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