Despite Stumbles, ‘Statesman’ Critic Delivers Glowing Review of Comedor

After naming the downtown modern Mexican spot the sixth best restaurant in Austin last week, Statesman critic Matthew Odam released his fawning review of Comedor this week. Calling the restaurant, which opened in April, unlike anything else in the city, he described its design as a combination of a “Northwestern millionaire’s lakeside mansion, New York City modern art museum and Mexico City al fresco dining experience.”

Odam particularly praised Comedor’s small plates. He called the scallop dish “a must.” In terms of the house-nixtamalized masa, he preferred the “toasty” huitlacoche quesadilla to brunch’s “lukewarm” waffle, and for the tamal, he recommended the “flavorful” vegetarian version over one with “dry and stringy” goat barbacoa.

Odam called that famous bone marrow “decadent savagery” — a phrase that mirrored his feelings on a “beautiful and primal” double-cut pork chop, which he ordered on two separate occasions.

Despite the praising review, he was unimpressed by the entrees on his first visit: an “overcooked” piece of fish and “astringent” sauce on the fried quail milanesa. His second visit was more successful:

That meaty halibut cooked on the plancha? The fish still resembled something I could probably find at a number of restaurants, but the mole verde changed how I thought about the form. Bright, buzzy and light with tomatillo, epazote, cilantro and hoja santa, the sauce almost levitated from the plate ($34).

Desserts were a mixed bag, with a “runny” arroz con leche and “dense” chocolate tamal, but a successful tres leches. His overall rating was a 9 out of 10.

• Comedor’s sophistication unmatched in Austin’s Mexican dining scene: review [Statesman]
• All Coverage of Comedor [EATX]