Polvo's North

Polvo's is officially one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Austin. I'm talking about the North location, I've never been to the one on 1st Street, but I hope they do things just as good. We had been to this spot twice for dinner but never tried their breakfast. So when Easter weekend rolled in and we wanted to avoid all the busy brunch spots. Polvo's was the place to go.

14735 Bratton Ln, Austin, TX.

One thing I really dig about Polvo's is the free chips and salsa bar. Now, I heard the 1st street location charges for their chips and salsa, but I'm not sure, so don't quote me. They have 3 fresh homemade salsas (regular, roasted, and verde) available at the bar. Try them all and find your favorite. We checked out the menu and were happy to see plenty of Mexican breakfast staples, and some new ones as well. Everything from migas to huevos rancheros. I decided to be a little adventurous and tried something that caught my eye. The trash can plate. Sounds a little funky, but everything in it sounded great to me. Two scrambled eggs mixed with bacon, ham, potatoes, cheese, pico de gallo, spinach, sausage, mushrooms, chipotle, machacado, and chorizo! Served with a side of refried beans and homemade potatoes. Now that's a breakfast fit for a king.....or should I say Rey! I had everything in that, sans the mushrooms. You all know I don't do fungi! Lisa decided on her all time favorite, the migas. For those who don't know, it's scrambled eggs with corn tortilla chips topped with cheese. Good stuff!

Trashcan Plate

Migas

Our waiter was attentive and kept our iced teas topped off. I also decided to order on of my favorite drinks, the michelada. After awhile our waiter arrived with our steaming hot plates and we commenced to chow down. My plate was a pretty interesting, a mix of different flavors and textures that collided with every bite. I'm not sure I would ever order this plate again, but I know they know what they are doing at Polvo's. Lisa's plate was top notch. Cooked properly with lots of gooey cheesy goodness and crispy chips all in the mix. And their homemade potatoes cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce is just like my abuelita made when I was growing up. Polvo's also makes their own tortillas, and they do an awesome job!

Michelada

Overall, Polvo's is a big WINNER! I would definitely recommend it for all your real Mexican food cravings! I am a fan and I will continue going back.

Papi Tino's

1306 E. Sixth Street, Austin

Today I decided to hit up East Sixth Street for my weekly brunch spot - Papi Tino's to be exact. This place is a little hard to find, as the restaurant name is nowhere to be found outside. Look for an old white frame house, the address is posted on a small wooden sign hanging on a tree.

Papi Tino's is a really cool spot, and I'd say a cute place to take a first date for brunch or dinner and make a good impression. There's a choice of indoor or outdoor seating, or you can also order and eat at the bar. It was a nice day and all outdoor seating was full, so we found a table inside. A piano player banged out some tunes as we entered...very nice!

Michelada 

The waiter was prompt and quickly asked if it was our first visit (it was). He proceeded to tell us how Papi Tino's uses fresh and local ingredients and took our drink order. While most folks enjoy mimosas or a bloody mary with their brunch, I'm more of a michelada kind of guy. My girlfriend went with the mimosa with agua de fruta and I went with the michelada with a Pacifico cerveza, served on ice. I get laughs when I say I'm a connoisseur of things, but I'm dead serious when I tell you that I'm a connoisseur of micheladas. I've had them all over the state of Texas and Mexico, and let me tell you Papi Tino's makes a MEAN ONE! So if they are your thing, you must try them here.



The Brunch menu is simple but effective. A few egg dishes, chilaquiles, enchiladas (suizas, rojas, de mole) and ceviche of the day. I was here for one thing - the chilaquiles. A few days ago my girlfriend showed me a picture of them that someone shared on twitter. I was sold, hence the trip today! Papi Tino's serves a traditional take on chilaquiles, and offers them tossed in your choice of salsa verde or roja. They are served with their homemade tortilla chips, cheese, chicken and mexican cream. Both my girlfriend and I had the same thing in mind, so she went with the roja and I went with the verde. They were both great! The chips were crisp and tasty, and not soggy, which is a must for real chilaquiles. The cheese was nicely melted and the chicken was tender. The only thing I'd like to note is that the verde version is a little spicier than the roja, but if you don't mind a little extra heat, I'd choose the verde which is tomatillo based. Either way you can't go wrong, it's just a matter of preference.

Do yourself a favor and check out Papi Tino's. I'll be stopping by for dinner soon!

Chilaquiles with salsa verde

Chilaquiles with salsa roja and huevos