Austin Monthly Mostly Approves of Fancy ATX Cocina

Jolène M. Bouchon visited ATX Cocina for Austin Monthly, and was found the corn tortillas to be telling. Made from Oaxacan heirloom corn, the masa for the tortillas is prepared in a traditional way, and Bouchon was smitten with the “rustic, earthy, and buttery” taste.

Bouchon described the feel of the restaurant as “breezy, almost coastal” thanks to gauzy curtains and an expansive wall of windows. As the bar requires “proper attire,” she noted that a happy hour visit “looked like an ad for Westlake Dermatology.”

Plates at ATX Cocina were meant to be shared, and Bouchon found the portions large enough to do so. Convinced to order the roasted chicken by her server, Bouchon was glad she did:

On its own the chili-rubbed and fire-roasted half-chicken was among the most flavorful I’ve tasted. The unusual and rarely seen white mole accompanying it made it that much better.

Her favorite bite was the jumbo lump crab tostada, with “brightly flavored chunks of crab.” However, the flavors of the hamachi crudo (“flat and sweet”) and blue corn dumplings (“tasteless”) left her disappointed, though she noted none of them were an impediment for a return visit.

Moira Muldoon ventured far south for Austin Monthly to visit The Little Darlin’. Her initial impression of the crowded outdoor bar with twinkling lights was that it “felt like a good summer party.”

Muldoon tried the burger, and was pleased with her choice:

[T]he only thing the burger wasn’t was medium rare. It was medium. But it was everything else glorious — the bun had just enough char to be smoky and crisp, and it came with tender strips of bacon, cheese, red-eye mayo, and a pickle on the side.

Muldoon’s companion sampled a sage-infused gin and tonic, and found out the bar infuses liquors in-house. “The backyard may be relaxed and informal, but the owners have kept up with current culinary tastes,” Muldoon noted. She appreciated the mix of old and new, and the burger will likely inspire another visit.

THE BLOGS: Sushi in the ATX was “delighted” by Foreign & Domestic’s new brunch menu.

• Restaurant Review: ATX Cocina [Austin Monthly]
• A Girl Walks into a Bar: The Little Darlin’ [Austin Monthly]
• All coverage of ATX Cocina [EATX]
• All coverage of The Little Darlin’ [EATX]