Spicewood

(From July 2011)

You might well mistake the place for a run-of-the-mill watering hole, but let owner Emcee Bantz work her magic in the kitchen of the little roadside cookhouse and you’ll soon change your tune. Homemade spanakopita with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce started our meal on a high note, while a mango-tarragon vinaigrette and crumbly blue cheese dressing made basic house salads sparkle. Crisp pan-seared lemon chicken over a bed of garlicky artichoke-mushroom pasta brought ear-to-ear smiles to our group, smiles made even wider upon the arrival of flaky apple strudel à la mode. 

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(From October 2010) It’s worth the drive. A thirty-minute trip from Austin, La Cabaña’s Mexican food jumped straight out of our childhood memory onto the plate. Take the Nachos Perico 2, with chicken fajitas, beans, and queso blanco and cheddar on crisp tortilla chips, served with cilantro-laden pico and creamy guacamole. Or the sopes, deep-fried masa rounds overflowing with marinated pulled beef, refried beans, shredded lettuce, panela cheese, and pico. Only the overcooked beef tampiqueña, drowned in a watery tomato sauce, disappointed. Saving the day were its sides: a flawless crispy beef taco, rice and beans, and a plain but delicious cheese enchilada with red sauce. Top off your meal with homemade flan or an adult beverage and listen to live music on the weekends at the gorgeous palapa bar. Bar.

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