Ahem..Introductions? - The Peached Tortilla

Let's just say I've been on a brief hiatus for the last few months. After studying for exams, stressing over exams, and actually taking exams, I couldn't bring myself to voluntarily put effort into writing anything. I know that maintaining a blog takes self discipline and hopefully it will be a discipline I can master. At least on my free time from 386346 other school commitments or when it's 3 a.m. and I can't fall asleep.

I went to New Orleans for a month to work over break, but a few days before I left Austin I fulfilled one of my desired food truck visits at The Peached Tortilla.

I saw via twitter (@peachedtortilla) that there was a lunch special at the trailer off 2nd and Colorado. I convinced my roommate to hop in the car and take a trip to the truck that I had somehow kept missing. The food and the service were exceptional.

I went after the Banh Mi taco on white corn because it had been the most highly recommended. And I loved it! The description of "Vietnamese braised pork belly, pickled daikon and carrot salad" intimidated me a little, but these new ingredients didn't scare my palate. The spicy sriracha mayo and cilantro pulled it all together as a taco that rivaled my beloved Torchy's Brush Fire.

I think my roommate ordered the BBQ Brisket taco with creamy slaw and smoke roasted peach bbq sauce. Mmmmmmmmmmm

Eric Silverstein, owner and founder of The Peached Tortilla, was a pretty laid back guy. He answered some questions I had for an article I was working on (more details on that to come) and even let me take his picture.

I need to make my way over to West Campus (where the truck is located most evening at Freewheeling Bicycles), so I can relive the Banh Mi and maybe try a slider or two.

Damn Worth Getting Lost For - Torchy's Tacos

This week I visited Torchy’s Tacos in the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery off of South First. I was going to attempt to venture outside of the more frequented food-trailers, but I woke up Sunday morning and could not get my mind away from Torchy’s "damn good tacos." Bare with me people, I’ll be adventurous next week.

I am a taco fiend. I love the spices, the succulent flavor of the meat, the salsa, the cheese, the variety of toppings…everything! My favorite kind of taco however, is the breakfast taco. I don’t think it gets any better than eggs, beans, cheese and salsa all wrapped up in a homemade corn tortilla. Torchy’s Tacos pulls this off perfectly.

I’ve been to the UT District Torchy’s off Guadalupe several times, but had never been to the trailer park location. I had heard of the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery and always wanted to check it out, so I wrote down the address and hopped in the car.

The address listed on the website is 1311 S. First St and I live off 43rd, so I thought that I could just drive South on Lamar and I’d eventually hit First Street and take it from there. After passing Sixth Street, I was getting pretty excited for my long overdue breakfast taco but, after driving for another ten blocks I realized that I must have gotten turned around. It turns out that all the numbered streets in Austin run East to West, except First Street magically runs North to South. I guess I’m realizing this late, but for all you Austin newbies out there- you’ve been informed!

I whipped out my priceless TomTom, forced myself to continue driving past Gourdough’s, and eventually found the Trailer Park & Eatery.

The Torchy’s Tacos food-truck shares the trailer park with Holy Cacao and Man Bites Dog, but Torchy’s was the only one open at 10:30 a.m. The trailer park has generous parking (for Austin), umbrella tables, and a covered eating area that boasts Torchy’s Tacos as Austin Chronicle’s choice of Best Taco & Best Taqueria for 2010.

I normally would order my usual egg, bean, cheese and green chilies, but I went out of the norm just for you lovely reader! Also, it gave me an excuse to buy two tacos. I ordered my usual and the taco of the month: The Scarecrow. $3.50 for pumpkin crusted chicken, roasted poblanos, escabeche carrots, cojita cheese and cilantro, served on a corn tortilla with creamy chipotle.

Can I just say that ordering that taco was one of the best random-order-decisions ever? The escabeche (pickled) carrots were the bomb, they were crunchy and packed so much flavor. The pumpkin crusted chicken caused a déjà vu moment, but I realized it reminded me of the breading at The Mighty Cone. I thought the poblanos were a little soggy for my taste, but overall the taco was a great choice. I even enjoyed the chipotle sauce that I normally would substitute with the traditional salsa.

You should visit the South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery if you’re trying to get some good, cheap food and stroll slightly off the beaten path.

P.S. Torchy’s Tacos just opened a new location in Dallas! If you’re there for a visit you should stop in and tell me if that location is as good as the real thing.
What’s your favorite Torchy’s Taco? Answer in a comment below and I’ll try and check it out!

**All photos by Rachael Sperling

Austin = Foodie Paradise

Fall is here and in Austin this means perfect weather (or a perfect excuse) to dine out. For many people, Austin is known for its extensive musical talent, diverse population, and multitude of cuisines and local eateries. Since I moved here for school in August 2009, the ridiculous amount of restaurants all over Austin have continued to fill my belly and satisfy the little foodie in me.

The token Austin food-trucks and trailers have been most kind to my wallet and palate. The range of locations from North, Central and South Austin helped pull me out of my tiny 'campus bubble' that many students get sucked into. As such, I feel I owe a "thank you" to the food-trucks and trailers of Austin which comes in the form of this blog.

My posts will range from reviews and experiences of trailers I've visited, interesting news or updates of the Austin food-truck world, and any other food-trucky things I think you should know. Now is the time to get excited!

The thing that's on my mind right now is the afterglow of Austin City Limits Music Festival. If you've never been to ACL, you may be asking what it has to do with food-trucks, so I will clue you in.

The annual three-day festival is a staple of Austin's musical reputation where thousands of locals and out-of-towners attend for up to 12 hours a day. Twelve-hour days can make anyone hungry and this is where the food-trucks come into play.

Some of the most popular restaurants in town set-up seasonal food-trailers alongside the year-round trucks in the Austin Eats Food Court. A few of my personal favorites include Amy's Ice Creams, Children of the Kettle Corn, Guero's, Mighty Cone, and Torchy's Tacos.

This year I sampled the Galaxy Cafe's grilled chicken chipotle wrap and the cashier coolly let me add steamed veggies for no additional cost! It was the perfect lunch if you're trying to eat on the lighter side and was one of the cheapest stands there ($5 for a wrap and $1 for a bag of Sunchips).

I bought a surprisingly huge bag of kettle corn from Children of the Kettle Corn for $5. It was the perfect sweet snack to munch on while I planted myself in the same spot for four hours. I actually ended up giving almost half the bag away because it was so addicting that I was going to eat back all the calories I burned from my morning run. My neighbors were grateful, so I think it's safe to say the kettle corn was a hit!

Although the prices are a few dollars higher at ACL, I wouldn't trade the local eats of the food-trailers for the cheaper 'standard' festival fare of corndogs and burgers. The food-trailers' presence at events like ACL allow Austin natives to grab their favorite local bites, and out-of-towners to sample some of the best eateries!


Check back for more next Wednesday on the funky fresh food-trucks of Austin!

• For a complete list of the 2010 Austin City Limits Music Festival food vendors click here.
• Austin American-Statesman writer and fellow foodie, Addie Broyles, recorded her "roadmap" of food adventures in her blog Relish Austin. (She tried the Galaxy Cafe wrap too!)
• Different festival, more food-truck love on Brand X Daily. "Good Eats at SXSW:Food Trucks Rule Austin"

Have something to say? I'm open to comments and/or questions.

Leave a comment about your favorite food-trailer at ACL and/or what you ate at the festival this year or in previous years, so I can get some recommendations!