Torchy's Tacos

Because of the oppressive heat that lasts roughly from April to November and the widely dispersed clusters of shopping and food districts, Austin does not support the kind of pedestrian activity found in most large cities. Yet in spite of this relative lack of foot traffic, street food dispensed from portable trailers has seamlessly become a celebrated part of Austin's culture in recent years. Torchy's Tacos is emblematic of what Austin's street food scene has to offer. Despite the humble appearance of Torchy's 2 trailers and one permanent restaurant, Torchy's offers complex, interesting food that expands the definition of the word taco. On its regular menu, Torchy's offers build-your-own breakfast tacos and two vegetarian creations - fried avocado tacos and the dirty sanchez.
As its name suggests, the main attraction of the fried avocado taco is sliced avocado fried in a light batter, which renders it both buttery and airy. This taco also includes more traditional taco fixings such as vegetarian refried beans, pico de gallo, and cheese. Finally, the taco's contents are topped in a delicious poblano ranch sauce. The interplay of textures and tastes makes the taco a refreshing experience perfect for summertime.
Although ordering the dirty sanchez taco is somewhat embarrassing for the more inhibited among us, the taste is well worth any temporary embarrassment. This taco includes scrambled eggs, sliced carrots, cheese, guacamole, and fried poblano peppers, which resemble the taste and texture of the fried avocado (no complaints there).
I imagine any vegetarian would be amply satisfied with Torchy's regular menu offerings, but I was especially lucky that the special on my last visit was a mushroom taco. This taco may have actually surpassed the usual vegetarian fare - it included juicy sauteed portabellos, cilantro, queso fresco, sour cream, and a creamy chipotle sauce. If you visit Torchy's, demand that they add this taco to their regular menu; it is simply too good to be seasonal.

Torchy's Tacos
Trailers:
1207 South 1st Street
and
520 W. 6th Street
Restaurant:
2809 South 1st Street
Austin, TX

Demo's Greek Food

Two of the things I generally love most about Greek restaurants are their variety and their low prices. Typically, one can pick and choose from a large number of classic Greek delicacies - hummus, baba ganouj, spanakopita, dolmas, etc. - to build a custom plate of delicious and varied food for little money.
Unfortunately, Demo's disappointed on both counts. Although they offer two vegetarian sandwiches - a falafel sandwich and a salad sandwich - I chose the meze plate, which was as close as I could get to the type of plates I have grown accustomed to at other Greek restaurants. The meze plate included spanakopita, tiropita (filo stuffed with feta), dolmas, and kalamata olives. In terms of composition, the plate included too much grease and crunch that was not offset by anything creamy (like hummus or tzatziki sauce, which cost $2.00 extra), so eating it was something of a greasy chore. Moreover, I watched the server get the spanakopita and tiropita out of the freezer after I placed my order. I could reheat frozen spanakopita from the grocery store for less money and an equivalent experience. The food was lackluster and unappealing, and I did not finish my plate (a very rare occurrence for me).
For $8.25 I expect more variety and better flavors than Demo's offered, and it's unlikely that I will return.

Demo's Greek Food
2501 N. St. Mary's St
San Antonio, Texas