1418--GAME IS ON, BUT WAVERING

Week ??? Restaurant 12
Cabo Grande, Ft. Worth

My cousin who lives outside of Ft. Worth has been reading my blog. He knows my frustration with eating mediocre Tex-Mex. He suggested this place in downtown--voted the city's best Tex-Mex. We started with guac prepared tableside. Whenever possible, this is the way to go. It's always double the price of regular guac, but the freshness factor is worth the extra $$. Perfectly seasoned to enhance the avocado. Not too limey or spicy.

My cousin ordered Brazilian alligator. Last time I ate alligator might have been in the Florida Keys. All I recall is that it tasted like a cross between veal and a belt. This alligator was tender--no it didn't taste like chicken, but it definitely tasted better than a belt.

My son ordered steak fajitas. Many times skirt steak is dried out or chewy, but he said it had nice flavor and was tender. I ordered the grilled fish tacos. Tilapia doesn't have much of a taste, so as long as the fish is fresh, the key to a tasty taco is the sauce. The menu said Chipotle sauce, but it resembled more of a thickened sweet soy sauce. I ditched the sauce and put extra lime on my tacos. They were fine, but would have been better with a creamy, cilantro lime sauce with a dash or two of chipotle.

 I had a red sangria, which wasn't very good. The wine was a bit sour and the drink lacked overall pizazz. Next I ordered a mojito. I am a mojito snob, and most places do not take the time to make the labor-intensive drink correctly. This mojito was EXCELLENT. The mint was fresh and the drink had a perfect balance of tart and sweetness. 

Service was efficient and patient--especially with our boisterous crew.

1418--GAME IS ON, BUT I'M LOSING

 Week??? I realized I totally missed November. Too busy eating Indian food. My friend Erin is a Ft. Worther and suggested this fun-new-hip family-owned eatery on 7th St. Gotta love the name--REVOLVER TACO LOUNGE. The menu is different--serving antojitos. When I asked what that was--the server replied that it consisted of traditional dishes served at street fairs or weddings or funerals.

My son ventured out of his black bean and burrito
comfort zone and ordered duck breast tacos. He pronounced them delicious. Erin and I both had Ahi Tuna Ceviche (see pic below, courtesy of Erin) served on mini tostadas. The tuna was delicately spiced with lime and cilantro and served with some diced tomatoes. Not overpowering--just enough to enhance the flavor of the tuna.

Unfortunately the guac's spices overpowered the avocado flavor. We made the mistake of ordering spicy guac, so perhaps the regular guac wouldn't have suffered this same fate. The chips were homemade, but heavy. I tend to favor the light, airy chips.

Beautiful decor and presentation. Only 1 server at lunch and he was very personable, but swamped, so service wasn't speedy. But luckily we weren't in a hurry. My son had queso cake for dessert and didn't leave a crumb on his plate.

I would definitely go back and sample some more ceviche.

Week 12 (really week 16)--December 6, 2011


If I was sticking to my plan of 1 Mexican restaurant/week, it would take me approximately 27 years to eat at all of the restaurants in DFW area. At the rate I'm going (which is averaging 1/month), I will be 164 years old before I finish.

I debated whether to include Fuzzy's Taco Shop or not. It's a chain, but that hasn't stopped me before. It is a landmark eatery across the street from TCU campus and I was told that college students love it. I was a bit skeptical when looking on their website. Their logo is a fish that says EAT me. And under the menu it says--nutritional information coming soon. I think that translates into--IT'S SO BAD, WE CAN'T PRINT IT WITHOUT RISK OF LAWSUITS.

After eating there, I determined that DRUNK college students whose taste buds are impaired must make up the prime clientele. To be fair, I didn't get a taco. And I was berated. How can you go to Fuzzy's and not eat a TACO? I ate the tortilla soup. It had the consistency of stick-to-your-ribs chili. Which if you are a starving college kid, might not be such a bad thing. I tend to like my tortilla soup on the thinner side, without globs of cheese hanging from my spoon.

For those of you who read my blog, you know I'm a guac SNOB. So much so that Fuzzy's guac cannot even be considered in the official guac category. I won't go as far as to say that it was WORSE than Taco Bell's guac, but close.

What I love about google is the weird stuff that comes up. So when I googled images of Fuzzy's, this bizarre picture of the man and lion shows up on page 11. It links to someone's blog called bagofnothing.com (because that's all he has to offer) I couldn't make this stuff up--it's too good.

1418--GAME IS ON, Week #11

Cole and I went to Blue Mesa Grill in Plano on Friday night. I was counting on the fact that it was the last Ranger game in the series and the place wouldn't be packed. I guessed correctly.

Here's what I have realized about all of my Mexican food adventures. I'm not really crazy about Tex-Mex. I like the fusion stuff. I like more authentic Mexican--mole, black beans.

Blue Mesa was everything I like in a restaurant. Cool atmosphere.

Robert, our uber-entertaining server

Not fun like Chuy's, a bit more upscale. But our server Robert was very upbeat and entertaining. He made great recommendations and was very attentive. He also ALWAYS works Sundays in case you are interesting in visiting. ASK for him.

After lamenting over the fact that I'm allergic to Tequila (Blue Mesa supposedly has the best Tequila Bar in the area), Robert suggested a mojito. It was the BEST mojito I've had, which is saying a lot, since my husband and I have tried MANY mojitos. Just the right amount of rum, mint & lime. Clean, crisp, finish & right amount of sweetness.

We had tableside fire-roasted
guac. A nice variation from the standard
fare. The fire-roasted salsa was delicious. A smoky flavor. I could have drank a bowl full of it.
I ordered goat cheese enchiladas with jicama slaw. Cole ordered appetizer--3 meats on a stick--chicken, steak & sausage. He also ordered tacos--steak, bbq pulled pork & chicken served with smoky black beans & corn with ancho mayo & cheese.

The goat cheese ench was different--not my favorite ench ever, but very well seasoned and garnished. Cole devoured all of his meat--he said the sausage and the pulled pork taco were the best.

I would definitely go back. I'd like to try their Sunday brunch. Some nice marketing--free brunch on your bday, free apps on your anniversary, etc..

1418--GAME IS ON, Week 10

 A friend's son is a freshman at TCU and was recently in town for homecoming/parent's weekend. She suggested Joe T. Garcia's, since it was a favorite spot when she was in school. I figured the place was kind of a historical landmark, a must-experience at least once. How many restaurants do you know that have remained in business since 1935?

They don't take reservations and when we arrived there was a huge line for the outdoor patio area. I like Mexican and all, but there's no way I would wait 1.5 hours to eat it. Especially standing in a line. There wasn't even a BAR to wait in. So we ate indoors. I did take a walk outside and it was lovely with lights and fountains.

I quit taking pictures of the food, since I realized that ALL Mexican food looks the same when photographed. Kind of like brown and red blobs. The menu was pretty limited--enchiladas with tacos or fajitas. Period. No other choice. Apparently, this did not deter the mobs waiting to eat.

I have to admit is WAS a good cheese enchilada and the guac was fresh, but besides the oooh factor of going to a "famous" landmark, I'm not sure what the big attraction is. I'm happy I went. Great company, good food, decent sangria, but I wouldn't willingly go back. Driving an hour to Ft. Worth, only to stand in line for an hour, drinkless, is not appealing.

1418 Game is On--Week #8

Believe it or not, I was feeling SICK of Mexican food, so I took a two-week hiatus. I ate Indian food instead. Yesterday I took my son to Cristina's in McKinney, a few miles away from our chiropractor. Since there were no shortage of Mexican restaurants within a 5 mile radius, I googled a bunch to determine which we would choose. Cristina's (in existence since 1989) boasted a combination of tex-mex with authentic dishes. I realized that I don't really like tex-mex all that much. I don't like lard--the main ingredient of refried beans. Cheese enchiladas with bland ranchero sauce don't excite me.


The interior is beautiful. The server was very attentive. Although we went at 5pm when the restaurant wasn't busy. Guac was fresh but kind of bland. Joy of all joys--they had black beans, so my son could order a black bean and cheese burrito. The waiter raved about the black beans. My son inhaled them in 30 seconds and said they were rather bland. He then exhibited a rare, daring food sense of adventure and ordered a beef burrito with queso, which he said was better, but not great.


I wasn't super hungry, so I ordered a staple--tortilla soup. Edible, but mediocre. I tend to like my soup with a rich broth. This one was a bit bland, with more of a tomato base and less chicken. I don't like big chunks of things in my soup--it tells me that the cook was too lazy to chop the red peppers, onions and chicken (which was a bit stringy).

Sometimes I think writing art criticism has ruined me of ever appreciating art again. Perhaps the same is true for food writing. Am I doomed to experience nothing but mediocrity? One disappointment after another? And since I'm not an official food critic, I have to PAY for all the mediocre food.

Game is On--Week #6

September 18
Mi Cocina, Plano, TX

Brunch. Lovely atmosphere. Friendly service. My neighbor said this was her favorite Mexican restaurant. After my disappointing meal the previous week, this was a welcome surprise. They made me my favorite dish--spinach enchiladas with mole, even though it wasn't on the menu. They made my neighbor her favorite dish--huevos rancheros, even though that wasn't on the menu either. Out of all the restaurants thus far, this mole was the richest and most complex. The chilies and chocolate were blended into a rich textured sauce.

The guac was fresh and creamy. I ate half of my friend's huevos rancheros and those were delicious too. My son ventured out of his same old, same old comfort zone and ordered a beef burrito, which he gave the thumbs up. Only my husband was lukewarm, but maybe that was because he had to pay the bill.

So the most frustrating part of the blog is that I can never get the images placed where I want them. Also no matter what I do, all the photographs begin to look the same--blobs of food on a plate. Not very appetizing.

spinach enchilada w/mole

beef burritos

huevos rancheros

egg dish

1418 Game Is On--Week 5

google image
September 9th, 2011 El Norte, Plano, TX
the "unchained" tex-mex alternative

It was with great anticipation that I went to El Norte with my husband and son. It had won an award in D magazine and as a family-owned business, its website claimed that the menu was so traditional as to be radical. They supposedly buy their meat locally.

I realized half-way to the restaurant that I forgot my camera! Everyone in the car was starving and thus refused to turn around. Perhaps this was the first prophetic sign.

The decor was shabby-hip, peeling paint with some faded murals. The food was an adventure in mediocrity. Who needs pictures, when the food looked better than it tasted? The super-nice server was the best part of the evening.

Guac--passable
Bean & Cheese Burrito--lackluster. described as grande--but too small. pinto beans lacked flavor
Texas Brisket Tacos--a signature dish. hubby described it as prepared well with low quality meat. difficult to chew.
Chicken Mole Enchiladas--mole lacked depth. not enough chocolate or chilies.

Give me chain any day--especially when it's predictable. :(

1418 Game is On--Week 4 #2

September 3rd, 2011--Mattitos, Frisco, TX


view of stadium from Mattitos. Pro-soccer & HS football

Family-owned, although there are now several locations throughout the area (and sadly Mattito is no longer among the living). I immediately liked the place, because the manager told me I could take as many pictures as I wanted of whatever I wanted. He shared that recently someone had won first place in a photo contest with a "Mattitos at night" shot. Located across the street from the soccer stadium, it may become our new hang-out for pre or post soccer games.

The second reason I immediately liked the place is that not only did they have MOLE on the menu, but they agreed to make my favorite dish which was not the menu--spinach enchiladas with mole sauce.



Fun atmosphere--check out the cool bottle wall and funky lights.


Sadly my teenaged bean and cheese burrito connoisseur was unable to attend, due to a pressing engagement at Walgreens with his new friends. That is a topic for my other blog.


My husband and I split our dinners. Mine--spinach enchiladas with mole sauce. His--snapper with a black bean sauce. The mole was good--nicely balanced with multiple kinds of chilis. I tend to like my mole with a little bit more spice and chocolate undertones. The snapper was delicous. The guac was more "onionly" than some, but had a nice kick to it. Here's the real treat--a michelada. I have never seen this on any menu, except when I was in Mexico. It is a distinctively different and refreshing beverage (I've been told it's the best hangover cure in the WORLD). It's made with beer, clamato juice (clam & tomato), lime and spices. They made ours with bohemia beer.

1418 Game Is On--Week 4

August 29th, 2011 Chitos Mexican Restaurant, Plano, TX

I've passed by this "hole in the wall" every day since starting my new job. I might not have braved it, if I didn't get a recommendation from a friend. I mean, who REALLY wants to eat at a restaurant in a gas station.

Technically, it's not IN the gas station, but adjacent to it. Unlike the gas station, the restaurant was clean. I heard it was authentic. I have to break my rule and go back.
1. I ate there without my son, who is now upset, since he considers himself to be the bean and cheese burrito foodcriticguru.
2. Also it was mid-day and I couldn't eat a whole meal.
3. MOLE!!!! First restaurant to have mole on their menu. Good news--MOLE. Bad news--they won't put it on enchiladas. I have to eat it on chicken.


I had a lunch special with a cheese enchilada and tamale. I broke all my food karma rules and ate pork!! BABE PLEASE FORGIVE ME. The pork tamale is one of their award-winning dishes. It kind of tasted like chicken. Not sure if it was the best, since I don't eat pork, but it was tasty, despite my guilt. Guac--had a bit of kick! Cheese ench--ok, nothing out of this world. Looking forward to mole!!!!

1418--GAME IS ON: week 3

Week 3--August 27, Abuelos, Plano, Texas



More upscale than your average tex-mex. The interior was beautiful with hand-painted murals. The central courtyard with a fountain was enclosed, but in James Turrell fashion, emulated an open sky.

Guac--heavenly--creamy with bits of tomato. Homemade chips were light, not greasy. Served 3 types of salsa--regular, roasted and habanero.

Tortilla Soup--not overly cheesy or soggy with tortillas. Lightly spiced chicken, broth had complex flavor.

Bean & Cheese burrito--the son pronounces that it is not as good as Chuy's, but a close second. They didn't have it on the menu, so bonus points for making it special for him.

Pescado--Mahi-Mahi topped with shrimp, scallops, spinach, red-peppers & white wine sauce.
AMAZING. The cilantro-infused rice was delicious. The fish was perfectly cooked--not dry. Service--very attentive




1

1418--GAME IS ON: week 2

Week 2--August 19, Chuy's, Plano, TX

Fun, Fun atmosphere. The night my son and I were there, they were hosting a green chili-festival and had decorated the place with superhero banners, streamers and servers were wearing capes. The place was jamming by 5:30pm with a short wait for dinner.

GUAC--perfectly ripe avocados and seasoning.

Bean & Cheese Burrito--my son's only menu item. he's consistent. said it was the best he's had. he's on board for the burrito--eating challenge. if you eat 2, you get the 3rd free. these are mongo-sized burritos. i told him that he needed to train properly for the event. i didn't want any food comas or spewing in my car.

Veggie Enchiladas w/Ranchero Sauce--delish! I was so hungry, that I forgot to take a pic until I was full. Ench #2 for tomorrow's lunch.

Bonus--very creepy t-shirt for PapPap--NAKED TEX MEX