Hot Dish Review

In our futile search for the Georgia Kentucky game on Saturday, LC and I stopped in first at El Taco, then at Pure Taqueria, only to discover no one could get the channel. What what?

Tired of driving, we decided to have a bite to eat at Pure. I was craving guacamole. More importantly, I needed a drink. It was prime time Saturday night but the place was pretty quiet. Seated on the patio, we each ordered a shot of Herradura silver and a Pure margarita on the rocks.

Pure has great cheese dip, topped with pureed jalapenos. Their guacamole could use some cilantro and jalapeno but is generally not offensive. Smoky salsa is great with their new improved thinner chips.

Except on this visit. The chips and dips arrived quickly but fifteen minutes later and still no drinks! LC went inside to check on them. When margaritas were finally delivered, they were extremely sour.

In the mean time, we had been eating the cheese dip and guacamole, both of which were so salty they were nearly inedible. I didn’t need to order my margarita with salt, I could have just wiped some of the cheese around the rim. How can they fuck up something so simple?

After another incredibly long wait, our margaritas were replaced with new ones made with freshly squeezed limes and agave nectar by the very understanding manager. Much improved but there was no excuse for the slow service and mediocre food. Sure, we didn’t eat much but why risk more over-exposure to sodium?

Pure, I need a break from you. But, like with all break-ups, the bad memories will subside over time and by Spring I may give you a chance to make it up to me.

My love affair with Pure may be over for now, but our evening was not as we headed for yet another destination with a totally different outcome….to be continued tomorrow!

On this first day of Fall, I’m already missing Summer. There are few things I enjoy more than sitting outside on a hot, sunny day drinking margaritas with friends!

Last weekend the weather was perfect for the patio at Pure. P and L joined me and LC there for a pre-concert tequila toast and tacos. A round of Herradura shots with salted limes got the party started, followed by margaritas, both classic and frozen.

We ordered the usual chips, salsa, queso, and guacamole, but the chips were anything but usual. Rather than the extra-thick ones Pure usually serves, the baskets of chips were wonderfully thin…..loved ‘em! Strangely, the guacamole came with a platter of the old thick variety of chips. Their gringo style queso dip is some of the best in town topped with pureed jalapenos.

I try to order a different entree each time I visit Pure so this time I had the beef sopes con carne asada, two housemade corn-masa cakes piled high with refried beans, seared flank steak, lettuce, chopped tomato, queso fresco and sour cream. I could only eat one (what what?)…..the second one making a great dinner the next day.

L ordered a salad, perhaps with the fish? And the boys got tacos. LC had a combo of some sort….fish, shrimp, pork. Everyone enjoyed their food, the weather and the company.

Another round of tequila shots, more margaritas, and we were ready to head to The Variety Playhouse to see one of P’s favorites, Big Head Todd and the Monsters….a fun show!

You might think I would be sick of guacamole and margaritas by our fourth day in Cabo, but you would be wrong. Even now, back in the states, I am craving a decent taco, looking forward to exploring some authentic tacquerias on Buford Highway!

After our appetizer tacos at O Mole Mio, B and I were strolling down a side street contemplating eating more when we were corraled by a dodgy guy offering free tortilla soup and sangria if we went to MigueLocos. Free soup you say? We followed him.

Thankfully he wasn’t a knife-wielding psychopath. We chose a table on the sidewalk with a view of the vibrantly painted interior of the restaurant with its kitschy yet inviting Mexican decor. It was obvious that most of their guests were American as English was spoken fluently.

A big bowl of tortilla soup was delivered, as promised. I thought it was quite tasty. B got the complimentary sangria which was pretty good. My margarita was perfect. Guacamole, chips, salsa, and queso with jalapenos were next. I dove into the gooey cheese, scooping it onto a corn tortilla. Everywhere we went the guacamole was great and MigueLocos was no exception.

No longer hungry but craving something fiery, I ordered the shrimp diablo. Really fresh and succulent, the shrimp were in a spicy sauce. Although I wouldn’t label it fiery, it was delicious.

My experiences with food in Cabo San Lucas were certainly consistent. Many dishes were served in a sauce and nothing was very hot and spicy. The corn tortillas were somewhat bland. I’m not sure if this is simply typical of the Baja region or if the food is dumbed down for American consumption. That would be a shame since most people these days are really seeking an authentic experience when travelling. Perhaps it’s the influence of shows like Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations or Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods, both on the travel channel. I can promise you we were not offered pig brain tacos or fried grasshoppers in Cabo!

Aha! Now I have confirmation that my guacamole recipe is authentic!

Before B and I arrived at Capella Pedregal, I emailed my grocery list to the personal assistant of the residences. In addition to groceries, guests could also request snacks to be made by the assistant in their residence, including guacamole.

Naturally, I was curious to see if they used the same ingredients and method as my now-famous kickass guacamole, the recipe given to me by a Mexican cleaning lady twenty years ago.

When we arrived our refrigerator was stocked with goodies….eggs, queso, strawberries, Corona Light! The assistant explained that, due to the residences being nearly fully occupied, they would be unable to make the guacamole. They did, however, provide the ingredients: ripe avocadoes, tomatoes, a white onion, cilantro, jalapenos and limes. No garlic or mayo, honey!

I made a big batch on our third day after lounging around the pool. Chips and salsa to-go from Don Manuel’s completed our afternoon snack on our balcony, overlooking the breathtaking resort.

Heaven.

Wow! I can’t believe it’s been a week since me and B had dinner at El Farallon in Cabo San Lucas. Its spectacular setting overlooking the ocean along the cliffs of the Pedregal Mountains makes it one of the most romantic destinations I have ever visited. Too bad I wasn’t there with a hot man! Ladies, this is where you want to be when your guy asks you to marry him.

The Baja Peninsula is known for its abundance of fresh seafood. El Farallon brings in the catches of the day from the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez and displays them by the kitchen so diners can make their selections.

Having had enough tequila throughout the day to tranquilize a gang of lucha libres, we switched it up to champagne. Seated near the rocky cliff wall surrounded by the warm glow of candles, the weather was perfect. Then along came CG with a bottle of champagne in hand. He escorted us to see the “boat display” to choose our fish, but we both had lobster tunnelvision.

El Farallon has a set five course menu that begins with chips and guacamole made in a traditional molcajete, chunky and delicious. The next course was mussels in a tomato broth. Both B and I dislike tomato with fish so although the mussels were good, it was not my favorite dish. The guacamole was so good I requested a second helping.


A trio of appetizers were delivered. Seabean salad was rather forgettable (I, in fact, couldn’t remember it). Seabass ceviche was tasty but, again, had tomato in it which I found a little unusual. Crispy fried calamari was the winner of the three.

I don’t remember ever seeing a menu. This is unfortunate because having it in front of me now, I see we could have ordered the mixed grill of fish, which includes a lobster. Then we could have tried lots of different fish, but rather, we ordered two lobsters, each one the size of my head (too much of a good thing?)

For her sides, B chose roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus, which she said were very flavorful. My grilled corn was sweet and salty with a satisfying toothesome quality….amazing. I also tried the cilantro rice merely because it had the word “cilantro” in it. Our lobsters were grilled and succulent served with a selection of sauces. B asked for drawn butter that we both dipped into. One of the sauces, most likely the chile ajo, was good and spicy.

There were two choices for dessert and I believe I chose the arroz con leche, but it never arrived. The bill did, however, with each lobster having a $20 upcharge beyond the $80 prix fixe. Thanks for the heads up, Senor Server.

Despite the misunderstandings and missed desserts, it was still an unforgettable meal, at an unforgettable place.

The best tacos I have ever had were in Playa del Carmen. Coarsely ground warm yellow corn tortillas wrapped around ridiculously tender chunks of beef. Diced onion, cilantro, and requested white queso (gringo style) topped the beef to which I added a dollop of guacamole that had just been made at our table. Pure heaven. Even a gigantic cucaracha crawling on my arm hardly deterred me from savoring each morsel.

Since that day almost exactly four years ago (I know this because the World Cup was underway on my last visit to Mexico), I have been in search of a taco that could compete. From the tortilla to the beef, there has been, so far, no match.

Shame on me for not having visited every taco stand on Buford Highway, but I can rarely find someone willing to venture there with me, not to mention my own resistance to driving more than ten minutes when tequila or beer may be involved. And how could I eat a taco without the appropriate alcoholic beverage?

Nevertheless, the most authentic rendition of the Playa taco that I have had in a regular Mexican restaurant in Atlanta is at El Torero at Loehmann’s Plaza. Main differences….the beef is tough and I doubt they make their own corn tortillas, which are practically flavorless.

While in Cabo, B and I were determined to find good, cheap street tacos. I had read Gordo Lele’s was great but could not find it. Our cab driver said El Paisa was the best and we found it but they were closed for Siesta!

SOL and hungry, we started back towards the main street when we heard a rumble. It was hundreds of motorcycles! Biker week in Cabo…..awesome. Just then we spotted a rickety make-shift taco stand, specializing in mariscos. I believe it was called Rico’s, but it was hard to determine. No Ingles.

Despite their seafood specialty, I ordered one beef and one chorizo taco. So did B, with the addition of clams. We got two Modelos and waited at a table with a brightly colored plastic tablecloth, with five or six bottles of hot sauce. It was a hot day, probably 95 degrees. The plastic stuck to my legs, sweat ran down my back. This was authentic.

When the server brought the clams to the table, he squeezed lemon on them and they moved….so fresh they were alive! She loved ‘em, I didn’t.

A dish of cilantro, diced onion, and radishes plus a big bowl of salsa verde came out. More beer. Our tacos were double corn tortillas with meat. Nothing else. We loaded ‘em up with the fixins’. Plain, simple.

But the tortillas just didn’t measure up, nor did the fillings. Sure, they were real street tacos but I think there are much better stands in Cabo, it would just require some research in the form of trying them all in person (I’m up for the challenge!)

Until I can do that, however, I’m looking forward to continuing my quest on Buford Highway in the next couple of months! Any suggestions?

After my poolside tequila coma, I rebounded nicely in anticipation of dinner somewhere outside the resort. JD’s buddy C lives in Cabo part-time and we had been calling throughout the day. He picked up B and I and we headed to his penthouse. Nice.

Everything in Cabo San Lucas is within walking distance so we headed to the marina where there are numerous seafood restaurants along the water, landing at La Galeria for no particular reason other than it’s decor was vibrant. I was hoping C knew where to eat but he is clearly not into food.

The setting was beautiful, the balmy weather perfect with a gentle breeze. The three of us took a table outside near the water and ordered a couple of margaritas. What could be more appropriate than fish at the marina? Their selection of marisco fresco was broad but we both settled on sea bass, B’s with a caper sauce and mine grilled with spices (I guess they called it blackened but that sounds so 1995). I also requested their cilantro sauce (how could I resist that!) and the mandatory guacamole on the side.

As we chatted and sipped our drinks, along came several friends of C who joined us. Our fish dishes arrived and so did more friends. Soon we had a table of eight.

Both B and I really liked the delicate white sea bass served atop buttery vegetables with a small mound of rice on the side. Her sauce was delicious as was my guacamole. I do wish my fish had been spicier. Later it was explained to me by a native that the food of the Baja Peninsula is not as fiery as that of the southeastern region of Mexico, “where the Mayans lived”, but he could have been full of shit.

After dinner we walked across the street to The Pink Kitty, a club owned by one of C’s friends. How appropriate.

La Galeria, Plaza Bonita 624-1431090

Arriving at Capella Pedregal around 1pm last Thursday, B and I quickly made our way to the swim-up bar in front of one of the resort’s restaurants, Don Manuel’s.

I say quickly, but first we had to assess our 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath villa, stocked with groceries I had ordered the day before. Our mayordomo was to make guacamole for us, but alas we did not get a personal assistant. Most impressively, however, the ingredients were placed in our refrigerator…..the exact ingredients I use for my kickass guacamole! Of course, I got the recipe from a Mexican cleaning lady twenty years ago. More on this later…..

The first order of business was a Corona Light with lime. Then we slipped on our bikinis and dipped our toes in one of our 2 balcony infinity pools (yeah, I’m serious).

Finally down at one of the infinity pools, we chose 2 deck chairs near the bar, overlooking the white surf and the turquoise waters of the Pacific. Handsome Latino servers happily decked out our comfy padded loungers with fresh white towels as we gazed momentarily at the blue blue sky.

Now it was time for tequila! And a snack, too. B and I ordered two shots of Herradura with salt and limes plus two margaritas. Chips, salsa, and guacamole started us off. The chips were very thick. I was hoping this was not typical to Cabo San Lucas but as the days wore on, it became evident that it was the standard. As were white corn tortillas that were wrapped around our shrimp tacos rather than the coarse, intensely corn-flavored yellow ones.

The shrimp were plump and fresh, as I would expect sitting ten feet from the ocean, and their guacamole was authentic and chunky. Pico de gallo and a habenero salsa provided some kick.

As did our unexpected second shot of tequila. That kick put me to sleep on the chaise lounge to the sound of the crashing waves and the Latin acoustic guitarist that played poolside as the sun set.

A good start.

An old favorite from back in the day…..
My favorite dive, Elmyr in L5P, has been the scene of many hours of drinking margaritas, eating their awesome quesadillas, and just hanging out. I’ve always felt at home with the punk rock crowd. The walls are covered with murals, graffiti, rock posters and flyers….makes it harder to see the roaches.

I recently met SS there along with his brother TS, in town from SF for the funeral. I like to sit on the covered patio but SS wanted to sit at a table in the bar area. Too hungover for tequila, I ordered a refreshing Corona with lime. Me and SS have had countless quesadillas there. Never greasy, almost healthy, they are crisp on the outside and full of flavor.

SS got his usual, steak with avocado. I was going to get my usual too, chicken, onion, black beans, and jalapenos, with guacamole on the side, but ended up getting shrimp instead of chicken. Something new! Each comes with your choice of three salsas, all of them great; pico de gallo, salsa verde, and regular. The plate is garnished with a lettuce leaf with a huge dollop of sour cream.

So what the fuck happened? Our quesadillas were soggy. There was what seemed like a whole can of black beans in mine. SS said his steak was cut into chunks instead of the usual strips….he didn’t like it. And they were bland, too. Guacamole and salsas were as good as always, adding the only flavor to the mushy things.

Standard Tex-Mex items like soft tacos, nachos, and burritos are also on the menu. Everything is a la carte, no worthless rice and refried beans here!

After eight or so years seems like Elmyr is having some quality control issues. I’ll go back, of course. It’s like visiting an old friend.

By the way, I never get their chips. They suck.

1091 Euclid Avenue 404-588-0250

Did someone say tequila? While I’m enjoying a shot or two in Cabo, I hope you get a chance to visit Pure….their shots are the best priced in town!
Birthdays and tequila go together like PBR and tattoos. So I recommended we try a new taqueria down the street called Pure on ST’s birthday.

Located in Inman Park across from Fritti in The Grape’s old space, the vibe is cool and casual, trendy. The building has been renovated to look like a renovated garage, complete with big garage doors and vintage-looking signs. Retro 60′s formica tables complete the kitschy decor.

We started with a shot of Herradura silver, shaken with salt and lime. Smooth. I always get a Corona Light chaser. It was late, nearly 10pm by the time we got there (ay, caramba!). I was hungry and the tables are so close that I considered reaching over and sharing our neighbor’s chips, salsa, cheese dip, and guacamole, but our waitress came by so I ordered our own set.

Although slightly watery, the salsa provided an adequate kick. The “gringo” cheese dip was perfect with a dollop of jalapeno puree on top. These days it’s hard to find bad guacamole, unless it’s the pre-made crap at the grocery store. Most restaurants have figured out the standard formula, especially where they make it tableside, leaving little room for ridiculous Americanized variations with mayo or sour cream. Good, but not as good as mine! What was not to love here? The thick, boring chips.

Other appetizers that will cross my lips on future visits? Ceviches, chipotle steamed mussels, and crab fritters. I ordered a margarita with salt and enjoyed the atmosphere and the company.

Pure’s menu creatively covers all the bases without getting out of hand. Trios of tacos and entrees are served with arroz (rice) Mexicano and your choice of refried beans or “frijoles charros”, beans in a soupy broth. I’ve heard the pescado Veracruz is fabulous, but I’d probably be more apt to try the torta Cubana or quesadillas made with corn tortillas and sweet onions.

ST and I decided to split the gorditas de puerco. Two crispy corn-masa cakes stuffed with red chile shredded pork, queso fresco, and salsa verde. The meat was tender with plenty of cheese and salsa….really very tasty.

I can’t wait to return to try the homemade corn-masa tortillas with carne asada. I’m obsessed with finding tacos like the ones in Playa del Carmen a few years ago. The corn tortillas were kickass and the beef was insanely tender, topped with queso (at my gringo request), freshly made guacamole (just like mine), and a handful of cilantro. Perfect.

The staff and service at Pure was great! Our chick even brought out a complimentary birthday dessert, pineapple flan, for us to share. Sweet.

Now for the bad news. Just when you think you’ve discovered a quirky little taqueria, a funky little neighborhood spot….you find out it’s a franchise. There are only three now, but soon like will be multiplying like cucarachas!

The good news is, it made a pretty fuckin’ good first impression.