Posts tagged ‘margaritas’

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May 4, 2011

Austin: Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Street de Mayo:

cinco de mayo austin

Bonus: Tikkr watches will be sponsoring a VIP party at Malverde during the festivities.  Guests can purchase a Tikkr watch at the event and receive free admission to the party with open bar from 6-9pm.

There will also be an after party open to the public at Malverde featuring additional DJ sets by Ocote Soul Sounds and DJ Chicken George until 2am.

Classy de Mayo:

In honor and celebration of Cinco de Mayo, Fonda San Miguel will feature a special menu of traditional Mexican dishes inspired by the colors of the Mexican flag, and highlight a one-of-a-kind festive cocktailcreated by tequila expert and author Lucinda Hutson.

Fonda San Miguel’s special Cinco de Mayo menu includes Tamales in Mole Poblano, made with Fonda’s own fresh-ground masa and served with the traditional mole of Puebla. Fonda San Miguel celebrates the flag of Mexico with its special La Bandera Enchiladas, featuring handmade enchiladas topped with verde sauce, rojo sauce and suiza blanco. Fonda’s tri-colored Chiles en Nogada – stuffed poblano chiles topped a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds – are as beautiful as they are delicious.

To commemorate Cinco de Mayo, Fonda San Miguel will also feature a specialty cocktail created by Lucinda Hutson, author of “Tequila Cantina de Lucinda” and “Tequila! The Spirit of Mexico in a Bottle!” Hutson’s ruby bougainvillea-colored Prickly Pear Margarita is prepared with a splash of homemade jalapeno syrup and served in a glass rimmed with red chile-seasoned salt – the perfect contemporary accompaniment to Fonda’s classic Cinco de Mayo meal.

Also the author of “The Herb Garden Cookbook” and a renowned organic gardener and garden designer, Hutson has redesigned Fonda San Miguel’s landscape to include a magnificent tiered stone fountain discovered by Hutson and Fonda owner Tom Gilliland, which will be lit with changing colors and enhance the restaurant’s already flourishing grounds. Additionally, Hutson added a colorfulcourtyard garden, succulent troughs, a beautiful desert garden and lush planted pots, including three oversized green pots that surround the statue of San Miguel, a Mexican patron saint and the restaurant’s namesake. Hutson’s gardening project will change with the seasons, and act as a serene welcome into the beauty found within the doors of Fonda San Miguel.

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January 11, 2011

Aspen: Venga Venga Slopeside in Snowmass

The latest Richard Sandoval modern Mexican restaurant (click here for a HuffPo article on Sandoval), Venga Venga fills the slopeside void in Snowmass. Literally the slope-iest a restaurant could get, it sits right at the old mall, beckoning you with the promise of margaritas, which somehow sound delicious even when it’s -14 degrees outside. Trust me, I know, because we went there when this was the case.

Blueberry prickly pear margarita at Venga Venga SnowmassSpicy serrano orange margarita at Venga Venga in Snowmass

These are margaritas made with Sauza infused with things. The red one is infused with prickly pear, then served with blueberries. The orange one is infused with serrano peppers and made with lots of orange. It is not sweet, which is just the way I like it!

Naturally, the mojito didn’t get photographed again. What can I say? The same fella, however, reported that it was nearly as good as Pacifica’s, which means it’s pretty dang good.

Nachos at Venga Venga in Snowmass

These are delicious nachos. I don’t normally eat nachos, not for any particular reason, they just don’t usually call my name. They did, however, and they were worth the caloric splurge (isn’t that what skiing/snowboarding is for?). The chips stayed crisp under the weight of the toppings, which were generous without being overwhelming.

Add in a little of the Venga Venga salsa, which is absolutely delicious and very fresh, and these nachos were divine. And I ate my weight in chips.

After a day of skiing or snowboarding, Venga Venga in Snowmass slopeside on the Old Mall is the perfect spot to stop. It’s not cheap, but it’s good.

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August 7, 2008

Thirsty Thursdays – Runs, Events, & More

As the first Thursday of the month often goes, this one is jam-packed with things to do. Behold:

The Moonlight Margarita Run has only been around 4 years and has already turned into one of Austin’s most infamous running events. The Town Lake Trail Foundation hosts the 5K, with an 8pm start time, as a fundraiser. The post-race party features Tex-Mex food, mariachi music, and margaritas on the grounds of the American Legion Hall. The prices are steep: $85 for the run + party; $35 for the run only, or $55 for the party only.

For runners who want to run for free, check out the Nike Human Race training run at SIX lounge, 7pm.

If you prefer to give your credit card a workout, head to South Congress, where Prototype Vintage (which you’ll remember partnered with La Luz for a new space) is hosting a Grand Opening in conjunction with First Thursday. Officially called the Launch Pad Party, there will be an op-art photo booth, snacks, and something called a “sputnik space bar.”

For your beauty fix, Austin Monthly is hosting a party at Sana Boutique from 6-8pm to introduce Rae Cosmetics and its creator, Rochelle Rae. Wine and apps will be served. At that issue release party last week, I tried on some lip gloss and it was pretty spectacular–silky smooth, not sticky, and my friends raved about how good it made my lips look.

And for a stellar close to the evening, I have a friend, Greg Vendetti, playing a big show at Apple Bar at 10pm. He’s a pretty stinkin’ good singer-songwriter (who bills himself as pop-rock … can singer-songwriters do that?!). He has only been in Austin for about a year and has already made some waves on the music scene–his Stubbs gig landed him in the Statesman.

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May 7, 2008

Review: El Chile North (you know, the free ‘ritas)

I was thoroughly impressed by El Chile North–I haven’t been to the East Austin one, but the food was superb. They serve chips and salsa in little bowls, which one of my companions deemed “classier than a big one.” I thought it just looked like more work for our server, but whatever. The salsa is a bean-y concoction that I wasn’t sure I would approve of, being a lover of tomato salsa, but it was delicious enough that my table went through three bowls.

I ordered the Tamal Azteca, a cheesy, veggie casserole-style layered tortilla, saucy mess. It was a delicious mess, the sauce on top was spicy but sweet, the veggies were actually veggies like zucchini and squash, not just onion and tomato–though they were in there too. My one complaint about it was that my portion was tiny–so small, when the waitress placed the plate on my table another companion said, “you got gypped!” In all honesty, it was a perfect size for me to  eat, and a nice departure from the enormous serving sizes restaurants normally dish up. But, it looked a little lonely on my plate.

And the margaritas … yes, they were indeed free, but that did not stop the bartender from using a heavy hand on the tequila! I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor, it was very tangy and not too sweet, which is usually my complaint with restaurant ‘ritas. Definitely worth the entree price!

El Chile North is not actually on Far West, it’s just north of Far West on Greystone, in a little strip mall shopping center. I liked the location, they had a cute patio with a view of north Austin–although a friend not-so-sweetly pointed out that there’s also a view of the Golden Arches. In any case, I endorse the new El Chile, especially during this time of free margaritas! (2 with an entree purchase)

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May 5, 2008

Free Margaritas!!

So Austin favorite El Chile just opened up a location at Far West, and they don’t have their liquor license, so they’re giving away two free margaritas with an entree purchase!

El Chile and fast-food kid sister El Chilito are Manor Road faves, hot with the UT crowd and downtown dwellers and workers. I’ve never been, but it’s on my list of restaurants to visit. And now I can, up north, with free margaritas! I’m not sure of the exact location, but Far West isn’t that big, right? I’m planning on going tonight, and given that it’s Cinco de Mayo, I’m pretty sure it’ll be packed. I’ll report back.

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May 1, 2008

Thoughts on Hula Hut

Hula Hut is an Austin institution, sitting pretty on the shores of Lake Austin next to Mansfield Dam, a place central but tucked into a neighborhood, accessible by boat, car, and for the adventurous, foot. It has succeeded while restaurant after restaurant next door failed. Is it because Hula Hut already has the market on lock? Why don’t those people with the 2-hour wait for a table just go over to the other restaurant?

Because Hula Hut is just good. Their salsa is fresh and delicious (even if their chips sometimes aren’t), and you can serve yourself while you wait. Their drinks are not the best, but not the worst, and again, it’s something to do while you wait. There’s an enormous patio and outside bar for waiting. The culture surrounding the Hawaiian-infused Mexican joint (owned by Chuy’s) is one of island relaxation, where there’s no need to rush. How did they create that?!

Part of the secret is that they make you wait at the right time. You arrive, you know you’re going to have to wait. You grab the aforementioned chips and salsa and drinks, and you chill out. You people-watch. Your buzzer finally goes off and you get seated … then everything goes into rapid-fire mode. The waitstaff is almost always professional, attentive, and quick as lightning. Your food comes out just minutes after you order. Your waiter is constantly (but not annoyingly) stopping by to check on you, so you can get extra sauce/napkins/more drinks/the check/whatever you need right when you need it.

This is the secret. You chill out, then you eat, and leave, stuffed full of homemade tortillas (you can watch them make the floury confections through the window) and fresh salsa. Some choose to linger, and as soon as the waitstaff realizes that, they’re cool with it. So this is why people hang out here: because other people hang out here. Pretty people, people who own boats, people who boat in, people who love being on the water, people who love being outside on a pretty day or night.

So even if Hula Hut is sometimes maligned by the locals for its 2-hour wait for a table on weekends, or its not-cheap drinks that aren’t that good anyway and never a drink special, that’s not the only reason you’re there. The food is consistent (I say great!); the atmosphere can’t be beat.

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