Velvet Taco is a new eatery that has taken up residence in the old Church’s Chicken on Henderson & 75. In my opinion, their imaginative take on Tacos is a welcomed addition to the Dallas food scene. I’ve read plenty of people’s cries about various topics concerning Velvet Taco: the prices, ‘oh, another taco place’, and my favorite gripe of ‘these aren’t authentic tacos!’. Ridiculous on all counts. The price point is the same as Torchy’s which serves a similar brand of tacos and Velvet matches them in freshness and size (almost). They also aren’t trying to masquerade as a fancy version of an authentic taco joint, so why try and compare them to that. What they are serving are fresh ingredients in inspired and crazy combinations, like buffalo chicken and blue cheese tacos, or their fried paneer tacos which a tikka & raita crema. The only ‘authentic’ menu items I see are the fresh frozen margarita made from a lime sorbet base and the ‘elote-style corn’. Two items that I can fully get behind.

On our trip we sampled the #3, Crisp Fried Chicken Taco, a generous portion of chicken smothered in buffalo sauce, topped with blue cheese crema, celery leaves, and carrots. It tasted delicious. We also ordered a #7 which was the Chili Rubbed Pork Taco and featured cotija cheese, picked veg, cilantro, and an ariracha aioli. This was definitely my favorite of the three. Plenty of delicious moist pork, plus the fresh vegetables on top added a nice crunch against the flavorful meat. I did add in a bit of house hot sauce to spice it up a bit, but I just wanted a taste of heat. Lastly we tried the #6, a Pan-scrambled Egg Frittata Taco, with queso blanco, wild mushrooms, pea tendrils, and roasted tomato chutney. It looked like a mini omelet wrapped in a corn tortilla. It’s one of their veggie options and it tasted great as well.

As for drinks, we ordered a margarita and it did not dissapoint. They are made fresh daily and at the price point of $5 for a 16oz cup, you can’t go wrong. They aren’t too sweet either and the fresh lime sorbet base gives it just enough of a twist to set it apart from all the other frozen margaritas out there. The soda situation at Velvet Taco is next level as well. The only ‘regular’ soda they offer is Diet Coke, with the rest of the options rounded out with drinks from Oogave Natural Sodas as well as Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages. The Strawberry Rhubarb was our favorite of the bunch and we are looking forward to heading back to try the Rootbeer & Mexi-Cola from Maine Root. I’d take handcrafted & naturally sweetened over mass produced & corn syrup every time, so count this as a giant plus for Velvet Taco.

Overall we had a great experience at Velvet Taco. The interior is warm and cozy, with community type high-top tables running through the middle, and bar counters that run along the edges of the space. Giant windows make up the west wall of the building, letting in the setting sun as well as offering a nice view of the Dallas skyline. They also have a small patio space that I imagine will become prime real-estate once the weather cools off. They are also currently open till 3AM on the weekends and plan on becoming a 24 hour establishment in the coming months. Apparently they’ve been SUPER busy with Henderson bar crowd so if you show up late at night, be prepared to wait in line.

I’ll definitely be frequenting Velvet Taco so I can try the many different tacos that they offer. There really isn’t anything to complain about. They are serving up delicious tacos made from fresh ingredients, and doing it with style and at great price point. Go in and try it for yourself.

Velvet Taco
3012 N Henderson Ave
Dallas, TX 75206
214.823.8586

I love that On The Border is trying to trick people into paying crazy high prices for ‘authentic’ street tacos that you normally would be paying $1.00 to $1.50 apiece for. Plus these tacos don’t look that good anyway. Why is there a sauce on everything? What’s with the crispy onion strings on the fajita-looking tacos? Is that BBQ sauce on the Brisket tacos?

The price also seems prohibitive, ranging from 7.99 up 13.59 depending on what style of tacos you get. This is all highly suspicious on their part and anybody living in an area with a population of hispanics and thus a local taco stand, should be appalled at this offering. Maybe this is to benefit the midwest where the Mexican food offering is pathetic and they don’t know any better. As for people living anywhere else, I dare you to tell me that these tacos taste delicious and are worth the high price On The Border is asking for them.

Hopefully I’ll get a chance to head into an On The Border and try these tacos soon. Once I do, I’ll update with my thoughts. In the meantime, anybody who’s had these let us know what you think? I’m dying to hear some opinions.

Taco Heads is bringing a little bit of Austin to us in the DFW area. It’s a small little trailer/stand hidden behind a bar that serves up a simple menu: tacos. You can choose from breakfast or traditional and they all cost $2.50. I’ve read some things online about the breakfast tacos only being served after 12AM, but when we visited at 10PM on a Wednesday we were able to get them. Maybe they’ve changed their policy recently?

On the regular taco side you can get chicken, brisket, carnitas or veggie mix as your main ingredient & then choose from Taco Head slaw, onions & cilantro or pico de gallo to top it. They also offer fresh jalapenos and sliced avocados for .50 more. The breakfast taco options are eggs, mexican potatoes, chorizo, cheese, bacon, & veggie mix: letting you mix and match however you want. The beauty of the menu is in it’s simplicity and I can appreciate a place that does one thing and does it right.

On our trip we tried two breakfast tacos and two regular—all on flour tortillas. The brisket and carnitas were both top notch and I loved the mexican coleslaw topping. It was fresh, crispy and went well with the brisket taco. They also serve a semi-spicy red sauce, as well as a creamy green sauce on the side for you to add to your liking. The breakfast tacos were just as good and I’d recommend getting the Mexican potatoes no matter what your other choices are. I ended getting a chorizo, egg, and potatoes taco. The chorizo wasn’t too greasy and when topped with a some of their creamy house green sauce, it made for a delicious breakfast taco.

We’re definitely going back to Taco Heads. They’re open late, serve breakfast tacos from opening to close (at least on our visit) and have a great looking trailer and location. Another bonus is that they share the patio of 7th Haven bar, so there are plenty of places to sit—plus if you’d rather have a beer or cocktail with your tacos, they’re only few steps away. It’s definitely the place to go after a night of drinking out in Fort Worth, even if you aren’t at 7th Haven bar.

Go down and visit if you are in the area. Also check their Facebook page for updates.

Taco Heads
700 Carroll St.
Fort Worth, TX 76107

Burguesa Burgers is a new chain popping up around Dallas, brought to you buy the founders of Which Wich. I hope they do well, because I enjoyed my first visit there for a variety of reasons.

Here are the things I like about Burguesa Burgers.

1. Their name is “Burger” Burger.
2. They are a Mexican burger chain with style.
3. Their interior (at least the one on Ft. Worth in Dallas) is nice. They have a bar-service counter, booths, an open kitchen, and high glass walls. Very similar to a Waffle House look.
4. Free peanuts while you wait. Get some.
5. They have their own, in-house sodas made with real cane sugar: cola, orange, grapefruit, and lemon-lime.
6. They put a small donut around your straw when you order a shake. I love dipping donuts in ice cream, you should try it.
7. They give you this creamy, spicy mayo sauce on the side. Perfect for dipping your fries in. It’s quite delicious.
8. They have lime-aid.
9. The shakes are a pleasant surprise. Made with real ice cream and mixed when ordered: your choice of strawberry, vanilla or chocolate.

If you noticed above, I didn’t really mention the burger and that’s because it’s not that special. Their regular burger reminded me a lot of the burger served at a chain in CA called Del Taco. Although to be fair, they do have the La Monumental Burger which is some crazy combination of beans, ham, avocado, tortillas, and your traditional burger ingredients. It looks real wild and I wasn’t hungry enough to try it. I have a feeling though that the beans will just overtake everything else on the sandwich. I might have to go no beans. Even if the La Monumental isn’t the best thing in the world either, I’ll still continue to eat at Burguesa Burgers. They have a great looking menu, affordable prices, and they do lots of other stuff right. They even have breakfast tacos that I want to try, plus the chicken sandwich was a hit with my friend who was with me. Their bacon-wrapped hot dog looked legit as well. It is a bit funny, but I don’t see anything wrong with a place called Burguesa Burgers that does everything else on their menu better.

Three Locations around Dallas.

It’s way early to be thinking about the 2011 Dallas Farmers Market Hoedown, but we had such a good time that I can’t wait to recommend going next year.

The annual fundraiser was hosted by Dallas Farmers Market Friends & featured a ton of tasting tables from local restaurants & vineyards. I was really surprised by how many tables were there. So many in fact, I made sure I limited my tastings to just a bite or two, which proved hard when it came to delicious offerings like the ancho chili barbecue nachos from Kent Rathbun’s restaurant, Abacus.

Stephen Pyle’s Samar also represented itself well with a fork-tender pork shank served atop pureed sweet potato & diced pears. Expect a little dish review of Samar (hopefully in the near future) because it’s on our list!

Holy Ravioli had an amazing pumpkin ravioli with a spicy chipotle cream sauce. I love everything pumpkin during this time of the year & will definitely be stopping by the Lovers Lane store to pick up seconds.

Soups were the star for The Ranch at Las Colinas & Bin 303 in Rockwall. Their spicy tortilla & butternut squash soups (respectively) were perfection & some of my favorite of the night.

Dr. Sue’s Chocolate had a full selection of chocolate bark including flavors like hazelnut toffee & coconut. Dr. Sue Williams started the company as a way to offer preservative-free, all-natural chocolate so fans could reap the health benefits without all the other “stuff.” Delicious! You can find her chocolates at Eatzi’s & also online on her site.

The Cake Ball Co. also brought some of my favorite sweets with their seasonal flavors like white-chocolate coated pumpkin pie.

I’ve heard a lot about local-fave Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream & finally got a chance to try them. Henry himself was serving big scoops of his gourmet, handmade ice cream in coconut, cinnamon & more. No wonder he’s famous.

The Old World Sausage Company was another standout of the evening, serving up fresh, homemade Italian sausages in bite-sized sandwiches. They have a deli counter in Shed 2 over at the Farmer’s Market, so be sure to swing by and check-out their authentic and delicious meats.

A roasted buffalo brisket taco was one of the tastiest & most confusing dishes of the night. Tasty because the meat was spicy, tender & topped with pico de gallo, avocado crema. Confusing because it was brought to you by… Medical City Dallas? Is this what you get when you’re admitted in the hospital? Surely not, right? So I’m not sure what was going on with that.

The only table I just absolutely had to go back to was Hattie’s. Their Texas mushroom soup with croutons was ah-ma-zing. I’ve never had a bad thing from Hattie’s, so their winning streak continues.

Join the Dallas Farmer’s Market Friends, ‘like’ them on Facebook & keep your ear to the ground for news of the next year’s hoedown. In the meantime, swing by the farmer’s market & get something tasty to make yourself!

Torchy’s is an Austin institution that has a short history but a massive following. They started as a trailer at the ACL festival of 2006 and in just four short years they have expanded with 6 locations, mostly around Austin. Luckily for those of us in Dallas, one of those locations is their brand new store off of Forest Lane in North Dallas.

If you’ve never been to Torchy’s down in Austin, you are in for a real treat. This new location in Dallas may seem a bit too “nice” (large industrial interior with fancy chandeliers and plenty of room to sit), but the food is still the same and that’s what’s more important.

Dallas, while not as taco-obsessed as Austin, can still appreciate the deliciousness of Torchy’s. They serve up huge tacos on your choice of flour or corn tortilla, each one with a special name and unique ingredients. The Democrat is a huge portion of delectable barbacoa topped with onions, fresh avocado, queso fresco, cilantro and lime. Another favorite is the Crossroads: smoked beef brisket pilled high on a tortilla, served with jalapenos, jack cheese, grilled onions, cilantro and avocado.

Torchy’s also serves breakfast tacos all day, which is a huge plus for me. You can build your own from ingredients such as cheese, bacon, sausage, eggs, potato, chorizo, jalapeno sausage and beans. Plenty of combinations to choose from and the portions are really big. In fact, the size of all their tacos are extremely generous, usually with more meat than what other restaurants put in their burritos.

Their queso is another menu highlight, probably one the best I’ve ever had. It’s a green chili affair with queso fresco, cilantro, guacamole, and diablo sauce. Damn good queso and I’d recommend that you don’t miss out on it when you stop by.

Torchy’s serves up solid tacos. Their prices are right and the food is made from fresh ingredient, mixed into delicious combinations that are sure to please anyone who gives them a chance. I’ll be the first to admit that their food-truck charm is a bit absent from this location, but I definitely won’t miss having to fight for a table every time I want to enjoy a taco. If you are already a fan from living/visiting in Austin, then you won’t be disappointed, the food hasn’t changed a bit.

Torchy’s Tacos
5921 Forest Lane.
Dallas | TX
972.720.9200

We love Chipotle & the only thing better than a barbacoa burrito bowl with that delicious cilantro-lime rice, roasted corn salsa & pico de gallo, is getting one for free. (Pay attention d boi & ben because this will be of particular interest to you!)

Chipotle is getting in on Tax Free Weekend with a special offer. Eat at any DFW Chipotle this Tuesday or Wenesday (17th – 18th) and save the receipt. Then go back any time during tax free weekend (20th -22nd) and get a free burrito, salad, order of tacos or bowl with your receipt. “No charge. No tax. No strings attached.”

Awesome. They have a relatively new ingredient on the menu: soft corn tortillas, so now would be a great opportunity to try… on the house!

Recently a friend & I were having drinks poolside at NYLO Las Colinas & we noticed the servers bringing out bottle after bottle of pink Coronas. We asked about them & learned it’s just Coronoa + a splash of grenadine. Apparently they’re a popular drink (fad?) in some circles (Las Colinas?). Online research (google) legitimates its existence and puts a name to the pink bottle: Candy Corona. We ordered a couple & a few more since then at Lee Harvey’s so more friends could try. If there’s one thing to be said, it’s polarizing. Some thought it was disgusting—a carbonated, sickeningly alcoholic cherry cough syrup. I actually didn’t mind it & thought it was really easy to drink. I mean, is a Corona really that bad of a thing to deface? Ever tried it yourself?

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