TAYLOR — After a few quiet months, the lights are starting to turn on at several new restaurants across historic downtown.
Over the course of a month, the central city will have four new places to tickle the tastebuds of locals and visitors alike.
From homegrown barbecue to a bakery that mixes European techniques and Texas flavors, new faces and menus are in the mix, including a brunch option along with dishes from El Salvador.
MIXTAPE 108 E. Second St. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday to Monday, closed Tuesday. The patio is dog friendly and features a mural by local artist Adam Davenport. For more, call 512-269-3136 or visit www.mixtapetaylor.com/.
Newlyweds Alicia and Ryan Davenport seemingly got married one weekend in May and propped open the doors to Mixtape the next. The pair, along with several friends, have created a dining spot marrying smoke flavors with smoked meats and a curated drink menu.
“My brush is the pit and the canvas what I am making,” Ryan Davenport said of his new pit packed with aged post oak.
He said diners savor his creations, including his brisket — a product of a simple salt-and-pepper rub and 12 hours of smoke to the pork belly with brown sugar and spices, plus six hours on the pit.
Mixtape also offers a half chicken in the pollo asado style with a salsa verde along with green chili-pork stew, made with bone broth.
Each of the offerings at Mixtape are “a taste of place that resonates,” Davenport said.
As a spot to greet, meet and eat, guests can scoot in for lunch and dinner. The couple said it’s the perfect retreat for a few shared plates since the curated drinks pair with sides that can be eaten as a stand-alone.
According to Ryan Davenport, the Brussels sprouts are deep-fried, then tossed in the house seasoning and finished with a sweet chili sauce and pepitas, or pumpkin seeds.
Another nibble option is the escabeche, a marinated medley of pickled vegetables.
EL CANTONCITO SALVADORAN RESTAURANT Located at 105 E. Third St. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, call 512-595-5022.
El Cantoncito Salvadoran Restaurant is the creation of Judy and Elmer Martinez. The latter was born and raised in El Salvador, and the couple has visited the country together many times.
Thanks to the new eatery’s menu, guests can savor the flavors and ingredients of Central America in downtown Taylor.
For starters, the yuca frita and plantanos, or plaintains, are popular national dishes and El Cantoncito serves both with refried beans. Another savory appetizer is the Salvadoran ground beef empanada, pasteles de carne molida.
As the national dish of El Salvador, El Contoncito grills several varieties of pupusas, stuffed corn tortillas. From cheese to spinach to shrimp or chicken, pupusas are similar to quesadillas and eaten from breakfast through lunch and dinner. Each is served with curtido, a side of onions, carrots and cabbage.
Entrees at El Contoncito include familiar options with a Salvadoran flair such as carne asada and pollo guisado. Diners will get a side of frijoles o’ casamiento, or rice and red beans.
FLAKE BAKERY AND LARDER 103 W. Fifth St. Set to open in early June, with initial hours 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Special orders require two days. Coffee, hot tea and assorted bottled beverages available. For more, call 512-643-5989 or visitwww.flakebakeryandlarder.com/.
Pastry fanatics and bread devotees couldn’t wait for Flake Bakery and Larder to fling open its doors.
Owner Leisha Dowers turned a space off Fifth Street into a European-inspired bakery with a hand-painted window sign and striped awning. The design flourishes welcome guests into a cozy space with upholstered chairs and woodland-themed wallpaper.
From an early age, Dowers learned her love of baking from her grandmother Mama Dean. A career change followed by a company transfer prompted her to pursue a pastry and bread education in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2016.
After returning to the United States, she spent time in San Francisco and “developed a love for sourdough, this living thing that you take care of and that has been taken care of by generations of bread makers,” Dowers said.
Several years later, Dower and her husband landed in Taylor. Shortly after, she began baking bread for the 2nd Street Deli, the Heritage Square Farmers Market and by special order.
Dowers recently shared a sneak peak of the Flake Bakery and Larder menu.
“Summer is such an ideal time for pies. With its tangy citrus custard in a graham cracker shell, lime pie is here to brighten up your whole life. The vanilla whipped cream on top balances it out beautifully, but if you’re going all out, sub in our Swiss meringue,” Dowers said.
New for her bakery’s opening, “The darkest mousse cake is a layered dessert of devil’s-food cake, burnt caramel and bitter walnut dacquoise, surrounded with a tobaccoand- dark-chocolate mousse, then covered with a dark chocolate glaze. All is topped with kisses of burnt Swiss meringue and cocoa nib tuile, sitting on a bed of black cocoa sable crumbles,” Dowers said.
Other pies will include favorites such as “cherry, blueberry or a frangipane and stone fruit pie, Flake’s allbutter pie crust, filled with a layer of frangipane (almond, pecan or hazelnut custard) and topped with roasted peaches and sprinkled with toasted almond slices,” Dowers added.
She is also known around town for her bagels and breads. Customers have arrived early at the farmers market just to snag a few. The opening of her brick and mortar will see a return of her bagels along with her breads, such as the sourdough boule.
“It’s a crunchy, crusty loaf with a softinterior. This bread goes with everything: breakfast toast, open-face sandwiches and midnight snacks,” Dowers said.
SECOND STREET STATION KITCHEN AND BAR
201 N. Main St. Anticipated opening is early June. Website and phone not available at deadline.
In the one of the anchor positions at Second and Main streets in the McCrory Timmerman Building, newcomer William Hogan and his family areopening the Second Street Station Kitchen and Bar as a neighborhood restaurant.
New to Taylor, Hogan is also a partner at Third Base in Round Rock.
According to Hogan, Second Street Station Kitchen and Bar has modified the space and guests will find a large booth near the front door along with a live music stage at the back.
In addition, pool tables will occupy the space that once housed brewing equipment when Texas Beer Co. occupied the spot in the former department-store complex, which was built in 1888.
The brewer is now just a few blocks away at 1331 W. Second St.
Since the new eatery offers a full-service bar, guests can expect to find 10 beers on draft. What’s more, Second Street plans to have some signature liquor infusions, including Georgetown Gin’s Lime and Cilantro Gin or Maple Bourbon by Balcones Baby Blue.
The menu will feature American classics. Diners can start with several house-made appetizers, among them potato skins or pepperoni rolls.
Traditional thin-crust pizzas are on the menu with a “Texargarita” (a variation of a Margherita) and Buffalo wings, among other selections. Entrees include a hatchchicken enchilada, Bill Pickett Porter fish and chips, and shrimp and grits.
Several sandwiches and a burger round out the menu. The new dining spot promises a weekend brunch with American favorites from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Brunchers will have the option of eggs Benedict, cinnamon French toast and other egg dishes. Guests can quaff mimosas and Bloody Mary’s.
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