The recommendations for Cempazuchi’s were too abundant to ignore any longer. So the other day Scott and I settled into a table nestled beneath the golden-orange awning of the folk-lore filled Mexican restaurant on Brady Street.
With the sun beaming down on the sidewalks and a slight breeze in the air, it was a perfect day for eating outside. I opened the menu and was delighted to see michaladas listed under “Drinks.”
I first had this tantalizing combination of lime juice, Tabasco and Tecate while chilling on the patio of the ultramod Hotel San Jose in Austin, Texas. For the uninitiated, this might sound like an unappetizing mix, but all I can say is that somehow it works. It works well.
Unfortunately, not a lot of places know how to make a mean michalada; Cempazuchi doesn’t fall into that category. The chilled glass rimmed with salt arrived with the perfect amount of lime juice, Tabasco and a cold Tecate just waiting to be poured.
In between sips of my mouthwatering michalada, I munched on crisp corn chips dipped in a well-seasoned salsa blended with peanuts, cilantro and something else I just can’t put my finger on, but which makes this one of the most irresistible salsas this side of the border.
But it’s not just the addictive salsa that keeps the crowds coming back time and time again. The food is top notch too.
Scott swore that his big-as-your-face burrito was one of the best he’s eaten here in Brew City, and my “Tacos de Tio Isreael” were incredibly scrumptious as well.
The three tacos filled with an otherwordly chipotle mayo, crisp, colorful lime slaw and plump perch rolled in organic blue corn meal arrived on a bright coral-colored plate flanked with the requisite slices of lime and were nestled next to some herb-sprinkled rice and a bowl of black beans.
Everything tasted fresh. Crisp. Full of the kind of great flavor that makes you start planning another visit before you even pay the check. The kind of flavor that makes you realize that when the owners decided to call the place “Cempazhuci,” which is supposedly Mayan for "marigold," the flower used to draw spirits back to eat and drink, they knew exactly what they were doing.
I've been going to Cempazuchi for years and have never made it past the margarita section of the menu. Thanks for the great drink idea...maybe I'll try it out soon!
Dessert is great here as well, they have a wonderful custard!
Posted by: Shannon | July 30, 2006 at 04:24 PM