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The third annual “Eat Authentico! Restaurant Crawl” exposed participants to flavorful dishes Sept. 25-27 in the heart of downtown El Paso.
Organized by the Downtown Management District, the sold-out event allowed participants to enjoy a five-course meal split up between five restaurants. The crawl stopped at The Tap, Basico Bistro Cafe, Rockstar Burger Bar, Pot Au Feu and Anson 11.
Aside from stimulating taste buds with delicious cuisine, the crawl also focused on introducing participants to the gastronomy of the downtown area.
“Sometimes we El Pasoans get stuck and continue going to the same restaurants, the ones in our neighborhoods or our go-to’s,” said Analissa Carreon, marketing and office assistant for the Downtown Management District, who also served as a guide Thursday, Sept. 26.
“This pushes people to get out of their element and try something new,” Carreon added.
The rendezvous and first restaurant of the night was The Tap, where people enjoyed the restaurant’s iconic appetizer, The Tap Nachos.
“It’s what we’re famous for,” said Charlene Soule, owner of The Tap.
The restaurant’s signature nachos were listed in Yahoo’s “21 Best Nachos in America” back in 2015
The nachos consist of homemade tortilla chips topped off with refried beans, brisket, a savory, cheesy sauce, fresh slices of avocado, chopped onions, diced tomatoes and jalapeños. The crunchy tortilla chips with the trimmed brisket made the dish a delicious TexMex mix.
“I’m really honored that they made us a part of it,” Soule said. “I hope participants are able to experience the nature of The Tap and its tradition to see that there is no other bar like it.”
The second stop of the night was the Basico Bistro Cafe, where the restaurant presented the participants with its baked brie cheese covered in a layer of pastry and served with apricot jam or marinara sauce.
The appetizer was bold in flavor and its crispy crust complemented the rich taste of the brie.
The group then continued to the Rockstar Burger Bar where they were served the first entree, Rockstar sliders with fries. The two available sliders were the Rolling Stone Slider, a juicy beef patty with cream cheese sauce, sautéed mushrooms and chiles toreados; and the Chipotle Slider, a beef patty topped with a strip of beer-battered, fried bacon and homemade chipotle sauce.
The fourth location and second entrée of the night were served at Pot Au Feu. Its selection was the Katsu Chicken, a tender Japanese-style fried chicken served with tonkatsu sauce, accompanied with a poached egg and chopped pieces of carrots, scallions and bok choy.
“I really enjoyed the chicken,” said Laura Garcia, El Paso Parks and Recreation administrative services manager and UTEP alumna. “It was something I’ve never had before, and the portion was just enough.”
Garcia also said she is glad to see the growth the downtown area has been experiencing. Having lived in El Paso all her life, she recalls being in awe as a child at some of the area’s original buildings which are now under reconstruction.
“It was really sad to see buildings go down,” Garcia said. “I’m really happy to see that the city is investing money in refurbishing some of them.”
The night concluded at Anson 11 with live music and a homemade warm chocolate cake served with vanilla gelato, an assortment of berries and pasilla caramel sauce. Like the baked brie, the chocolate cake was rich with a thick layer of sweet chocolate. This decadent chocolatey dream topped off a satisfying five-course meal.
For information on upcoming events in the downtown area, visit downtownelpaso.com
Anahy Diaz may be reached at [email protected]
