#32 Swoon

Benitos (no website)
Ft. Worth

My friend who runs the Ft. Worth Contemporary Gallery at TCU recommended Benitos. We received such a warm welcome when we arrived. Our server greeted us at the door and quickly ushered us to a table. She was very attentive and friendly.

The menu is quite extensive with fish and meat dishes, but once I saw that there was MOLE sauce, I couldn't entertain any other option.

Chips--light and salty, just the way I like them.

Salsa--served a homemade pica de gallo salsa and another spicier one with roasted tomatoes and chilis. Another complaint I've had about many of the restaurants is how thin the salsa is. This salsa was thick with chunks of veggies and herbs. The flavor was complex with an after-kick of spiciness. Hands down the best salsa I've had ANYWHERE. I could have drank it down like gazpacho.

Guac--Fresh. As my son would say, its too avocadoey. But isn't that the point? I like a little spice and lime in my guac, but I'd sooner trade the lime and spice for really fresh avocados. I solved my problem by drizzling the smoky salsa on my guac.

table cloth pattern

Tortilla Soup--we received a complimentary bowl of tortilla soup with our meal. It was tomato-based. I liked the flavor of the broth, but prefer chicken stock with no tomato.

Mole--I special ordered a plate with one green mole sauce enchilada and one red sauce enchilada. I ordered spinach, but got chicken instead. I was in such a swoon over the red mole sauce that I didn't care. I've only seen mole at a handful of restaurants. I've sampled it at La Cocina & Mattitos. (both places made special orders for me with spinach enchiladas). This mole sauce is Hands Down the BEST I've had since I've been in Texas. My complaint at other places is that the mole isn't rich enough--not enough chocolate or chilis. It reminded me of the mole I learned to make while living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico one summer. The green mole tasted like a tomatillo sauce.

They even made me a special margarita with Don Julio tequila. I requested one that had mild taste with pronounced lime flavor.

My mole-induced swoon lasted the whole way home. My son was very upset that I went to a Mexican food restaurant without him. So I've promised to go back and eat MORE MOLE this time with spinach.

#31 On A Tortilla Roll

Desperados
Dallas, TX

I've been away for the past 8 weeks with little to no Mexican food (except for my own recipes--watermelon gazpacho, huevos rancheros & tortilla pie. I even attempted a flan this summer)

I returned with a renewed dedication in finding the best of the best. So in one week we went out three times. All my friends know about my blog, and most are happy to indulge my whims when we go out. Thursday I visited a friend who teaches painting at SMU. We went to Desperados on Greenville Avenue. Family owned and run since 1976, the restaurant caterers to the sports teams Mavericks, Rangers, Cowboys and even for the Super Bowl. They've won awards for their ceviche, guac, steak and taco dishes.


The outside looks a bit like the Alamo. Inside is "bandit kitsch" with guns on the walls and Warholian-esque paintings of Mexican desperados. We sat next to the fireplace that was filled with sparkling cut glass. There was a lot to look at.


Foodwise:
Guac--creamy and fresh with diced tomatoes. It was missing subtle spices and lime for a more complex flavor

Salsa--good flavor with pronounced chilis. They sell this in jars with no preservatives added. It was a bit on the thin side.

Chicken fajitas--My friend said they were ok. Good quality chicken breast--tender and juicy, but missing spices.

Ceviche--EXCELLENT. Fresh chunks of fish served with lime, tomato juice and lots of jalapeno and cilantro.

We both agreed that we would go back. The menu was extensive and service was friendly.

#30 Torchy's Tacos

 Torchy's Tacos
Plano, TX (with locations in Dallas & Austin)

Torchy's opened up in my neighborhood in the late spring. Over the summer, it seems that they are popping up everywhere.

Visit 1: underwhelming. I ordered the Ahi Tuna Taco a.k.a. Mr. Pink. Mr. Pink was not pink enough for my tastes and was a bit too sinewy for tuna. I ordered a side of guac and the black bean and cheese burrito for my son. Since there was only one size of guac, we had a huge portion. We were also charged the same price as a meat burrito. The manager came over and asked us how we enjoyed our visit. I told him about my concerns and he gave us a coupon for a free taco on our next visit and refunded some money for the burrito discrepancy.

Visit 2: I ordered the salmon taco a.k.a. Mr. Orange and Cole ordered the barbacoa a.k.a. The Democrat. His meat was tender and well seasoned. Mr. orange was orange enough, but the spices overwhelmed the fish flavor.

Visit 3: Our best visit yet. I order The Independent which was a portabello, bean, corn, carrots and avocado taco with ancho aioli sauce. It was delicious. The sauce did not overpower, but gave the veggies a nice creamy chili flavor. Cole ordered the bean and cheese burrito again. They messed it up--co-mingling other items in his burrito. The manager told us to order the bean and cheese taco for $2.50 vs $7.50 burrito, so he could enjoy an economical, pure food experience of JUST beans and cheese. She refunded us the
price difference.

The place has been packed with huge lines the last two times I've been. It definitely has the fun factor working for it with loud music, catchy graphics and interesting food combinations. The current taco of the month is a scallywag--coconut fried shrimp w/ bacon, chilis, cheese, onions & habanero peach jam.

Most impressive for Cole is the Main Root handcrafted soda fountain. We haven't seen one of those in our excursions. Despite our food mishaps, the service has been friendly and the staff has been quick to rectify our complaints. We haven't tried their breakfast tacos yet. That's for our next visit.

#29 After a Brief Hiatus

 Anamia's
Plano, TX

The Ortiz family recently opened their 4th restaurant in the DFW area. Their newest location is in Plano. Anamia's name derives from Ortiz's wife Ana and daughter Mia. Since it's opening, the restaurant has been hopping. I'm always happy to patronize family-owned restaurants. This one feels less like a family restaurant and more like a swanky franchise. The decor is upscale contemporary with comfy leather banquettes that encourage lounging or making out if one is pre-disposed to PDA. Since I was with my son, I could not take advantage of this benefit. Cool lighting and art add to the ambience.

I enjoyed the art and comfy chairs more than my meal.

Highlights:
*Lunch special prices--under $10
* Refried beans had a nice smoky flavor and didn't seem overloaded with lard
*My son's beef fajitas were tender and flavorful--good quality meat.
*Excellent, friendly, quick service. Ivan G was our waiter--very attentive without hovering.




Areas for Improvement:
*Salsa tasted like ketchup with a kick. Overpowering tomato with little to no complexity in flavor.
*Our fault for not getting table-side guac. The side order of guac was creamy, but had a strong
acidic aftertaste, like the lemon had been out too long.
*Tortilla soup--too salty. I love salt, so it was fine for me, but probably not for most palettes. The broth was well-seasoned with nice juicy chunks of chicken.

ceramic wall sculpture outside the bathrooms

I would go back for the atmosphere and to try the fish tacos. Also how can you not like a place that has a painting of Frida Kahlo entitled Frida Margarita? 

#28 My Faith is Restored in the Hole in the Wall

Ernesto's Taqueria
Ft. Worth, TX

My friend Lupita swears that Ernesto's has the best menudo anywhere in the DFW area. She has the proper foodie credentials (growing up with Mexican parents and grandparents who love to cook). Plus she never lies. We pack the car with a few artist friends and take a road trip to Ft. Worth to see some galleries and gorge at Ernesto's. I am a bit nervous about eating menudo, but Lupita's enthusiasm is contagious.

Unfortunately Ernesto's only serves menudo on Sabado and Domingo. We are there on Viernes, so we are out of luck. The taqueria is a bit intimidating. I walk in and see vats of mystery meat. No veggies in site. Without Lupita, I would have bailed immediately. I'm not a big meat eater, as evidenced by my prolific posts about spinach enchiladas and fish tacos.

I deferred to Lupita who ordered for me--barbacoa, carnitas and chorizo with papas (potatoes). The lunch special included 3 tacos with rice and beans for $4.85.  You can't beat that price. I'm glad I didn't know what barbacoa was or I definitely wouldn't have eaten it. COW HEAD. Slow-cooked cow head, but still. The cowhead was mighty tasty. Actually all of it was tasty. I didn't even feel guilty about eating Babe. (For those of you too young for the reference, it was a 1995 film about a pig with a personality).

The tacos were served with double corn tortillas (I hate flour tortillas) with cilantro, onions and tomatillo salsa. The only thing missing was guacamole. I'm sure the crew would have pulverized an avocado for me if I asked. They were very friendly and accommodating.

I stayed away from the really scary dishes==Lengua (tongue) and Tripas (which Wikipedia defines as edible offal--not to be confused with awful). This is not a restaurant for vegetarians. There were NO veggie options on the menu. Meat and more meat.

For drinks, we had horchata; a rice drink with sugar and cinnamon. Although I lived in Mexico for a short time, I never tasted this before. It was delicious, although I didn't need 32 ounces of it.

The taqueria is located on the southside and there are no shortage of Mexican restaurants on this city strip. This gem doesn't look like much from the outside--actually it resembles a bail bond office. It's worth the trip. Lupita's sister goes every Sunday after church for their menudo. I have to go back--when  I'm feeling adventurous.

Proprietors/Chefs--Ricardo, Ruben and Jacinto

#27 Intromit

Rosa's Tortilla Factory & Cafe
Coppell, TX

Intromit was the word of the day on dictionary.com. I like the word, because it rhymes with vomit. Kind of like an onomatopoeia word. It means to accept, concede and suffer. All of which I've been doing for the sake of this blog. 


I've passed by this restaurant many times on Route 121 Ft. Worth bound. With a beautiful new building and a name like Rosa's Tortilla Factory, I was expecting big things. We went last Saturday for a post-wrestling tournament late lunch. The best thing about it was the festive interior with ceramic painted tiled tables, brightly painted walls and a glass enclosure that showed someone making homemade tortillas.. Traditional Mexican ceramic animals hung on the wall.  In reality, it is a glorified take out restaurant. (My first clue should have been the drive-thru express lane, which was packed with waiting cars.) I'm a bit suspicious about take-out instant food. Call me 
radical, but a five-minute food guarantee seems a bit at odds with an "authentic" Mexican food experience as promised by the restaurant's advertising. 

I had a bland guac salad with chips that might have been fresh at one time. Salsa was non-descript. My son had pinto bean and cheese burritos. My husband had chicken soft tacos. The old adage--you get what you pay for is true. We all ate for $18. In my case, I would rather not waste my calories for a substandard meal. My husband said the best part was the price. Clearly others agree as evidenced my the long drive-thru line.  

Disappointing 26

Los Charros Tex Mex (no website, bad sign #4)

Allen, TX

I probably would have avoided this restaurant for a while longer if it weren’t for my massive blood sugar crash. While shopping at the outlets with my teenaged son, I suddenly felt my face go pale and palms get clammy. This usually means that I have about 10 minutes until I literally pass out. We ran out the door and went to the closest eatery. It looked closed--construction in the parking lot and only 1 car in the lot. Not a good sign. We entered and I immediately had deja-vu. At age 15, my first job was hostessing at Chi Chi’s Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. The kitchen always smelled dank—a combo of dirty dishwater and stale Mexican food. This is the same smell that wafted into my nose upon entering Los Charros. (2^nd bad sign.) The 3^rd bad sign was the lack of patrons. There was only 1 other couple in the restaurant and only 1 guy at the bar.

I ordered avocado enchiladas and my son ordered brisket tacos. On the plus side, the food was served in 5 minutes, which meant my blood sugar was restored to almost normal. On the downside, the food was served in 5 minutes, which meant it was all pre-made and microwaved. I inhaled it all within 2 minutes, so perhaps missed some of the subtle nuances… or not. My enchiladas were supposed to have a cilantro sauce, but instead it was a ranchero sauce, with flakes of tasteless, dried green herb. It tasted like tomato sauce—no discernable chile or cilantro flavor. My son’s brisket tacos were ok, but a bit greasy. The beans tasted like lard. The guac was creamy—nothing special, but edible.  Our server was attentive and efficient, but not enough to make me want to return, not even for the nostalgic deja-vu.