Hot Dish Review

Have you been to the Botanical Gardens’ holiday light extravaganza? We haven’t either, although we did try to go. When he couldn’t purchase tickets online, LC called to make sure we could just show up. So we piled into two cars and sat on Piedmont for 30 minutes, just to be told it was sold out.

How can walking through a freakin’ garden be sold out for God’s sake? Nature can’t sell out! Dejected, we headed north on 400, not sure where we would land.

Some of us were hungry, others were not. LC and I had planned on getting food at the Botanical Gardens, but alas, it was not to be. We spotted several potential dining destinations, but we had to keep it simple having two kids along.

Then I spotted On The Border, the Tex-Mex spot that sits in the enormous parking lot in front of Old Navy and Nordstrom Rack in Buckhead. My only previous visit was with AD years ago, and our main purpose was drinking margaritas, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the food, although I suspected it would be rather unimpressive since this is a chain that has invaded all but 12 states in the U.S.

On The Border doesn’t proclaim to be authentic Mexican. They do, however, offer plenty of dishes one would find in my favorite country….tacos, carne asada, grilled fish. And lots of your Americanized standards like nachos, enchiladas, and a thing called a Big Bordurrito that looks like a Burrito on steroids.

We started with tableside guacamole, and the usual chips and salsa, which would suffice for those that weren’t very hungry. Meanwhile, LC ordered the fish tacos, two big corn tortillas with fried whitefish and slaw. Me and TT tried the “street style mini tacos”….three little corn tortillas with jack cheese and fajita steak served with sliced avocado. The tiny tacos were somewhat reminiscent of those in Cabo, except they had melted cheese and recognizable meat. Both taco meals came with rice and black beans, and were under $10.

I must admit, I was surprised by the freshness, flavor, and quality of the food. No, the corn tortillas were not the best ever, but I’ve had worse at some tacquerias in my neighborhood for double the price.
Not surprisingly, nothing was spicy enough for me and LC, even with the addition of diced jalapenos.

We were stuffed but LC just couldn’t pass up dessert, and neither could I since he wanted the sopapillas, fried dough with a hollow center that one traditionally fills with honey. These came with both chocolate and honey for dipping.

Lucky for us, On The Border wasn’t sold out of taste.

1 Buckhead Loop NE #130 404-816-3171

Hola seniors y senioritas! Mexican food is my favorite, with Vietnamese coming in a close second. When authentic, both types of cuisine are spicy and incorporate lots of cilantro! But it’s hard to find the real thang without a drive to Buford Highway.

I love to sit outside in the sweltering heat of Summer, sipping margaritas, dipping corn chips in guacamole and cheese dip, and maybe having a taco or two, authentic or not.

There’s an abundance of tacquerias in town that claim authenticity, like No Mas Cantina, Pure, El Taco, and Zocalo. And there’s our old standby, Nuevo Laredo, that serves fresh and basic Tex-Mex.

And then there’s El Azteca. Now with six locations from Ponce to Dunwoody, you can count on weak margaritas with lots of sour mix and an array of standard Texican offerings, from enchiladas to burritos.

The recent onslaught of competition has made them amp up their game, adding skinny margaritas made without sour mix and freshly made guacamole to their menu. Good idea. The quality of chips varies from location to location….sometimes they are thin and greasy, straight out of the fryer (my favorite), while at other times they are thick and cold as if they came out of a bag.

But it’s cheap. Me, little T, LC, his sister, and her brood of boys met at one of the Alpharetta locations a few days ago, choosing a big table in the middle of the patio. We started with cheese dip with jalapenos to go with the automatic delivery of chips and salsa. This batch of chips was disappointing, but the cheese dip was the perfect consistency and nicely spicy. We washed it down with skinny margaritas on the rocks with salt.

That would be the only spicy dish of the evening. El Azteca serves Mexican for the masses. Wouldn’t want to scorch aunt Sally’s mouth with fiery salsa, would ya?

Our last El Azteca experience at the Roswell Road location was a bad one, having shared a combo fajita platter…a combo of chicken, shrimp, beef, and salt. Lots of salt. So this time, both LC and I changed it up. He ordered a chicken and shrimp quesadilla and I tried the chicken tacquitos appetizer.

The shrimp in his quesadilla were plump, with sufficient cheese to glue the tortilla together, but it lacked spice. It was served with all the goodies on the side. We forgot to request jalapenos but it didn’t stop him from cleaning his plate.

My plate was comprised of three corn tortillas, filled with chicken, rolled up and fried and presented on a bed of shredded iceberg and topped with sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. I asked if they had cheese inside and was told yes, but I couldn’t find any, so I added a bit of the remaining cheese dip. Crispy and not too greasy…..not bad for $4.95.

As for little T, she ordered two beef tacos and deemed them “flavorless”. She lives in Austin so she can take the heat.

I’ve always loved Elmyr, with its quirky atmosphere and somewhat healthy California style Tex-Mex, but my last visit was uncharacteristicly dismal.

Over the years, the quality had been pretty consistent. I always ordered a quesadilla. Never greasy, the huge tortillas were appropriately filled with the ingredients of choice, usually chicken, black beans, onions, and jalapenos. Guacamole on the side was better than average, although lacking enough cilantro. Their salsas were good too, like the exceptionally fresh pico di gallo and kicky green sauce.

LC and I were in the mood to sit on a patio somewhere, despite the blazing heat. Pure? Not again. Tijuana Garage or El Taco? That’s when I thought of Elmyr. He had never been. For me, it was like taking someone to my hometown where I know all the secrets.

We chose a table on the patio, which is screened in and covered….not exactly outdoors. I warned him of Elmyr’s notoriously divey reputation, with tattooed servers and a bar full of regulars drinking PBR. Not the type of place you want to take your Mama, unless your Mama is Blondie from The Clermont.

A couple of Coronas with lime provided a bit of relief in the sweltering heat as LC reviewed the menu. I recommended the quesadillas, momentarily forgetting the disappointing, flacid thing filled with handfuls of raw onion and a smattering of tough chicken that was passed off as a quesadilla a few months back.

Against my better (yet questionable) judgment, I allowed SS to stop by to say hello. He belongs at Elmyr. All the bartenders and servers know him by name. His arms are covered with ink, much more so than back in the day when we lived together in Grant Park. That called for a shot of tequila and another Corona.

Meanwhile, I had ordered the usual and LC tried a quesadilla with BBQ chicken and a slew of fillings like onions, avocado, jalapenos….too many for me to remember. When they came out he was taken aback by the size of the tortillas which are nearly too big for the plate.

Thankfully, my quesadilla was as awesome as they used to be. The chicken was tender, complimented by an appropriate amount of sauteed onions, cheese, and jalapenos. LC loved his selection, raving about it for several days.

I’ve always loved Elmyr, through good times and bad, when I was rich, when I was poor. But I had become disillusioned. Had years of success made Elmyr’s owners and staff complacent? Did they think they could get away with serving me an mediocre quesadilla? I thought I was special.

Then I remembered…..if you love something, you have to give it a chance at redemption. I’m glad I did.

1091 Euclid Avenue 404-588-0250

Driving back from Florida, B and I made efficient use of our time, getting gas and eating all in one stop. Lunch found us at McDonald’s in Gainesville, sharing their awesome fries with our Filet ‘O’ Fish sandwiches. Sorry no photos, but chances are you’ve seen a McDonald’s Filet ‘O’ Fish at some point in your life. However, we did note the diminished size of every component of the sandwich….fish, cheese, and bun.

Our second stop was near Macon where we stumbled upon a Mexican restaurant, sorta like a Moe’s wanna-be. It was called Caliente. Its cookie-cutter Southwestern furnishings matched its standard Tex-Mex fare of tacos, burritos, and quesadillas.

The chubby dude behind the counter had the personality of a toad. Poor thing. I inquired about the choices of meat and decided on a ground beef taco. One taco, soft or hard shell, was $4.95. Excuse me? It came with chips but that was hardly any consolation considering I can get a red chilli steak taco at El Taco for $1 less! Not to mention they serve tequila. No contest.

B decided to get the kid’s combo meal….a taco, chips, small cheese dip, soft drink, and cookie for $3.20. Good deal if you want all that stuff. She asked why I didn’t do the same but I really just wanted a taco with all the fixin’s….cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream and guacamole from squirt bottles. I’m sorry, but if you can dispense guac from a squirt bottle, it might not be authentic. Just sayin’. Caliente did have a salsa bar with a few choices including pico de gallo and salsa verde.

My taco reminded me of the kind you make at home, with store-bought Ortega shells. Honestly, I prefer Taco Bell, even with the revelation that their “ground beef” is only 35% meat.

B loved the chips, mainly because they were salty. I thought they were too thick and out of an industrial size bag.

But here’s the kicker. I assumed the kid’s taco would be tiny but it was the same size as the regular one! What the f*ck? To make matters worse, the dude forgot to give B her cookie.

Guess we should have ordered burritos.

6255 Zebulon Road, Macon 478-471-8110

Buford Highway’s pho houses, Korean BBQ, and authentic tacquerias are a foodie’s mecca. I was seriously giddy as I drove down the six lane highway looking for El Taco Veloz yesterday.

I was expecting a bare-bones operation, perhaps a few plastic tables and chairs, nothing fancy. It was, in fact, even less fancy than that! Mainly a drive-thru, El Taco Veloz is one step up from a stand. There is no dining room, but there is a patio with several long tables. Inside is a counter with a few wooden stools.

The only gringo in sight, I walked in and placed my taco order….one carne asada, one barbacoa. At $1.85 and $1.69 respectively, a real bargain. Then I ordered extra cheese on the side, $.70 for two….a true gringo move.

No tequila or beer here, I tried the coconut horchata, a traditional Mexican drink made with rice milk. The counter chick said it was very sweet. So I asked if anyone ever orders it mixed with Sprite. She looked at me like I was crazy, then showed me their Sprite is in a can. Fine. I ordered both, pouring some of the fizzy soft drink into the horchata. Awesome!

My tacos were ready, wrapped in foil in a red plastic basket. A yellow squeeze container of green hot sauce sat next to my tacos. I decided to eat at the counter inside. First I opened the barbacoa taco, piping hot beef wrapped in two corn tortillas with diced onion and cilantro. The beef was so tender. I added some cheese and additional hot sauce. Great!

Next I ate the carne asada. Same procedure, same toppings. The beef was nearly as tender as the barbacoa, but the flavor was there. Almost full, I couldn’t help but order a third taco, the al pastor at only $.99. Made of pork, it came with the same toppings as the other two, although I’ve read al pastor usually comes with pineapple. I wasn’t very fond of the sauce so it was my least favorite.

And although these tacos are probably some of the most authentic in Atlanta, I was still not impressed with the tortillas.

El Taco Veloz’ menu is very basic, just tacos, burritos, and tortas. Looks like there are five Atlanta area locations but I don’t know if they are all the same. I would definitely go back for the barbacoa, but to be honest, I miss my guacamole!

5084 Buford Highway 770-936-9094

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!

Each time B and I ventured out from the resort we passed by O Mole Mio. Ranked #43 in Cabo on tripadvisor.com, there were some good reviews on their tacos. Plus, the place was decked out in Mexican art like ornate silver crosses, colorful pottery, and most prominently, Catrinas, skeleton figurines in a variety of colorful costumes used to decorate homes during the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

It sounds gruesome but it is, in fact, a time for families to remember those that have passed and honor the spirits of the dead.

I was really hoping to find authentic Mexican food on this trip but it was becoming increasingly evident that most of the establishments, especially on the main street, cater to tourists. O Mole Mio is one of them. Their specialty is mole, the complex Mexican sauce traditionally made with chocolate and spices. Not a fan of mole, I did not succumb to the temptation to order it anyway as I often do (it’s made with chocolate people!).

B and I arrived early and took a table by an open window. Two seconds later she was shopping. Did I mention all of the artwork in the restaurant was for sale? We ordered margaritas and continued shopping, pondering our selections while sipping the salty tart cocktails.

The chips, like everywhere in Cabo, were extra thick, served with the standard pico de gallo and requested habenero salsa. We ordered two fish tacos and one beef to share. Can’t go to Cabo without having fish tacos! Kids with bowls of mini bobble-head animals came to the window as we waited for our food. B and I had already bought several of these by the marina and proceeded to add to our collection.

Our super-friendly server brought out our tacos. Grilled fish was enveloped by soft corn tortillas, a mound of guacamole on the side. Good but not outstanding. The beef was flavorful, but again, the tortillas couldn’t compare to the ones in Playa del Carmen.

B purchased a couple of silver crosses and a hand-painted vase. I found a really cool Madonna made of metal and paper on wood and couldn’t leave without a Catrina dressed in an aqua gown carrying a yellow purse.

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.

I’m off to Cabo folks! In honor of my trip I thought I would rerun some of my favorite Mexican inspired posts….hope you enjoy ‘em! (secretly curious to see if the guacamole there will be as good as mine)
P.S. Yes, guacamole in Cabo was awesome indeed!

OK, this is the real deal. I got this recipe from an old Mexican cleaning lady 20 years ago and have made it according to her standards ever since. Perhaps she prepares it with loving care in a traditional molcajete, a lava rock mortar and pestle. I make mine in my traditional Pillsbury Doughboy bowl!

(Note: the photo of ingredients includes a Corona Light. This ingredient is not mandatory, however, I find that it helps the culinary process. You may substitute a shot of Herradura Silver if you prefer.)

3 ripe avocadoes
1/2 white onion (I use Vidalias)
1 large tomato, peeled
1 jalapeno
bunch cilantro
salt
lime juice

Split the avocadoes and scoop them out into a medium bowl. To keep the guacamole chunky I use the spoon to coarsely cut up the avocadoes just a bit. Very small dice the onion by first cutting it in half, then making 1/8″ cuts in both directions (like a checkerboard pattern). Slice it across the pre-made cuts to make tiny diced pieces. Use the same method for the jalapeno, being careful not to touch the pepper and then your eyes (or other sensitive areas)! Chop a shitload of cilantro to taste. Rest the tomato in hot water to ease peeling, then peel, seed, dice and add to bowl. Add the juice of half a lime. Fold all the ingredients together and salt to taste. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours, completely covered in plastic to avoid oxidation.

Is that f*ckin’ delicious or what? Buy restaurant chips and salsa to serve with it….my new favorite is Uncle Julios.

Sure, there are a couple of acceptable variations but authentic quacamole contains no sour cream, no garlic, no mayonaise. Mayonaise is a French sauce like bearnaisse….not invented in a trailor park in Mississippi as you may have suspected. Mexicans do not use French sauces. There was no sour cream in Mexico in the 1700′s.

Just use the real ingredients above and you will have quacamole as good as what I had in Playa del Carmen a few years ago…..Ole’!