DINING FEATURE
BY TAYLOR CRIPE
MIXING IT UP
1
2
R19 Taqueria has a variety of avors and techniques incorporated into its tacos to give them Cali-Mex air.
1 The Cali-Flower taco A vegetarian taco made with cauli ower tossed in roasted adobo sauce, fresh avocado and grilled cheese 2 The Camaron taco A char-grilled lemon and garlic marinated shrimp taco with chipotle baja aioli, cabbage and carrot slaw 3 The Cali Burrito A 12-inch our tortilla packed with the customer’s choice of protein, guacamole, french fries, black beans, cheese, onions, cilantro and salsa 4 The Al Pastor taco A taco with roasted achiote and pineapple, pork shoulder, salsa roja, guacamole, onion and cilantro
3
4
Christopher Haydostian is the owner and founder of R19 Taqueria in Lakeway.
PHOTOS BY TAYLOR CRIPE COMMUNITY IMPACT
R19 Taqueria Lakeway restaurant pioneers Cali-Mexican food C hristopher Haydostian said his dream is to create and market the Cali-Mex culinary brand.
Tex-Mex is the food originates from di erent parts of Mexico, Haydostian said. While Tex-Mex tends to come from border towns such as Laredo, Cali-Mex uses avors from places such as Baja or Tijuana and mixes in avors from around the world. For example, R19 Taqueria’s chicken is marinated in a tandoori sauce traditionally used in Indian foods. However, instead of using Indian- avored spices, he “plugs in” Mexican- avored spices to create his own version of the tandoori marinade. Haydostian said he also wants to honor Texas culture; his carne asada, a popular meat typically found in Cali-Mex foods, is made with local Texas ribeye. Ultimately, Haydostian said he is happy he was able to break into the Austin food scene. “My success has given a lot of validity to being the California kid who wanted to create a taco in the heart of the taco capital in Texas,” Haydostian said.
R19 Taqueria opened in October 2021.
Haydostian is from Los Angeles and has been a chef for over 20 years. After moving to Austin with his family four years ago, Haydostian worked as a chef for St. David’s Medical Center. “I think every chef dreams of having their own restaurant,” he said. “I had that dream for at least 10 years, but I just never had the opportunity.” After getting together with three close friends in 2019, they agreed to help Haydostian start his restaurant, Reunion 19, in downtown Austin. Though the restaurant closed after about a year and a half due to the pandemic, Haydostian noticed that quick-service restaurants were ourishing and decided to open the fast-casual version of Reunion 19 in Lakeway in October 2021, R19 Taqueria. The main di erence between Cali-Mex and
R19 Taqueria 2422 S. RM 620, Ste. A-120, Austin 512-520-8058 www.r19taqueria.com Hours: Mon.-Sun. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
620
N
And everything in between...
WholeEarthProvision.com @WholeEarthProv
41
LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • NOVEMBER 2022
Powered by FlippingBook