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Article Excerpt
ONCE UPON A TIME, WE WERE PART of Mexico, and if you look at what we like to eat, you would think we still are: Breakfast tacos get us going in the morning, fajitas sustain us at lunch, and truck-stop enchiladas restore us after a night on the town. Six months ago our SWAT team of food writers fanned out across the state to find the spiciest salsa, freshest guacamole, deepest, darkest mole poblano, and much more. Along the way, we stumbled upon great recipes, learned a few tricks of the trade, and discovered the answers to some burning questions (what's the deal with menudo, anyway?). Turn the page for the last guide to Mexican food in Texas that you'll ever need.
(SOME LIKE IT PICANTE)
Los Mejores
Where to find the best ...
Enchiladas
[AUSTIN] Star billing for enchiladas in Austin goes to Las Manitas; with some half a dozen regional sauces that honor Zacatecas (a smooth green poblano), Michoacan (cascabel chile plus tomato-jalapeno on top), and more, the humble downtown care has been reeling in office workers, musicians, and politicians for 23 years. If you like a no-fooling-around, interior-style sauce, try the ancho-chile enchiladas rojas at either Manuel's sleek but comfy black-and-white Congress Avenue digs or its colorful north location; in fact, all of Manuel's enchilada sauces, from tomatillo to sour cream (especially on the lump-crabmeat enchiladas), rock. The kitchen at cheerful little Garibaldi's turns out a trio of excellent salsas for its enchiladas: chipotle, with an almost fluffy tomato base; tart tomatillo with a zap of jalapeno; and a dark-red guajillo chile. With achiote, a touch of vinegar, and pickled onions, the chicken-fajita enchiladas at Polvo's evoke Michoacan's distinctive cuisine; come summer, the restaurant's scruffy but wildly popular deck will be in full swing. For classic yellow-cheese enchiladas topped with chile con carne, look no farther than Maudie's, with its idiosyncratic Elvis memorabilia, where hordes of Austinites converge for their weekly--if not daily--Tex-Mex fix.
[DALLAS] There's a tie for the best enchiladas in Dallas. Those who favor the ones found at Avila's tout their pure, uncomplicated flavors. Chicken enchiladas arrive under a blanket of pale, tangy tomatillo sauce sprinkled with Jack cheese; the spinach-poblano enchiladas are coddled in a smooth, wonderfully indulgent sour cream sauce; and the ancho-sauced blackbean enchiladas mix beans with Monterey Jack and cheddar to excellent effect. Understated and quietly fashionable, this place is the city's best-kept secret. People who prefer the enchiladas at Pepe's & Mito's, in Deep Ellum, cite the variety of the restaurant's sauces and excellent fillings, which will pull your attention away from the pinata-colored interior. The chicken enchiladas are excellent in both the swoonworthy mole poblano and the elegant chipotle-wine; if you call a day ahead, the cooks will prepare their robust new roasted-tomatillo sauce for your chicken enchiladas (see recipe, page 154). Don't overlook the brilliant balance of tart and spicy in the sour cream-tomatillo sauce on chicken enchiladas at Primo's, a loud but happy hangout favored by Big D's chefs. Taco Diner wows its chic crowds with crispy, griddled enchiladas verdes, stuffed with finely shredded chicken and awash in a tomatillo sauce crowned with crumbled queso fresco. At comforting, colorful Gloria's, in Oak Cliff, homey chicken enchiladas are slathered with a dark-red ancho chile sauce and decorated with cheddar and queso fresco.
[EL PASO] The best enchiladas in El Paso are the enchiladas rojas at ranch-house-style G&R Restaurant, which come filled with cheese or the meat of your choice. They are smothered in a complex red sauce that's mellow and a bit spicy; if you wish, have them stacked (with the tortillas fiat, not rolled), with a fried egg on top, a regional custom. The green-chile chicken enchiladas at L&J Cafe, an El Paso institution in the rear of a popular neighborhood bar, are as goopy as they are tasty. Whether stacked or rolled, the thin, slow-burn cheese enchiladas rojas at the H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop, another local perennial, are as comforting as comfort food gets. At the spacious Cafe Mayapan, run by political activists, the cheese enchiladas called enmoladas come in a rich but not sweet mole sauce of ancho, poblano, and pasilla peppers, and the blood-red cheese enchiladas rojas have a heat that sneaks up on you.
[FORT WORTH] The city's top enchiladas can be found at La Familia, a charming little cafe in a former McDonald's. The deeply seasoned beef version is topped with a smooth tomatillo sauce (traditionally paired with chicken or cheese), and the cheese enchiladas feature Monterey Jack instead of the expected American yellow cheese, plus a rustic ranchero sauce made with chiles de arbol in lieu of the usual chile con carne. The shredded-chicken enchiladas suizas at colorful, plant-filled Benito's--nestled under velvety sour cream--are pure indulgence. El Asadero, an older, well-worn gathering spot, has a loyal following for its unbeatable green enchiladas filled with bite-size pieces of chicken, ladled with a fresh blend of tomatillos and roasted green chiles, then topped with slightly nutty-tasting asadero cheese.
[HOUSTON] The spinach enchiladas at folksy, fun Irma's are unsurpassed: Spectacular homemade red ancho tortillas are stuffed with leafy greens, daubed with tart tomatillo sauce, lavished with chicken and mushrooms, and hit with queso blanco. At Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen, a pretty, brightly painted casa, the massive Donna enchilada, our runner-up, is bursting with savory ground beef and smothered in a spicy, soulful gravy made with freshly ground red chiles. La Guadalupana Bakery and Cafe, a little Montrose sleeper, serves elegant enchiladas verdes like those from Puebla, Mexico, the owner's home. Shredded chicken is bundled into ethereal corn tortillas and topped with avocado, thick, spicy tomatillo sauce, and crumbles of queso fresco. The crowds at upbeat Jalapeno's, with its boldly colored, art-splashed walls, keep this place hopping the spinach enchiladas garner awards, but it's the corn enchiladas--filled with sweet corn kernels and nuggets of piquant poblano, covered with a decadent poblano cream--that shine. The stylishly Southwestern West University-neighborhood outpost of Molina's Mexican Restaurant, a Houston institution, is beloved of those who lap up Tex-Mex enchiladas; the classic Tejas version gently oozes yellow cheese into a swamp of cumin-spiked chile con carne.
[LAREDO] The unbelievably savory enchiladas mexicanas at Paulita's #1, an eleven-table neighborhood joint, are the best in town. Stuffed with white cheese, they're topped with a russet cascabel sauce that does a fire dance on your tongue. Runners-up are the extra-tangy chicken enchiladas verdes at Las Cazuelas, a converted gas station, followed closely by the mexicanas (stuffed with white cheese and topped with a medium-hot chile colorado sauce) and the americanas (Longhorn cheese and chile con carne, of course). Though El Mercado is a buffet restaurant, scrumptious, artery-busting "street-vendor-style" enchiladas callejeras are made on the spot: The tortillas are quickly softened in hot oil and dipped in red chile sauce, then stuffed with white cheese and topped with oil-drenched carrots and potatoes.
[RIO GRANDE VALLEY] In the nothing-if-not-casual Valley, McAllen's Costa Messa is surprisingly formal, with white tablecloths and classical columns that appear carved from volcanic rock. Among many fine enchiladas here, the chicken version, in a full-of-flavor tomatillo sauce with a discreet grating of white cheese, stands out. Poncho, an oasis of bright colors and rustic tiles in Pharr, offers a long lineup of excellent enchiladas. Which to mention? The bright entomatadas--which literally means "tomatoed"--come in a light, ladies'-lunch-worthy ranchero sauce and have a chicken filling so tasty you would gladly eat it alone; ditto for the chicken enchiladas verdes in a delicately tart tomatillo sauce.
[SAN ANTONIO] It's hard to declare atop enchilada in San Antonio, but some of the best are found at thoroughly modern Acenar; the tomatillos in the verde sauce taste fully ripe, complementing a filling of chicken and crunchy corn, and the restaurant's enchiladas with red sauce (a lightly sweetened blend of guajillo and pasilla chiles) have an agreeably crumbly queso fresco filling. Head to El Mirador's brightly painted, easygoing space for a green enchilada fix; the tomatillo sauce on the chicken enchiladas is light and zesty. La Fonda's converted house with its oak-shaded patio draws a well-heeled clientele for unctuous cheese enchiladas rojas in a mouth-puckering sauce of roasted tomatoes plus ancho and chipotle chiles.
Specialties Of the House
[AUSTIN] Texas's best Mexican Sunday brunch is the lavish spread at gracious Fonda San Miguel, with numerous regional dishes like the Yucatan's achiote-seasoned pork pibil served in beautiful Talavera pottery bowls. Small, brightly painted El Meson puts out some seriously good interior dishes, as well as tacos al pastor, with sweet grilled pineapple and cubes of tender pork sided by chopped onion and cilantro. Some of the best barbecue in Austin is found in the pecan-smoked-brisket taco at Matt's El Rancho, reason enough to visit the stalwart restaurant's bustling, hardly intimate dining rooms. The tacos al pastor at ebullient, fast-paced Guero's are so authentic that at least one Mexico City native visits specifically to have the diminutive, homemade soft corn tortillas topped with adobo-seasoned shredded pork, cilantro, and onion (order the appetizer size to get the small tortillas).
[DALLAS] Tiny, tender corn tortillas wrap around grilled bits of guajillo-soaked tilapia at Taco Diner, in the white hot shopping and dining destination known as West Village; dress up these mini-fish tacos with lime juice, minced cilantro and onion, and fresh jalapeno slices. At sexy, urbane Nuevo Leon, the dish called taquitos is a delightful revelation: Petite soft corn tortillas serve as little platters for toppings of achiote-drenched shrimp laced with an exquisite poblano cream sauce. The cheery, cramped rooms at Mia's are regularly filled with devotees of the cafe's sensational smoked-brisket tacos. Two big, grilled flour tortillas are filled with shreds of juicy meat, grilled onion and jalapeno, and brisket gravy--imuy delicioso!
[EL PASO] No-frills Tacos Santa Cecilia boasts the city's best tacos: the trompos ("tops"), soft corn tortillas filled with smoky, perfectly seasoned pork cooked on a rotating spit; dress them with the nameless salsa of avocado-studded pico de gallo that's served on request. At bustling Forti's Mexican Elder, owner Consuela Forti does a take on the Mexican beef salad known as salpicon--to wit, a refreshing shredded-chicken version seasoned with jalapenos and cilantro in a tart oil-and-vinegar dressing. The carne picada (beef tips stir-fried with tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos) at the H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop is the best breakfast in the city, loved equally by workers of blue, white, and other collar colors. Among the perfectly executed entrees at Yum Balam--a trendy newcomer whose look is as chic as its seasonal menu--seared ahi tuna in nutty pistachio mole is a must. For dessert, festively decorated La Cuesta offers irresistible cajeta crepes, bathed in tangy-sweet homemade Mexican caramel and topped with candied walnuts (for the recipe, go to texasmonthly.com).
[FORT WORTH] The most impressive food in Fort Worth, Mexican or otherwise, is coming from a special kitchen deep within the gardens at Joe T. Garcia's, where Lanny Lancarte II--who represents the fourth generation of the venerable eatery's founding family--has a restaurant within a restaurant called Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana. His elaborate five-and seven-course tasting menus paired with carefully chosen, unusual wines are costly but well worth it. A recent highlight was excellent steamed sea bass crusted with crushed pepitas, pecans, and walnuts in a key lime beurre blanc, all atop a bed of sauteed spinach. Among the appetizers to enjoy within the relaxing confines of La Playa Maya, the terrific ceviche has a great foil in the queso flameado: gooey, slightly salty Oaxacan cheese speckled with spicy, unabashedly greasy chorizo. A server douses it with Bacardi 151 and sets it aflame to bubble the surface of the cheese. The list of great homey dishes at loud, friendly Esperanza's is long, but one of the best is the tender, crisp-coated steak milanesa--the chicken-fried steak of Mexican cooking.
[HOUSTON] At carefree Maria Selma, crab-filled avocados are prepared tableside, the ripe fruit mashed and mingled with fresh crabmeat and piled back into the shell. A specialty at upbeat Pico's is the huachinango tikin xik, red snapper coated with achiote and grilled in banana leaves; the brick-red spice adds a citrusy, smoky flavor to the perfectly cooked fish, which is garnished with vinegary pickled Bermuda onions. Unfussy eaters who shun sauces and prissy garnishes will love the mesquite-grilled quail at lively Cadillac Bar. The three garlic-rubbed birds, butterflied for easy gnawing, come with chunky char-grilled vegetables. At polished Hugo's, start grandly with the taquitos de langosta: three small, homemade soft corn tortillas bearing chunks of succulent Australian lobster, drizzled with a roasted-garlic-and-lime sauce. The top dessert here is the mousselike chocolate flan, rich with deep, faintly cinnamony Mexican-style chocolate made from cocoa beans that are roasted and ground in-house (see recipe, page 154).
[LAREDO] Workingmen and families gather for breakfast at nothing-fancy Paulita's #1, where the muy spicy huevos con machada a la mexicana (with dried beef and chopped tomato, onion, and jalapeno) are a real wake-up call. Paulita's enormous, fluffy flour tortillas are fantastic too.
[SAN ANTONIO] Napped with an emerald-green cilantro pesto boosted with lemon, pumpkin seeds, and Parmesan, the fabulous cilantro shrimp at classy El Jarro de Arturo are a legend in their own time; order them as shrimp fajitas or with bow tie pasta (see recipe, page 153). All the tacos are terrific at Beto's small, jazzy cafe, but one of the best is the chile-rubbed-fish (with a wonderfully tart yogurt-cilantro-poblano dressing). The pumpkin flan at sedate, soothing La Fonda is a fusion dish that really works, blending the best features of Mexico's satiny flan and America's spicy pumpkin pie. Lively Rosario's, beloved of night owls, has the city's best pozole--pork and hominy in a mellow broth sided by zesty condiments like chopped onion. Might unprepossessing Tito's become el numero uno of San Antonio's Mexican restaurants someday, assuming the mantle once worn by the original Mario's? Talented Tito Cantu, nephew of the late Mario Cantu, is making amazing sauces, like luscious poblano cream (reminiscent of asparagus) and cilantro cream (with...
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