Dai Due's Jesse Griffiths Digs Salvadoran El Sunzal

Austin is a food-obsessed town, but there are plenty of hidden gems that most Austinites have yet to discover. Eater is launching a new feature this week that enlists the help of the city's many food professionals to track down some of Austin's most under-the-radar destinations. Welcome to Dining Confidential.

Dai Due's Jesse Griffiths has built a name for himself as a local foods advocate. A butcher, chef, and culinary instructor, Griffiths has grown his supper club Dai Due into a farmer's market staple. Griffiths grew up in Denton, Texas and has been working in Austin kitchens since 1997. He and his wife, Tamara Mayfield, will launch Dai Due as a brick and mortar butcher shop and restaurant on Manor Road this spring.

Griffiths has lived on the east side for "a long time." Over the years he's tracked down lots of hidden gems on that side of town. He shares his favorite destination for Salvadoran food, El Sunzal, below.

"We just ate in there the other night. We ordered tamale elotes, the sweet corn tamale, the fried plantains with their beans - the beans are amazing, and the crema Salvadoran on top of the plantains is wonderful. I love the yuca frita con chicharron with bits of pork and lard, the shredded beef with radish and mint, and the guacamole with hardboiled eggs and avocado. They also have killer beans and rice, real smoky and amazing. Wash it all down with a six dollar quart of beer.

I love that place. It's a lot of young people, probably Salvadoran, it's just awesome and it's so hidden. It was busy last night and I was so happy."