The Vitals: the spot: Texas Sushiko 440 E St Elmo Rd Ste B-2, Austin, TX 78745 (parked at Texas Sake Company) the eats: Sushi hand rolls the bucks: $40-$50 per person the full nelson:  a relative deal for high quality sushi in hand roll formats

Can Sushi be Tacos too? Texas Sushiko thinks so

Over the summer I dipped over to Texas Sake Co to quench my thirst and try what I had been told was a must visit sushi joint in Austin. What makes Texas Sushiko a must visit? Great quality sushi in a food truck setting. Some might balk that such a thing can't turn out well. I beg to differ. While the effort pulls no punches, the only downside is imagining how this experience could unfold in a proper dining room. But wait, it's also sushi as tacos. Well, open faced hand rolls at least.

Meet Chef Michael Carranza

Michael and his partner Danielle grew up in South Texas where sushi just wasn't a thing. But it was for these two chefs. Michael has extensive experience at DK Sushi, Uchi, Musashino and Ten Ten. Danielle transitioned from doing the books at Uchi to sushi chef at Tare and now Texas Sushiko. Many of these sushi restaurants are on my bucket list and the reason why I haven't crossed some of them off? Price. Good sushi ain't cheap in Austin but there are a few exceptions to the rule.

Bluefin Tuna, Yellowtail and Salmon Handrolls

Bluefin Tuna Hand Roll

Salmon Hand Roll

Yellowtail Hand Roll

Ranging from $8 to $15(hello bluefin tuna) these are definitely pricey for "tacos" but you're getting more than a mouthful of Nigiri. Remember when I said good sushi at cheap in Austin? Well the sushi here is pretty darn good, so that means you're gonna spend a little dough. Enough so that I opted for round two.

King Crab Hand Roll

Scallop Hand Roll

Salmon Skin Hand Roll

I splurged on the King Crab hand roll at a whopping $25. This one is decked to the 9s with black truffles and the crab is poached in butter. As decadent as it sounds, my fav of this bunch was the scallop. The sweet and pristine nature of scallop hits so much more straightforward, it's peak sushi eating. You might pause and say to yourself "damn I'm eating this in a parking lot?" As far as the salmon skin goes, I didn't mind it but I enjoyed the other fare more so. This bill rang big($110 w/ tax & tip) but what do you expect? Sushi ain't cheap and it sure ain't cheap in Austin. Still, if you want a taste of what a proper Omakase/chef's tasting menu of sushi could entail and don't feel like investing $150+ per person, Texas Sushiko is a fine start. Must trys: Bluefin tuna, Scallop, Salmon, Yellowtail. On a budget? You could just go on a salmon bender for a reasonable tab(like half what I spent).  

The Vitals: the spot: Marquez Bakery 1730 East Division Street, Arlington, Texas 76011 the eats: Breakfast "Burritos" the bucks: $2.50 the full nelson: Cheap as hell and worth it if you're waking up in Arlington

Marquez Bakery: last hold out for Cheap Eats

Is Cheap Eats dead? Marquez Bakery says otherwise, but between inflation and the skyrocketing cost of living in cities like Austin, I would say yes. Nothing is forever and these days I'd say you're better off cooking at home, going out less frequently and when you do, splurge for something you can't make yourself.

The morning after

Well, sometimes you wake up in Arlington TX after watching your wife's baseball team travel from the East Coast to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington. You had a few beers the night before and you're 3+ hours from home. Maybe you drank a few beer bats(sadly we lost the bat). And before you get back on the road you need something more than Starbucks. Welcome to Marquez Bakery.

Yelp happens

So this was the result of a quick search on Yelp. If I was gung ho about searching for tacos in Texas I would easily reach out to José Ralat of Texas Monthly, whose taco reporting could feed me every day for a year. I highly suggest you check out his work here and his book, American Tacos: a history and guide. Sometimes though we must let time and convenience guide us. And it's never wrong to roll the dice on a new taco joint.

Sugar high

Marquez Bakery is well, also a bakery and had my kid been with us(sleepaway camp, awesome) I'm sure we would have sampled some of the sugary goods. If you're going to stop here I would certainly check out the Conchas. Pan Dulce or sweet bread always feels like the right move at a Mexican bakery.

Breakfast burritos?

So Marquez Bakery bills their tacos as "burritos". They look like tacos right? I suppose compared to street tacos they seem a bit big but they also are not folded tightly like a burrito. Look, when in Rome or in this case, Arlington, just run with it.

Beef Barbacoa taco

My first forays into barbacoa, a low and slow braise originally cooked in the ground but since adapted with modern life to be prepared in ovens and instant pots, was lamb. In Texas, barbacoa means beef. Whether it's lamb or beef I've had it on Sunday's after a lengthy overnight cook. So it made sense to have barbacoa for breakfast. I'll say this right away: this was cheap eats. At $2.50 for a solid taco or burrito serving, it's a win but the barbacoa was a tad underwhelming. The beef lacked depth of flavor and came off as kinda greasy. It also seemed underseasoned. The flour tortilla was glorious. I'd study the menu for other options.

Bacon, egg and cheese: the move at Marquez Bakery

This "burrito" was the move. A perfect marriage of diner staples in a solid flour tortilla, this "burrito" would be my repeat order. Just solid all around, at $2.50 a pop, you're looking at $5 investment for a Cheap Eats certified breakfast. Boom. There's more at Marquez Bakery too. Full on breakfast plates for $10 a pop, large burritos for around $8 and plenty of other "burrito/tacos" like chorizo and potato and fajitas as well. For the non Texan expect the fajita to be less sizzling platter from Chili's and more like carne asada but with small addition of onion and bell peppers. On price alone, I'm going to certify Marquez Bakery as Cheap Eats. Do yourself a favor though and try a few options to land on what your Marquez bakery move will be.