Faux Mexican? Five ways to know your food may be great, but not Mexican...

An old friend who was raised in Mexico told me about the day his dad came to him after they had lived in the states for many years.  “Octavio” he said, “Tonight we are going out to dinner to a Mexican restaurant.  The food will not be Mexican, but it will be delicious.” So off Octavio went with his family years ago in the San Gabriel Valley east of Los Angeles to get some “Mexican” food.  When he told me the story, Octavio told me his dad was 100% correct.  The food was wonderful, but it was not Mexican. Gustavo Arellano, in his excellent book “Tacos USA, How Mexican Food Conquered America” would argue with the assessment that it was not Mexican.  He celebrates all the variations of Mexican food, from mission style burritos to the famous combination plate laden with rice, beans and fried tacos as he explains in this great interview. All of this came back to me last night after a visit to Wahoo’s Tacos here in Las Vegas.  The food was indeed delicious, but Mexican? Not a chance.  A burrito with lettuce?  Cajun beans?  Seriously guys, simply serving food centered around tortillas and Modelo Negro beer doesn’t get you into the panteon of quality Mexican Restaurants now spreading around the country. With that experience close at hand, as a public service, I’d like to offer five clues you’ll see if your local taco shack is more Taco Bell than what we’ll find south of the border, down Mexico way... 1. If the beans on that combo plate you ordered are covered in triangles of yellow cheese or the grated four cheese blend you can get at your corner market, you won’t find it south of the border. I have never seen a Mexican variety of yellow cheese.  Cheese in Mexico is usually white and if it is served on beans, tends to the crumbly queso fresco type. 2. If your tacos come with any of the following, ground beef, lettuce, tomato slices, grated cheese, yellow wax paper or even turkey, you are not in Mexico. Tacos come with onions and cilantro in Mexico.  They are also made with steak and all the other parts of the cow or pig, but never have I seen a taco filled with ground beef. 3. If you can order shrimp, chicken, steak or any other type of fajitas, you won’t be finding that plate in too many taco stands or restaurants in Mexico. Sorry folks, as wonderful as fajitas can be, I’ve never seen fajitas in Mexico.  I’m sure they are served somewhere in that great country, but this is a dish popularized by the Orange County restaurant chain El Torito in the 1980’s. 4. When you ask for salsa and the spiciest option you get is Amor or Tapatio bottled sauce, you certainly are not ordering your food in Guadalajara. In Mexico, we love our chiles.  Habañeros, jalapeños, serranos and chiles de agua, we love them all, and expect to experience these tastes in our food.  Unfortunately, the American palette is not ready for this type of experience so we mostly get a tomato blend spiced up with a little bit of pepper. 5. Finally, when you walk in the door, if the first thing that greets you is a wall of mariachi hats or a chile in a beach chair, you can bet you’re gonna get a lot of that yellow cheese covered stuff. The derivative here is that if you see folks getting drunk wearing mariachi hats and dancing like loons, you are more likely in Papas-n-Beer or the old Carlos Murphy’s than an authentic Mexican restaurant. So there you have it.  My top five ways to know you are not in an authentic Mexican restaurant, at least as I’ve experienced it in my 20 years in Mexico.

Delicious Yes... Mexican? Not a chance...

The #13 at El Torito... Green Chile Pork Burrito In the middle of this political season, I've found myself looking for other things to write about.  I've become so worn down from a form of demonization of which both sides are guilty, that I rarely take the time to comment unless something specific strikes my fancy. In the meantime, here's a look at a place for you to look up next time you are in Las Vegas. Over half of my life is spent in Mexico, so I get my fair share of good Mexican food.  Often times people assume that I will try to avoid Mexican food here in the states because I get so much of it when I travel. Let me say this.  The majority of food that the average American eats in Mexican restaurants around the country is about as likely to be served in Mexico as orange chicken, a staple in US Chinese restaurants, is to be served in Chengdu Province. Mexican restaurants in the US are in reality, Mexican themed, having about as much in common with traditional Mexican food as the old Casa de Fritos in Disneyland. But that is another discussion, for my journey this weekend took me to a place located on the outskirts of old Henderson, El Torito.  No, this is not the corporate El Torito where they make the guacamole at your table. This is the hole in wall El Torito, owned and operated by locals since the mid 70's when this neck of the woods sported the Old Vegas Fort, a trailer park and a few homes. My first impression was that I was in some sort of time warp.  Nothing hip here.  If you are expecting a tapas and microbrew joint, Houston, you've got a problem. The place has vinyl booths, a bunch of formica tables, and what mainstream America knows as Mexican food.  It's almost comfort food.  Tacos with ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese.  Chimichangas, fajitas, nachos, and even burgers in case the kids don't want a taco. I went for the #13 Green Chile Pork Burrito, all meat, at the urging of my server.  As I waited I tried what I was assuming was going to be the wimpy salsa.  Was I surprised.  It had just the right amount of jalapeno bite to go with my chips.  So often, restaurants avoid the chiles when making this important part of the Mexican experience.  Not here. Soon enough my plate arrived and it was classic.  The burrito was served wet, covered with extra pork and like the beans, topped off with melted cheddar cheese.  My first bite was heavenly.  Tender shredded pork, green chile salsa, wrapped in a flour tortilla.  And it was a little spicy. The rice was more chicken based, as opposed to the "normal" reddish tomato rice one might expect, and I liked it.  It was not all clumped together, was fresh, and like the beans, served hot on my plate. Overall, I give the place 4 out of 5 stars. Will I go back?  Yes I will.  Is it authentic Mexican food?  Not a chance.  Was it delicious?  Of course, and that's what you want when you go out. So next time you are in Vegas and heading out to Boulder City or Lake Mead, make sure to stop in at El Torito on Boulder Hwy in Henderson... and get the #13! You'll be glad you did.