Avocados are a pretty sexy vegetable fruit. They have a lovely creaminess, a rich mouthfeel, a delicate flavor—all due to their natural fattiness. A large part of their allure also comes from their versatility. Avocados have an excellent imagination. To chop for a salad or tuck into a sushi roll? With all the possible combinations, they come with a spark of culinary inspiration (unlike say, a brussels sprout.)

Avocados are about possibilities, and in a roundabout way they’re what landed me three seats away from Kent Rathbun for a private dinner at Abacus. (I know! I admit I was pretty star-struck.) There he was, in all his full Iron Chef glory talking about the night he created his legendary lobster shooter while cooking at the James Beard House and the time he prepared dinner for over 27,000 people at George W’s inaugural ball. Pretty amazing, especially for someone like me who almost jumped out of my seat seeing Tom Colicchio and Wylie Dufresne on the last episode of HBO’s Treme.

So what does all that have to do with an avocado? Hosted by the California Avocado Commission, the night was a celebration toasting of all its lovely possibilities.

The first course featured diced avocados atop a king crab salad in a sea of chilled lemongrass gazpacho. A light dish with a nice balance between the richness of the king crab and sweetness of the soup. It’s a great starter for Summer, especially because that’s the peak of the avocado growing season.

Second course was a twist on the traditional shrimp and veggie tempura. Thick spears of avocado and rock shrimp rested in a creamy tofu-based yuzu sauce. Excellent flavor, but a little overwhelming. Fried avocado? You can imagine how just a little is more than enough.

The dinner went from asian inspirations to the Southwest with a chipotle bacon-wrapped duck roulade. In the center? A slice of apricot and avocado, of course. A spicy maple & black pepper glaze was spread across the plate. While it was delicious, I was most intrigued with the side of spring pea & pearl couscous. It was so creamy, it was almost a risotto. Divine!

Moving along with more of the Southwestern flavors, the fourth course featured the lightest and best sope I’ve ever had. Smothered with a smoky, roasted guacamole it was topped with fresh pico de gallo, green chili gravy, and cumin-cured hanger steak medallions cooked rare. It was the highlight of the dinner for me. I was convinced that it couldn’t get better… until dessert arrived.

I guessed that the avocado dessert would be an ice cream because of its nice fat content (and the fact that I’ve seen it several times on Food Network.) I was only half right. Dessert did feature a very subtle meyer lemon and avocado ice cream. Underneath it was the best blackberry sage tart. Probably of all time. Ever. Call it dramatics; that’s ok. But trust me, the crust was applaudable.

The night left us with more than just fond memories and an increased knowledge of the Persea americana. I left with three of the prettiest avocados to take home. Right now they’re waiting on my counter while I make plans for them. Of course after last night, I’m feeling pretty inspired…

Taco Mundo sprung up out of (practically) nowhere. It’s part of the new Centreport development off of Hwy. 360 & Trinity. The address is technically Ft. Worth, but that makes it pretty confusing. To get a better idea of where it actually is, think North Arlington.

Based on the Taco Mundo signage (featuring what looks like a clip-art Earth), you’ll probably be preparing yourself for some very questionable Mexican food. But go a little closer & you’ll be surprised to find a pretty chic, modern interior & a patio that has major potential to be a great margarita hangout on Summer weeknights.

You’ll also notice that Taco Mundo looks/feels a lot like Taco Diner and that’s because it’s owned by Mi Cocina co-founder, Carolina Galvan-Rodriguez. Interested? I thought so.

Their menu’s mainstay is a substantial list of taco choices, including tacos de brisket, al pastor & carnitas. Appetizers include the standard, yet tasty Tex-Mex offerings like queso fundido & chicken flautas. More substantial entrees round out the menu & although we stuck to mix & match taco plates, some of them sounded really great: sopes, enchiladas with mole sauce & crispy chicken enchiladas in a salsa verde.

As for the tacos we got, they were all very good. They’re served with Mexican rice & the classic fixings of lime, cilantro, and onion. The meat tacos were tender & well-prepared. The vegetarian Tacos Verdura was surprisingly rich with wilted spinach, poblano, mushrooms, roasted corn & jack cheese. If you like Taco Diner, you’ll like Taco Mundo too.

And I’m really pulling for Taco Mundo. Anyone familiar with that area knows that the eatery landscape is a little barren. With the Summer nights ahead, Taco Mundo is going to be a lovely happy hour place because of their beautiful patio. While looking for information about any happy hour specials, I couldn’t find any info online. So I called and spoke to someone. While I didn’t fully understand his answer, I loved the sound of it. “Our margaritas are tasty & it’s happy hour every day, all the time.” Alright, I’m down with that.

Taco Mundo
4120 Highway 360, Suite 101
Fort Worth, TX 76155
817.553.0700

*drumroll please*

Back from a long vacation, it’s the liiiiiiiittle diiiiiiiiish! Hope you’re all having a nice 2010 so far. Thanks for checking back even though it’s been like a ghost town around here. TUMBLEWEEDS. Like I mentioned last post, we’ve been planning on updating the site and have lots of great things in store, so stay tuned.

In actual food-related news, we just had dinner at probably one of the most popular restaurants in Dallas, La Duni. Unlike many things that are popular, La Duni really deserves the attention. Their modern take on Latin dishes & beautiful desserts have become (in the small handful of times I’ve visited) some of my favorites.

But don’t be tricked into thinking that La Duni is a Mexican restaurant. Yes, they do have tacos, flautas & quesadillas on the menu. However, their flavors go way beyond the Mexican border with additions like Argentinean sausage & Pampero black beans. Here’s a mini-guide to set the record straight & help you brush up on your Latin before your next meal at La Duni…

Chimichurri – (See above) A green sauce originally made in Argentina & Uruguay. Ingredients often include parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar & red pepper flakes. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.

Plantain – A member of the genus Musa (bananas, basically). They tend to be firmer & not as sweet as the “dessert bananas” that we eat in America & are often used in savory dishes. When sliced & served fried, they’re also called “tajadas” in Honduras, Panama & other parts of South America. (That’s how La Duni serves them!)

Arepa – A flat, unleavened cornmeal bread from the northern Andes. Kinda like a tortilla, but thicker. A perfect addition to meat dishes.

Pabellon Criollo – (See also: Heaven) A traditional Venezuelan dish that’s made up of rice, shredded beef & black beans. Often served with fried plantain slices. At La Duni, you also get a slice of queso fresco & arepa.

Queso Fresco – A mild & soft unaged white Spanish cheese (See plate above.)

Patacones – Cooked green plantains that are smashed, crisped & then sprinkled with salt.

Chicharron – 1. super crispy pork rinds. 2. a fun word to say

Pisco – A Peruvian liquor distilled from grapes. The main ingredient in the Pisco Sour. (See above. See also: good times)

La Duni
4620 McKinney Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75205
See website for other locations.
214.520.7300