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Hey there restaurant fans.
You know, in our obsession with dining out for dinner, an activity which
many of you engage in on a regular basis, we often ignore going out
to lunch, which, statistically speaking, is an activity most of you
engage in even MORE often. So, this week, we'll talk lunch...and There's
a place in Austin that's so popular for lunch that they advise you to
carpool so you can get a parking place. It's on 1101 W. 5th st.and it's
called Castle Hill.
Castle Hill is about to celebrate its 15th anniversary
and when a restaurant can boast that kind of longevity, there's usually
a good reason. Trust me, at Castle Hill, there are many.
Their stated philosophy is to serve imaginative,
affordable, and comforting food. And after repeated lunches there I
heartily agree. They start you with a fresh dinner salad that has some
character. Not the usual three leaves of Boston lettuce and a cherry
tomato that one sees too often these days. And i love the smoked poblano-pecan
vinaigrette.
Recently, I had the Chicken Enchiladas. These are
not Tex-mex style but Interior Mexican in the Suizas style: they're
filled with achiote-lime roasted chicken, cilantro, and jack cheese.
The chicken was tender and aromatic. But the sauce! They make a sauce
using leeks, aged swiss cream cheese, and sour cream. Instant taste
gratification here. They serve it with a salsa of ancho chile adobo
and charred poblanos. Seriously good.
Then we tried the grilled Mahi-Mahi. It was tender
yet firm and had a compelling flavor.It was served in a sauce made from
guajillo chiles, garlic, tomatoes, white wine, vinegar, and cream.Now
that's imaginative and the flavor was mareloso. They also served it
with a corn pudding tamale which was terrific.
Have I piqued your curiosity?
They also had a dynamite pasta salad. Fussilli was
the star along with basil oil, arugula, pine nut pesto, garlic grilled
chicken, marinated mozzarrella cheese and oven dried roma tomoatoes.
Now, as a rule, I can take or leave pasta salads. But I would submit
to the indignity of any number of car pools just to go back and have
that one again. They change the menus regularly at Castle Hill, rotating
new dishes and old favorites every few weeks.
But whenever you go, assuming you can find a place
to park, you will be rewarded with quality. Castle Hill is one of my
top 15 restaurants, for lunch or dinner, and deservedly so. For Fox
7 news, I'm Rob Balon dining out.
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