Trappings of home
If I’m not mistaken that’s some Trudy’s chips and salsa that our own Bruce Sterling was craving after being away for most of the last few months.
I know I get a craving for the stuff after a couple of weeks away from Austin. I like Trudy’s green salsa. I’m also partial to the green stuff at Guero’s and the borracho sauce at Curra’s. I find the jalapeno ranch and hatch chile sauce at Chuy’s irresistable as well, but I don’t particularly like their salsa.
What are some other local favorite salsas/sauces? What about the chips? I’m sure everyone has an opinion, so have at it.
I agree with the Jalapeno Ranch at Chuy’s however I also like their red salsa.
In general I prefer creamy avocado salsas like they serve at the tacotote (mexican chain) and I haven’t really found anything like that here. So if anyone has a recommendation I would love to hear one.
The cloest thing to the green avocado salsa that you mention was Timpone’s salsa verde, which needed to be refrigerated and did contain avocado. The people who bought Timpone’s seem to have dropped all but two salsas, both red, though they are keeping the pasta sauces. To my knowledge, it was the only salsa of its kind available around here, and very good.
The traditional home chip-and-dip fest is original Pace Picante (the medium, non-chunky red) along with El Galindo unsalted restaurant-style tortilla chips. Most restaurants that don’t make their own (which tend to turn out a bit on the greasy side) use either El Galindo or El Lago (formerly El Rio).
Every restaurant seems to have some table salsa that’s highly addictive, to one degree or another.
As to green sauce, before the advent of Seis Salsas on South First and Evita’s Botanitas in its Sixth Street incarnation, it was very unusual to see salsa verde brought out with the chips.
Two current green favorites here in Austin are the Chuy’s enchiladas and Manuel’s pork enchiladas.
I like the chunkier salsa at Chuy’s (but not the smoother one), and the salsa at Hula Hut.
Not necessarily a salsa, but… Get the Guero’s Dip — it’s unbelievable. “5 layers of deliciousness: refried beans, guacamole, cheese, pico de gallo and sliced jalape