Taco Takedown

Brooklyn native searches for the secret to Austin's badass tacos

Austinites will be competing for glory during the taco-themed Takedown, a traveling food competition.

In a world of celebrity chefs, one man strives to put home cooks in the spotlight. Matt Timms of the Takedown, a traveling food competition, is heading to Austin to pit local kitchen wizards against one another. On Sunday, some of the city's greatest cooks will be battle for taco supremacy.

What started as a house party for like-minded people who enjoy cook-offs has turned into a full-time, nationwide position. Timms is a one-man show, handling everything from scouting venues to organizing cooks to, in this instance, finding a way to keep thousands of mini tortillas warm.

Takedown contestants have served up chili, bacon, cookies and everything in between. For the first time ever, the cook-off theme is tacos. Why tacos? "I love tacos," jokes Timms. "That's about it." The decision to debut the Taco Takedown in Austin was even easier.

"I've been eating Mexican food since I got to Austin. Every time I come, I find a new place," says the Brooklyn native. "I knew that the culture would be right." And as the call for cooks implores, Timms is also eager to discover why Austin's tacos are so damn good.

There are no rules in the Takedown — no restrictions, no cap on ingredients. Timms hopes that the diverse lineup of competitors will bring a mixture of authenticity and innovation.

Timms says he loves a crunchy taco (you know, the kind that makes true Texans cringe), but he has a hard time picking just one fave. "I love the concept of tortillas, melted cheese and meat together — in any form."

His favorite Austin taco comes from La Cocina de Consuelo, a little family operation on Burnet Road. "There's a million reasons why I love that pace, but the food is just fantastic," says Timms. The emphasis on community makes that joint — and other taquerias like it — an absolute treat.

In the era of reality food television has changed the way we look at dining, he says. "Making celebrities out of chefs has backfired in a couple of ways. People get ridiculous about who they are rather than what they do."

That's why the Takedown on Sunday will feature home cooks. Competitors will prep at home and bring their components to Shangri La to be wrapped in 250 miniature tortillas from El Milagro for the event.

Taco expert Mondo Reyes, Hilah Johnson, Addie Broyles of the Austin American-Statesman, and Brandon Watson from The Austin Chronicle will serve as judges. The Austin Taco Takedown takes place Sunday from 2-4 pm at Shangri La. Tickets are $20 and get you a taste of every taco in the competition.

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Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.