Authentic Mexican Food

Oh my God, is there anything better than good authentic Mexican food? Authentic Mexican food is just the best.  I'm not talking about Americanized Mexican or what I would consider to be the more pedestrian, dumbed-down version.  I'm talking the real deal. I'm talking about food that will make you want to slap your grandma! 

When I go into a new place, I can usually tell the food is going to be awesome by the pre-meal bowl of chips and salsa.  The chips are still hot having recently been fried and the salsa, whether red or green is so flavorful, I could make a meal out of the chips and salsa by themselves.  These places care enough to make their own salsa.  They hand-select the veggies and use a mix of dried chilis and other spices that are just like la nana used to make.  If the server hands me a bowl of salsa that looks like it was poured out of a gallon jug from a big box or restaurant supply store, that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the meal.  In my mind, I am already tainted and there is little hope for it.  The chips are just a crunchy delivery vehicle for the salsa or dip, but they need to be fresh and salty, not stale or plain. 

Most fine dining Mexican restaurants would never stoop so low as to get their salsa from a jar or jug, but I see it more often than I should.  The salsa should be fresh and chunky, have the right amount of heat and other spices provided by garlic, onion, salt and various dried chilis, vinegar, citrus and even a little vegetable oil.  The ingredients all work in concert to create an explosion of flavor that makes your taste buds go "G'ot Damn!" Fresh, house-made guacamole with diced tomatoes, tart tomatillo salsa or black beans also make excellent accoutrements to accompany those chips.  However, awesome salsa slaps you in the face and says: "¡Oye! la atención. Muy buena comida proximo" (Hey!, Pay attention.  Extra good food coming, or something like that).     

Naturally, no delicious bowl of chips and salsa is complete without a cold, sweet libation to wash it down.  For this, I like a house margarita on the rocks with salt.  This is another litmus test.  Sure, I could order a top-shelf variety that uses an expensive Anejo with Grand Mariner but frankly, I shouldn't have to.  First of all, never drink cheap tequila.  Otherwise you'll regret it.  But if the joint takes pride in their food and drink, they would never put their customers in the position of ordering a cheap headache by default.  Good quality ingredients - mainly the tequila - won't require as much sugar, lime or other juice.  Be sure to ask what goes in the house margarita. If they use a tequila that you would not drink straight, that should tell you something.  This should also tip you off about what they are probably doing in the kitchen.  

If you can buy a pitcher of the house margarita for the same price as one top shelf margarita, spare the hangover and get the top shelf. Spend the extra few dollars so you do not ruin the whole experience.  Life is too short to drink cheap tequila - I learned that lesson as a young man.  Oh, and never drink tequila after midnight.  I learned that one too - sage advice from a former boss.    

Now, if the chips, salsa and margaritas are on point, the rest of the menu should present an easy decision.  Order what you like and chances are good that you will not be disappointed.  

I love tacos.  Sure, I will order the occasional burrito, tamale, huevos rancheros or fajitas, but my standard go-to is an order of tacos.   

My ideal taco consists of a slightly toasted flour or corn tortilla (I prefer corn), flavorful protein (grilled fish is my fav), coarse cut tomato, onion and chili salsa, pickled red onions or red cabbage (pink in color and delightfully tart from the vinegar) topped with a few sprigs of cilantro, a few squirts of house-made aioli or Mexican crema and a sprinkle of Cotija cheese (Mexican parmesan). Some fresh lime wedges are critical. Sí bebé! The details can vary greatly, but to me, this combination is the basis for the most incredible bites from start-to-finish. When done right, I could eat this every day.  

To illustrate my point, my wife and I recently spent a week at the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain just outside of Tucson.  Upon arrival, we checked in, suited up and went directly to the pool area.  Almost immediately, we were presented with a short menu from the poolside Turquesa Latin Grill and were asked if we would like to order lunch.  My eyes were drawn to the grilled swordfish tacos - I ordered them because I had to know if this place was for real or just another resort long on good intentions and marketing and short on execution.  This would set the tone for whether I really wanted to eat at the other on-premise restaurants, or venture off the property in search of better grub.  

Within about 15 minutes, the server brought me a plate with 3 nice sized tacos larger than the usual street variety and smaller than the El Cheapo Texican restaurants you find in every city.  The first bite was to die for.  The tortillas were nicely crisped but not overdone to the point that they broke apart.  The swordfish was appropriately charred, sufficiently moist and flavorful.  There was a generous portion of what I believe was cilantro-lime crema that provided the perfect amount of moisture for the entire taco.  Pickled red onions, strips of radish and a few cilantro spring were on top and several lime wedges on the plate.  This was the perfect portion for lunch and I washed it down with a Four Peaks Peach Ale. 

We spent nearly every morning at the pool and when 11 AM came around, a server came our way and we ordered lunch and a peach ale.  I loved the tacos so much, I think there was only one day when I opted for the grilled swordfish sandwich - which was also excellent. Needless to say, we dined at the other restaurants on the property as well.  I will also say that when I am in an awesome Mexican food town like Tucson or Scottsdale, I can easily eat Mexican food for lunch and dinner - which we did just about every day.   

To sell past the sale, I love tacos so much that I once created a pizza called the El Taco Loui and presented it during the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas.  People thought I was crazy but when they put pieces out for the audience to sample, it was gone in about 10 seconds.  The pizza used the normal crust topped with Wisconsin brick cheese and was topped with seasoned chicken, sliced avocados, pineapple-mango salsa, pickled red onions, shredded lettuce, cotija cheese, Mexican crema, cilantro leaves and my own chipotle aioli.  A squeeze of juice from a lime wedge was optional, but encouraged.  

This series of posts will review places I consider to be some of the best Mexican food I have ever eaten.  I have eaten some damn good Mexican food in nearly every city I have ever visited including Oslo, Norway of all places.  I have some good experiences to share.  Then I get to the fun part.  To cover the "Mike Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is" segment, I am going to whip up some tacos that will rival the best of the best - or, at least that is my plan.  

Cheers!