Run, don’t walk to Suerte in East Austin. But, pause first to make a reservation on Resy as the place was packed at 6 PM this past Saturday night. I’d read the raves from Austin food reviewers, but given the number of openings in Austin, there is never a shortage of glowing reviews. This place truly lived up to the hype with each dish provoking sounds of satisfaction and exclamations about the perfection and innovation of every bite.
Shockingly, I did not have wine with this meal, but studied the list prior to dining and must take advantage next time. From bubbles to reds, the list is fresh, interesting and appears to have been chosen with the cuisine in mind. The Melon de Bourgogne, Gamay and Gewurztraminer choices all made me think they were chosen to complement the spicy dishes. My husband began his meal with Txacoli which was a perfectly fresh and crisp pair for the ceviche and finished with a Garnacha to complement the goat that we shared. The cocktail list was heavily weighted towards tequila and mezcal drinks but incorporated both local and Mexican ingredients such as yaupon and Texas tarragon as well as tamarindo and Sotol. Various sherries made appearances on the ingredients list as did Italian favorties including Amaro and Campari.
And, oh, the food…..the ceviche was so delicious. I was hesitant as the changing menu noted that this iteration included green tomato broth. As an avowed tomato hater, I asked ourserver how tomato-y the dish would be and she assured me that it was the right choice. Tender slices of white fish were bathed in the light broth and topped with paper-thin slices of cucumber and scallions. It was served with a crispy, light blue corn tostada.
And then came the esquites. I’ve had esquites on east sixth before and I loved them so much at that now closed location that I would order them every single time. But, these topped my prior favorites without question. Served in a heavy, hand blown rocks glass, sweet and charred corn kernels sat layered between crispy tostadas and drowning in the most amazing light foam of gouda cheese. With a hint of spice that built over time, I just couldn’t stop eating these and wished I had ordered one more.
“Peaches y Mangoes” served as our salad course and did not disappoint. It was tangy, creamy, light and delectable. Chunks of fresh peaches and mango sat atop an hoja santa green goddess dressing which was so yummy that my husband insisted I get as much info from the server so as to be able to reverse engineer it at home. I’ll report back with a recipe as soon as I attempt this. Dots of goat cheese and a sprinkle of sesame seeds finished the dish.
The finale was the Goat Shoulder Barbacoa which was presented simply on the plate surrounded by small bowls of accompaniments. The shoulder was crispy on the outside and tender and juicy beneath. Perfectly and simply seasoned, there was very little gaminess, but plenty of flavor that made for the best little tacos. Small masa tortillas were presented with the goat along with two house made salsas, guacamole, pickled green beans and an herb salad.
I can’t wait to get back to this neighborhood spot to work my way through the rest of this delightful menu. Salud!