The Food That Memories Are Made Of

When I was a child, approximately 6 years old, living in Manhattan, I distinctly remember a churro that changed my life.  Purchased from a street vendor (who also sold those big, soft, chewy pretzels) this churro was the perfect mix of warm, crunchy outside and doughy inside.  It was sugar-cinnamoned within an inch of its life AND it had a cream cheese filling!  Since leaving New York in 1983 I have yet to find its equal.

At rock climbing this past Tuesday, after politely declining dinner at Plucker's because I'd reached my caloric ceiling for the day, my friend Mike told me about his favorite bakery in Austin: Chuy's Panederia, a fantastic Mexican pastry/sandwich shop just off of 183 and Ohlen.  I wondered aloud if they had churros.  Mike said, "They do.  Although... they have something in them."  That got my attention.  "Are they cream filled?" I asked.  "Yeah, that's it."  A quick call to check their hours and I was on my way (what calorie ceiling?).

I walked into Chuy's Panederia and noticed the churros right away.  They glowed like a golden beacon under their heat lamp from the back of the store.  $.75 later, and that churro was mine!  The smell was absolutely heavenly.  Such a sweet mix of dough, sugar and caramel.  Like a doughnut on crack.  The taste was overly indulgent.  Warm, not too greasy, plenty of cinnamon and sugar (there has to be enough to get equal parts in your mouth and down your shirt/in your lap) and super crunchy.  And the filling?  The filling was slightly different than what I remember, but it was ooey, gooey and had a fantastic caramel flavor.  Not quite the churro of my childhood, but the closest I've had in 28 (or so) years.

Know of another good place I can pick up a cream filled churro (other than New York)?  If so, I'd love to know.  I'm still on a mission, but at least I'm one step closer!