The Vitals: the spot: Cuantos Hamburguesas 1108 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702 the eats: The Americana, The Campechana, The Hawaiian, The Sincronizada the bucks: $8 each(just shy) the full nelson: Mexican Street style burgers from street taco king Cuantos Tacos

A Prequel to Cuantos Hamburguesas

On an October evening in 2019, fate or perhaps destiny gave me the unique pleasure of crossing paths with Chef Luis "Beto" Robledo and his little yellow bus that served Mexico City style tacos parked in a Shell gas station. What took me in immediately was how the tacos were cooked: meats simmering in a convex pan in a rich liquid. I had run into tacos cooked in this manner in Los Angeles but never in Austin. Beto would enlighten me that the special comal(pan) the meats were cooked in was called a "choricera" and rather than dry heat, the meats simmer in a confit of rendered fat. I was instantly hooked. And soon so did the rest of the city. One could say "Beto blew up" since those days but in truth it looks like he is just getting started. Sure it might be because he is about to be featured in a new PBS TV series about a new wave of Austin Taqueros called Taco Mafia. But what really impresses me his follow up to Cuantos Taco: Cuantos Hamburguesas.

Bet you can't choose just one . . .

Priced at just under $8 you just might find yourself tempted to try more than burger at Cuantos Hamburguesas Much like the taco sibling, Cuantos Tacos, your best bet is to eat en masse. You could almost finish two burgers but you would be better off bringing a friend and splitting three. The question is . .  which hamburguesa to get right? I'm glad you asked.

The Hawaiian

Seared ham and pineapple set this smashed burger patty off and totally justify the name. Ham on Mexican street burgers is common but what makes me a fan of Cuantos Hamburguesas' Hawaiian the terrific sear on the ham from the plancha or flattop grill. Like every burger at Cuantos Hamburguesas, the toppings are thoughtfully curated. Ketchup, mayo, American cheese and Romaine lettuce ground the burger experience while the pickles hint at a Cuban sandwich vibe. Ham and Pineapple make fora  good pair but so do ham and pickles. There's pickled jalapeños too because . .  these are Mexican street burgers after all.

The Campechana

Longaniza a type of chorizo that has been aged. The Mexican sausage is a staple among taco stands but on a burger? A combo that clearly was meant to be, especially when placed on top of a single 2oz smashed burger patty, with minced onion, cilantro, lime juice, chimichurri mayo and an open faced corn quesadilla(costra). On paper this was the burger I expected to find at Cuantos Hamburguesas and odds are it will be the most popular burger served. This burger screams to be hit with a little salsa from Cuantos Tacos. I suggest the green salsa for the acidity but the smoky red salsa would work well too.

The Sincronizada

Here's a little secret about me: I don't love hot dogs and I don't love meat on meat on meat burgers. So how will a 2oz smashed burger patty decked out with a butterflied beef hotdog and ham fare with yours truly? Like every burger at Cuantos Hamburguesas, the elements are layered with balance and harmony. Equally as important to the meats were the perfect amount of Romaine lettuce, pickles, pickled jalapeños, American cheese and Chimichurri Mayo. For the skeptics(like me) try it once, you won't regret it. This burger is absolutely part of the Mexican Street burger canon and executed at a deft level. Not my favorite on the menu but I was impressed nonetheless.

The Americana

My favorite burger of the set was the most surprising. The Americana at Cuantos Hamburguesas pretty much delivers what the name implies. Ketchup, mayo, mustard, minced onion and pickles always deliver childhood burger nostalgia, for me at least. This was the burger that reminded me that the architect of this Mexican Street burger inspired food truck is just like me: an American with similar food nostalgia. I was shocked at how well he nailed . . . NAILED the classic American burger experience just by executing the right ratios of meat to bun to toppings. Cuantos Hamburguesas is more that a follow up to one of the best Mexico City style taco trucks I have ever been to. It's is a coming out part for a chef who clearly has his sights set on mastering different genres. In a soon to be released PBS docuseries, Chef Beto cites French and Japanese influences in Mexico City style taco truck. That simultaneously blew me away and makes so much sense. Beto doesn't make a big show out of it on the plate but the work and vision is there. Much like his tacos, his burgers are a work of art on a paper plate.

The Vitals: the spot: Lenoir 1807 S. First St. Austin TX 78704 the eats: seasonal menu, stick with a fair amount of produce driven dishes, desserts  the bucks: $$$ - Plan on spending $100 a person and can go up the full nelson: A small, intimate Austin farm to table restaurant that can serve up a special occasion tasting menu or a relative deal during Happy Hour

Earlier today I was looking back at a post on Cheap Eats Des Moines, an episode of my breakout show that filmed in 2016 and aired in 2017. Looking back on what I spent then makes me want to do a double take when I embark on this post about a restaurant that commands near three figures a person for food, drink, and tip. Time have changed, inflation is at a high and frankly Cheap Eats aint cheap no more. I find far more value in the dining experience when I spend more which means being more selective about how often I go out. And that brings me to a low key splurger that sneaks in some value here and there: Lenoir in Austin TX.

Half off Sparkling wine on Wednesday

Off the bat the move at Lenoir is to take advantage of this deal. All restaurants mark up wine but not every restaurant puts together a great wine list. Not only does Lenoir give you the opportunity to expand your wine knowledge but you can get a great deal on sparkling wine on Wednesdays. Pro tip: sparkling wine pairs with every kind of food.

A perfect start after you pop the bubbly

I love oysters but admittedly am biased towards West Coast. These were gulf oysters that got hit with wonderful smokey and spicy mignonette. I was happy even if I didn't Kumamoto. And if you're an oyster lover and have never had a Kumamoto, get thee to Hog Island Oyster Co. in San Francisco.

Focus on the produce

Lenoir has a reputation for working with great farms in Central Texas. The term farm to table gets tossed around so much that it almost seems like a given. What's not a given is dishes like pressed watermelon in Mezcal(top) that get absolutely set off with the freshest mint. The yellow tomato on the porchetta(bottom) were the tomatoes that make 100 degree summers tolerable. The seared black pumpkin served with lucious labneh make a Meatless Monday sound as sinful as a late night double cheeseburger. Oh and speaking of burgers . . .

A chef driven Smashed Burger

I had zero intentions of getting a burger at Lenoir. I was actually pretty sated and then chef surprised us with this fine smashed burger. While smashed burgers seem to be everywhere these days, twice now I have had chef driven smashed burgers that push the expectations beyond the technique of perfect laced edges. Lenoir ups the ante with a beef fat brioche bun made with Barton Springs Mill heirloom flour and Texas Wagyu beef patties from Legacy Farms. The burger stays true to form with American cheese, "shrettuce" which you might figure is simply shredded Iceberg lettuce and a signature "comeback sauce" that throws chili oil into the house made aioli. All this comes at a price: $18 with fries but chalk that up to 2023 and I sincerely doubt anyone who dines out regularly in Austin should be caught off guard by a $20 burger.

Don't sleep on the desserts.

The churro and ice cream capped off a meal that lived up to the hype for one of the more noteworthy restaurants in Austin. Lenoir has been in operation since 2012, no spring chicken, but the food seems as timely and en vogue as anywhere else. Farm to table restaurants that freely roam the flavors of Mediterranean, Mexico and the South and aren't exactly new. But when I take a bite of superbly fresh dill or mint on a dish at Lenoir, I'm reminded me why fine dining can be special: when you're treated to the very best ingredients available on a given day. I'm curious to try the tasting menu with wine pairings at Lenoir. Five courses with wine for $140 a person is something I could swing for the right occasion. I also love the fact that I can slip into Lenoir on a Wednesday for half off sparkling bottles of wine or half off wine bottles under $80 on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays till 6:30pm and order a few dishes. The laid-back attitude also comes with attentive service and whether you roll deep or light and quick, Lenoir makes it all pretty special.