentioned entertainment earlier – The wait staff had many different ways of negotiating that doorway while carrying very large trays of food – a lot of timing is involved getting through the door before it closed. I’m just glad I wasn’t a waiter having to serve the patio.

Combo Plate - Part 1

My first course arrived and consisted of a crispy taco with seasoned ground beef, a chip covered in queso with a couple of jalapeno slices, a dollop of guacamole and some shredded lettuce, tomato and cheese. I like the taste of good crispy tacos but rarely order them because they’re hard to eat as they tend to fall apart – I’ve never understood their popularity. This one was certainly tasty, but like every other crispy taco, once I start eating it I don’t dare let go – I must finish it before moving to the next item.

The queso chip was certainly cheesy and tasted good, but I think a whole crispy tortilla would’ve been a fair deal – this was just a bit small. The guacamole was good – not too salty or limey so I saved a little for my second course. I’ve had really good luck with Guacamole lately – a very good thing. Maybe I’m just a glutton, but I think just a touch more guacamole would also be a fair deal for the nine plus dollars for this entrée.

Combo Plate - Part 2

My second course arrived with two cheese enchiladas, rice and black beans. The plate was very hot and I immediately went for a tortilla to start working on the chili con carne and melted cheese. The tortillas were hot, homemade corn (more extra points!) and they were absolutely delicious – the only thing missing was a few pats of butter. Yes, melted butter on a rolled up tortilla is the perfect scooping device for the sauce smothering those enchiladas. The beans were good but the rice on the other hand, was excellent – fluffy, tasty and a good texture.

Flores Carne Guisada

As predicted, BJ could not finish her Carne Guisada and there were plenty of those hot corn tortillas left, so how could I resist? The beef tips were very tender and the gravy was fairly thick (the thicker the better for me) and had bits of onion, green pepper & celery. This carne guisada was very flavorful and with a little rice mixed in made some nice soft tacos.

And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did get enough to eat.

And ZZ Top? Well, I’ve seen them many times and have been listening to them for years. While their musical structure is fairly simple, they are always good in concert and seem to capture an essence and feel that is distinctly Texas. On this

Tres Hombres - Austin, TX 4/26/10

night, they were inspired, playing all the tunes I wanted to hear and they appeared to be having fun doing it. The audience also had fun singing along with the vast majority of the material. 

 From one Beer Drinker and Hell Raiser to another, it doesn’t get much better than Tres Hombres and a big old Tex-Mex combo plate.