Mexican Food Top Picks!

It depends on the time, most of the time he is Dear Husband or Darling Hunk. I haven't thought about Designated Hitter. Once in a while he is the Darn or Dam Husband. However I guess during those times I would be his Darn Wife...

A couple of years ago, Vince mentioned El Taco Veloz and Neuvo Laredo in metro Atlanta. Excellent choices, to be sure. My choices are Supermercado Jalisco in Smyrna, Azteca Groceria, Taco Mas and Carniceria San Miguel in Roswell and Tecolotes Grill in Marietta. All serve very tasty Mexican food to a heavily (almost exclusively) Mexican clientele. Tecolotes serves the best enchiladas I have had since I moved to Georgia from New Mexico 23 years ago. The others are where I get excellent tortas and burritos.

I'm pretty fussy about Mexican food as I haven't liked most that I've tried. Where I grew up for the first 26 years, Taco Bell was the only Mexican we had. That being said, Iam in love with Anna's Taqueria in Allston, MA and Brookline, Ma. Other locations as well in Porter and Davis Squares I believe. The carnitas super burritos and quesadillas are amazing. Slow roasted pork, beans, cheese, rice, sour cream and jalepenos for me please. The quesadillas had meat and cheese and were cooked on the flattop til crispy. I was there 3 days a week and I though for sure they were going to put up a plaque in my honor. I was one of the few people though that didn't like their guacamole. Too processed and it ended up looking like green baby food. However, Rosa Mexicano in NYC has the best guacamole I've ever tasted. They make it tableside in with a molcajete (mortar and pestle). They cut the avocados open right there! The freshest I've ever had.

My favorite is in Tivoli New York The Santa Fe restaurant

Just to many good Mexican restaurants around to choose from. Some of mine are, Casa Blanca in East Chicago Indiana, most any restaurant in South Tucson and San Antonio has a vast selection of good food just as long as you stay off the River Walk.

On The Border is making the tableside Guacamole here in Texas. I hear it is good. I bet they stole the idea from Rosa!
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by billyboy

They make it tableside in with a molcajete (mortar and pestle). They cut the avocados open right there! The freshest I've ever had.

I wish all Guacamole was given that kind of care. Even in California where we have a never-ending supply of good avocados, they treat them less than reverently.

Way to go, Bushie,

You got me thinkin of the Ozarks again. Mexican Villa is a mecca for anyone who grew up around there over the last 30+ years. Gotta do the Burrito Enchilada Style, then buy a few bottles of sauce to hoard in my fridge till I have the chance to get back there again, which ain't often enough!

And thanks for the Austin tips, gonna be over there in October.

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

There are some old favorites that have gone by the wayside, but here is a "short list" that I want when I get a "hankerin'":

Old-fashioned tacos at Nuevo Leon, Austin, TX.
Carne guisada breakfast tacos at Porfirio's, Austin, TX.
Burrito Enchilada-Style at Mexican Villa, Springfield, MO.
El Patio Special (flat beef taco, bean & cheese chalupa, chile con queso, guacamole) at El Patio, Austin, TX.
Chorizo & egg breakfast (with fried potatoes, refried beans, homemade flour tortillas and the world's best hot sauce) at Joe's Bakery, Austin, TX.
Huevos Montelenos at Guero's, Austin, TX.

I'm surprised you didn't mention El Charro in Tucson (original location on Church St.), the place is an institution.

I've eaten a couple times at a place in Laguna Beach called Javier's. If you can see past the drab interior and stunningly beautiful people you'll find some absolutely exceptional food. Both the Pork Carnias and the Steak Picata are outstanding and, in my book they have some of the best Mole I've ever had.

Also, for simple taco stand food, the Taco Loco on the main drag through Laguna Beach is also top-notch.

quote:

Originally posted by wingandaprayer

It has occurred to me that this topic could be narrowed to what style of Mexican food is your top pick. In Arizona, we get primarily Sonoran style Mexican food. Sonora is the Mexican state directly south of us and is the principal beef producing state in Mexico. Do not go there if you are a vegiterian. Most of the seasoning is done with the Poblano and Jalapino chiles. The tortillas of choice are Tortillas de Harina or flour tortillas as opposed to Tortillas de Maiz or corn tortills which are more popular farther south. Most of the best Sonoran style food involves wrapping meat in a huge flour tortilla. There are endless choices of ways to prepare the meat; carne asada, carne seca, birria (my favorite), chile verde, chile colorado etc. Most Sonoran style food is mildly spicy, at least to my taste. New Mexican style is a whole nuther story. The chile capital of the world is Hatch,NM and they grow some fire.
My favorites in Tucson are:
Mi Nidito on S. 4th Ave.- Birria (second only to my wife's)
Michas also on S. 4th- Machacca
Tania's on Grande- Pozole Colorado
Sanchez' on Craycroft- Chile Colorado

In Silver City NM:
Nancy's Silver Cafe- Chiles Rellanos

In Magdalena, Son Mex (on the way to San Carlos):
Taqueria Tres Diamontes- Tacos de Carne Asada

I have never had any good Mexican food in California, but remember that these are the people who convinced a nation that Taco Bell serves Mexican food.

I've posted it somewhere before but .....Plant city flea market on wednesday morning is the best mexican i've ever had try the chicken flautas ,,,,,to die for ....plant city florida wed. 8 am to 2....shop a little bit and eat great food from a truck how good is that ..

BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN PHOENIX AZ
Carolina's Mexican Food
1202 E Mohave St. NE Corner of 12th St & Mohave. Within sight of Chase Field, Home of the D'Backs.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
602) 252-1503

Carolina's serves delicious, freshly prepared and authentic Mexican food world's better than the usual chain variety. Highly recommended are the giagantic breakfast burros (burritos), the shredded beef or chicken chimichangas, the flautas, tacos, green chili verde, carne asada or carnitas.My favorite is the Machaca Beef. The chorizo is freshly made and amazingly greaseless.
Take out is best in this working class Hispanic neighborhood. It's safe enough even though it's in a rough nbeighborhood.It might look a little scary but don't worry. There are always Cops and Firefighters eating there and they don't serve Donuts!(But I think they have Sopappia's. This is the valley's best kept secret!You cannot leave this place without buying a dozen tortillas to go. A must stop on any trip to Phoenix.

Here's a link thay may intrest some: http://www.burritoblog.com/

Yo, Uncle Vic,

In yor original post to this thread, you mentioned Mexican Meat Sauce.I'm not familiar with it by that name. Could you describe it and what's in it, (Besides Meat & Sauce of course). Thought I'd add that before someone jumped on me and said "There's Meat & Sauce in Meat Sauce Dummy!"

La Perla on Milwaukees south side-also La Fuente right doen the street from La Perla-And any of the vendor carts on the street in the vicinity!!!

CANTINA UPDATE: Grand Rapids, MI. (East Paris just north of 28th. St)

Ok, so today I go to the Cantina to grab 3 Cantina Specials (Wet burritos, meat sauce, totally decked out). Talk about LAME. The burros are about 1/3rd the size they where months ago.. hardly anything in them. Used to be you have one, you either finish it off and end up overstuffed, or have a nice snack leftover. Today I ate the whole thing (still tasted great), but an hour later I was hungry again. I'll wait another month and try it again, but thats their last chance to do me right... (Raise the price if need be, but give me what I've fallen in love with... Not some wet burrito the size of something Taco Bell sells).
Ok, I've vented...

quote:

Originally posted by UncleVic
Today I ate the whole thing (still tasted great), but an hour later I was hungry again.

Maybe they have a Chinese cook now.

Well, I agree that a meat sauce would be a nice addition on a burrito. Couldn't hurt. In Texas, you can expect a good beefy brown sauce on enchiladas, etc. Here in LA, I used to enjoy a great Mexican "pizza" downtown, at Little Pedros. A big flour tortilla piled high with lots of stuff, most importantly ground beef, jalapenos, and tons of garlic! I loved it. If the right cook was there, it was great. If not, I'd send it back for more garlic. Strangely, here in the Southwest, it's really hard to find decent Mexican food. Too much modern "fresh Mex". Gimme my Dallas style, dammit.
-Scott Lindgren

Are you hitting the holes in the wall Scott? Or are you just homesick for what you grew up on in Dallas? I frequent only the holes in the wall and I don't encounter any of that "fresh Mex" garbage. Of course, I grew up here and naturally think this is nirvana for out of Mexico Mexican food.

Tacos: the best food you ever held in your hand.
A brief list of the best taquerias I have experienced -

Mexico City: El Califa, Altata 22, Colinia Condesa. These are real Mexico City tacos: small, exquisite tortillas, and the sauces come in different earthenware pots and could be eaten as soup. This is a hip taqueria. I watched the World Series in 2003 while eating miraculous tacos.

Tijuana: Tacos La Ermita, starve yourself a week before coming here, then enjoy the mix of exotic and everyday salsas they offer; Tacos del Gordo, near the CECUT, a city-favorite, 24 hours a day, just incredible, loaded, down-home stuff; Tacos Los Tres Hermanos, like Del Gordo, but a smaller place in a neighborhood near the Cafe de la Ópera, where you can hear really great opera, live, surf the web and drink great Mexican-style coffee or hot chocolate with cinnamon. (Tijuana is a great, wild and underrated city)

And if you are in Salt Lake City, don't miss The Red Iguana. Not really a taco place, but serves the best mole outside of Oaxaca I have ever eaten. They serve green, red, yellow, brown and black moles, all with distinct and succinct flavors.

And if and when you are in Mexico City, try these:

El Izote, Presidente Masaryk 315. The peak of Mexican food. The lobster enchiladas are treasonable, and the steak with cream, huitlacoche and rajas is beyond belief.

La Valentina, Presidente Masaryk 393. Traditional Mexican regional specialties, with the best sangritas - tequila served neat in a small, narrow glass with a side of tomato-based chaser.

Cafe de Tacuba, Tacuba #28. Housed in a an early colonial villa, in the heart of downtown. this place serves great caldos and sopas and deserts, features fine live music that is not just mariachi, has great aguas frescas and beatiful rooms. A real family place.

Sanborn's at the Casa de los Azulejos. Go here for great Mexican breakfasts. The house is tiles outside in blue and white, and the airy, three storey interior has skylights and Orozco murals on the stairwells.

And in Coyoacán, a suburb inside of Mexico City (!) there is a fabulous oaxacan restaurant called Los Danzantes, Plaza jardín Centenário #12, www.losdanzantes.com.mx. You sit on the plaza of Coyoacán, across from the house that Hernán Cotrez lived in, adjacent to the beautiful cathedral, near the Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera house and museum, near the house that Leon Trotsky lived and was murdered in, and next door to many neverias, sherbet houses, where you can eat great flavors like tamarind, guanabana and guayaba. Los Danzantes is simply superb. They have authentic dishes like Hoja Santa - holy leaf - which is just a big thick leaf with sauce on it, and then it tastes like asparagus, mint, lemon-grass and you just go wow. They also serve mezcal there distilled in their own agave hacienda.

What are hot carrots? from the first post in this
thread?

Here's a great web site for NM style Mexican food:
www.santafecookingschool.com

Anyone know what Chico's are???

quote:

Originally posted by Lone Star



Uncle Vic - the burrito from my favorite place, The Spanish Village

Ah, Spanish Village, home of the best Tex-Mex I ever had...before I was born, anyway. And therein lies a story.

When my mom was pregnant with me, she and dad lived on the east side of Houston, off Almeda, and Spanish Village was their regular Friday night treat. She had me, we moved fairly soon thereafter, and I didn't know much about the place. They found new favorites, and I cultivated my own. Then, years later, I was shuttling between justice of the peace courts in Houston for work, and Spanish Village was kind of on the way, so I gave it my usual trial-- their Number 1 Plate. It was delicious, and somehow familiar.

I told my mom about it-- she had commented on occasion in the past of how they'd eaten there, but never made a big deal about it. But when I said I liked it and it seemed familiar, she couldn't stop laughing for a couple of minutes. When she did, she said, "Well, we knew it was your favorite place back then-- it was the only thing I could eat that would make you stop kicking!"

It's not my favorite place any more, but it will always be special.

quote:

Originally posted by Foodbme


Here's a great web site for NM style Mexican food:
www.santafecookingschool.com

Anyone know what Chico's are???

Forgive me, but that link isn't really anything more than a domain for sale. Nothing to do with NM food at all. Did you post an incorrect address?

Blue Mesa, El Fenix and Pappasito's Cantina - Dallas, Tx. -- don't remember one particular favorite, but enjoyed what I got. Blue Mesa a little fancier, Pappasito's part of the Pappas family restaurant chain, El Fenix a bit more authentic.

Trini's - Omaha, Ne. -- It has been several years, but they used to have a large burrito called the "Big Juan" -- very good!

quote:

Originally posted by zataar

quote:

Originally posted by Foodbme


Here's a great web site for NM style Mexican food:
www.santafecookingschool.com

Anyone know what Chico's are???

Forgive me, but that link isn't really anything more than a domain for sale. Nothing to do with NM food at all. Did you post an incorrect address?

ON the Web Site there's a link that says "Recipes" Click on that and you'll get them

All I get is a cover page that says the Santa Fe Cooking School website is for sale. And links to other schools. I don't get it....

http://www.santafecookingschool.com/

One place stands out above all others to me. El Charro in Tucson, AZ. Ate there three times on a week long vacation. Everything was good, but the house specialty, carne seca, is one of the best dishes I have ever had anywhwere!

Another Mexican restaurant in Tucson that is very good as well (But not quite El Charro good!) is La Parilla Suiza. It is part of a small chain from Mexico City, so the dishes on offer are primarily grilled, representing dishes from the central Mexican mountain regions as opposed to the dishes we more often see in US Mexican restaurants which tend to focus on the cuisine of the states of Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuilla(sp?).

I just wanted to let you know that not all of Texas serves Tex-Mex style food.

El Paso county is very much opposite from the rest of Texas. My hometown was originally a mexican city that was split by the assigned boundries.

I guess I just get tired of people saying we all eat tex mex here. There are a ton of places here in el paso to eat at but we usually just eat at home ;)


But the Good Luck Cafe, Burrito House, and Bonnie's have really good mexican food. I also wonder why people keep mentioning sauce on top of a burrito? That isn't something done here at all. However we do put chile (chile sauce) in our burritos.

quote:

Originally posted by polis

I also wonder why people keep mentioning sauce on top of a burrito? That isn't something done here at all. However we do put chile (chile sauce) in our burritos.

Ya lost me here... IMHO, sauce on top of the shell makes it softer, or I should say less dry.. Whats the difference if you put it on the outside or inside of the fine burro? Guess it's a personal taste preference here..

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