Brendan/Austin


03/23/2012 (0) Comments 03/23/2012 / (0) Comments / In Latest Blog / by [value] by Brendan Higgins

As a way of acquainting ourselves with some of Austin’s more popular and lauded restaurants, two friends and I recently began a Sunday-morning (early-afternoon would be more accurate) tradition of going out to brunch. In no way can I claim to be a connoisseur of breakfast fare—having learned to appreciate even the most conservatively cooked eggs only in the past few years—so this mini-tour has been an eye-opening experience.

The dominance of Tex-Mex in Austin is reflected on the menu of nearly every restaurant we’ve tried, with perhaps the most ubiquitous item (besides breakfast tacos) being migas, a hearty mixture of scrambled eggs, bits of corn tortilla, onions, chilies, tomatoes, and cheese. While migas are brunch comfort food at its most reliable, I prefer the dish’s zippier and more traditionally Mexican cousin, chilaquiles, which I first had the privilege of tasting at a new and trendy spot in East Austin called Takoba. As in migas, the base of chilaquiles consists of scrambled eggs and corn tortilla, which is here fried to the point of being slightly crispy, but these ingredients are then simmered in salsa or mole. Just before serving, the dish is sprinkled with queso fresco; the result is simple but immensely satisfying. I can’t recommend highly enough that everyone seize the opportunity to try (or cook!) chilaquiles, should it present itself. If you’re anything like me, this meal will soon inhabit your daydreams, as your desire for more only grows stronger.

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