Rob’s First Tasting of Cielo Bistro Mexico
Cielo’s Sopes de Chicharron
Cielo Bistro Mexico recently opened on 7032 Wood Hollow Drive off Far West in Northwest Hills. This is a revitalization for veteran Café Josie chef and founder Charles Mayes and his enthusiasm for a new style of authentic and regional Mexican cuisine is evident in every dish we tried.
I was fascinated with the Mexican street corn (esquites). The first bite yielded a terrific mouth feel driven by the sweet corn and the lemon aioli along with the engaging pepitas.
The wonderful Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)
I was not expecting to see Calamari on the Mexican-influenced menu. But the Calamares Fritos with chipotle aioli were a crispy delight. I would order them again without the slightest hesitation.
Cielo’s Calamares Fritos
Another very enjoyable dish was the Carnitas. The crispy morsels of moist pork along with equally crisp chicharrones and zesty tomatillo sauce with black beans and rice really delivered terrific flavors. I have long been partial to Carnitas and Chef Mayes certainly did not disappoint.
Carnitas
The Dorado la Padilla was a smooth and tender mahi-mahi with a mango salsa and Ancho Tamarindo that was creatively conceived and executed by Chef Mayes.
And how could we forget the snappy and inviting Papas Bravas? These are fried Yukon Gold potatoes with a Guajillo Ketchup and they are literally irresistible! They can stand alone or serve as an accompaniment. Either way these papas flat out work!
Usually a first tasting at a new restaurant includes a certain amount of expectation and a fair amount of hope. In the case of Cielo Bistro Mexico the expectations were met and the hope was simply not necessary.
Based on the quality of the food thus far, I see good things down the road for this place. The next posting in this site regarding Cielo will be a more complete review. So stay tuned!
Cielo Bistro Mexico
7032 Wood Hollow Dr
Austin, TX 78731
(512) 599-4558
