Monday, April 19, 2004
These posts are going to start off in retrospect. Since I'm generally not eating out in restaurants these days and either eating take-home sushi at home (which doesn't count since they're from T.C. Choy's or having semi-vegetarian food at my uncle's house while being pestered to fiddle around with their coal-powered five-tortoise speed computer. No restaurants in the meantime to muddle up my judgement and my intestines.
I've been going to a line-up of Mexican restaurants of late. Not your usual suspects of Tex-Mex places where the waitress was probably doing jager shots off somebody's butt-crack the night before at her sorority. Someplace where the clients would get hassled by INS or usually ride in the back of the truck with plenty of company. Ever since being tsk tsked by a friend for not knowing the closest hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, I've made it my delicious mission to find Tampa's best hole-in-the-wall Mexican eateries. For those of you not having had the pleasure of spending time in the States, Mexican restaurants ... and Mexicans are just about wherever you go. It's a matter of finding the good ones - the restaurants. They are cheap, tasty, and filling..... the restaurants.
If in Europe, imagine the kebab shop. If in China, imagine the lamianguans.
Of course besides the aforementioned qualities, finding a good Mexican place entails good prices, character, decent salsa and chips, and at least one waiter who doesn't speak a word of English. Beef tongue is always a bonus but not compulsory.
9255 No. 56th Street Tampa, FL USA more info
First I was to rendez-vous with Michelle at Vallarta for margaritas with her students who overall made her want to tear her own hair out by the roots. Theirs too maybe. I would find it amusing to have a drink with them but for Michelle's sanity's sake, they couldn't make it. While waiting I had a reasonably priced margarita - ask for the crushed ice. Ice cube margaritas just aren't the same - had one - no good.
After sucking on ice cube margaritas for awhile Michelle showed up and we ordered... oh, forgot to tell you about the decor (since I'm actually supposed to tell you about the restaurant). Upon walking through the front door, you find yourself in a foyer. It's quite a feat to find yourself since it's so huge. You might get lost in what appears to be the dancehall that comes before the actual restaurant - also pretty big. I'm guessing it seats over 200 inside and out. Maybe there is dancing.
The old guy folding up flatware inside napkins gestured politely to sit at a table. Not seeing my friend around, I figured I would sit at the unpopulated bar for awhile and have that margarita mistake I was talking about. Looking around I saw that the colors were almost garish... festive... attractive. I'm still feeling ambivalent about them but I think I like them. OK, they were pretty and the designs were nice. You'll like them, they make you think.
The menu 8x14 laminated card style. Small glossary on the bottom for the uninitiated. Some cute pictures and some color. Some glitches concerning not enough explanation in some spots and redundant in others.
I went with the flautas and Michelle went with the chalupa. Our waiter seemed happier speaking Spanish with us but that was fine for us. The crushed ice margaritas were helping the tongue fumble through languages. Tasty and affordable too. My flautas were not accompanied with refried beans - fine by me. Deep fried goodness and I approve of the meat they used. Had a hint of game to it - I'm guessing it was beef but I forgot already. The chalupa I probably would not have enjoyed as much but Michelle did. A little too cheese drenched for my taste. The dishes came with some uninspired "salad" which I left alone to die in peace.
The best part of the meal was the entertainment. One of the Spanish-speaking clients in the courtyard - possibly regulars - had left a car with windows down, lights on, and keys in the ignition with mariachi music blaring. Oh yeah, and it was blocking some SUV in its parking spot. This made up for the fact that the courtyard - yes, it was a big place - was completely silent. So add a policeman who happened to be in the neighborhood, shake, and have fun.
....
10019 N. Dale Mabry Tampa, FL more info
Now Tijuana Flats is completely different. Remember the sorority girls I was telling you about. That's where they work. But the food is affordable, you can get a lot of different kinds of hot sauce for free there, it seems to be what they're famous for. It's generally designed well furniture-wise. The colors are intentionally garish but the walls have enough pictures stuck to it to distract you. The drawings on the wall are not that pretentious as it could be. Oh, and quite clean. Overall good and tasty but there is plenty written about this chain already. There are two or three in the Tampa Bay area and a few in Orlando as well.
....
N . Washington Blvd. at 4th St. Sarasota, FL USA Main Bookshop - great place by the way - Kristien asked the cashier about "authentic Mexican places". Of course, it's better to ask for a "hole-in-the-wall" since "authentic Mexican places" is too subjective. Everybody knows what a "hole-in-the-wall" is. This place wasn't. A little too middle class. It was pretty well populated for a small restaurant (about 40-50 seats) - mostly white folks of varying ages and some families. I found out that it is family owned - so in that aspect respectable but still, not impressed...
There were not very many parking spots so I parked in one of the neighboring business's spots. A print shop I believe. According to our server, who was also the host, who also appeared to be the manager (and owner?) they were very friendly and didn't bother him about it. "Not yet," I said. And he approved of my sense of humor and me his as well. Overall quite a nice chap. Eager to please.
The owner of sinister eyes peeking out of the kitchen were not however. The food I must admit was not what I wanted Kristien to be having impressed upon her as "typical hole-in-the-wall" good Mexican food. Too much cheese overall and rather uninteresting. The soft shells for burritos and tacos we ordered were chewy. Actually I think mine was supposed to be hard shell. Nevertheless looks like they skimped on the ingredients. Also they were quite stingy with the chips and salsa. The salsa was not exceptional but I'm hard to please in that department. Reasonably priced for Mexican food but the quality was low. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt since they were a family restaurant and they seemed to be popular with the Sarasotans, but since I don't usually head down those ways I'm not likely to try it again.
Alas. No beef tongue for me this time.
I've been going to a line-up of Mexican restaurants of late. Not your usual suspects of Tex-Mex places where the waitress was probably doing jager shots off somebody's butt-crack the night before at her sorority. Someplace where the clients would get hassled by INS or usually ride in the back of the truck with plenty of company. Ever since being tsk tsked by a friend for not knowing the closest hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, I've made it my delicious mission to find Tampa's best hole-in-the-wall Mexican eateries. For those of you not having had the pleasure of spending time in the States, Mexican restaurants ... and Mexicans are just about wherever you go. It's a matter of finding the good ones - the restaurants. They are cheap, tasty, and filling..... the restaurants.
If in Europe, imagine the kebab shop. If in China, imagine the lamianguans.
Of course besides the aforementioned qualities, finding a good Mexican place entails good prices, character, decent salsa and chips, and at least one waiter who doesn't speak a word of English. Beef tongue is always a bonus but not compulsory.
9255 No. 56th Street Tampa, FL USA more info
First I was to rendez-vous with Michelle at Vallarta for margaritas with her students who overall made her want to tear her own hair out by the roots. Theirs too maybe. I would find it amusing to have a drink with them but for Michelle's sanity's sake, they couldn't make it. While waiting I had a reasonably priced margarita - ask for the crushed ice. Ice cube margaritas just aren't the same - had one - no good.
After sucking on ice cube margaritas for awhile Michelle showed up and we ordered... oh, forgot to tell you about the decor (since I'm actually supposed to tell you about the restaurant). Upon walking through the front door, you find yourself in a foyer. It's quite a feat to find yourself since it's so huge. You might get lost in what appears to be the dancehall that comes before the actual restaurant - also pretty big. I'm guessing it seats over 200 inside and out. Maybe there is dancing.
The old guy folding up flatware inside napkins gestured politely to sit at a table. Not seeing my friend around, I figured I would sit at the unpopulated bar for awhile and have that margarita mistake I was talking about. Looking around I saw that the colors were almost garish... festive... attractive. I'm still feeling ambivalent about them but I think I like them. OK, they were pretty and the designs were nice. You'll like them, they make you think.
The menu 8x14 laminated card style. Small glossary on the bottom for the uninitiated. Some cute pictures and some color. Some glitches concerning not enough explanation in some spots and redundant in others.
I went with the flautas and Michelle went with the chalupa. Our waiter seemed happier speaking Spanish with us but that was fine for us. The crushed ice margaritas were helping the tongue fumble through languages. Tasty and affordable too. My flautas were not accompanied with refried beans - fine by me. Deep fried goodness and I approve of the meat they used. Had a hint of game to it - I'm guessing it was beef but I forgot already. The chalupa I probably would not have enjoyed as much but Michelle did. A little too cheese drenched for my taste. The dishes came with some uninspired "salad" which I left alone to die in peace.
The best part of the meal was the entertainment. One of the Spanish-speaking clients in the courtyard - possibly regulars - had left a car with windows down, lights on, and keys in the ignition with mariachi music blaring. Oh yeah, and it was blocking some SUV in its parking spot. This made up for the fact that the courtyard - yes, it was a big place - was completely silent. So add a policeman who happened to be in the neighborhood, shake, and have fun.
....
10019 N. Dale Mabry Tampa, FL more info
Now Tijuana Flats is completely different. Remember the sorority girls I was telling you about. That's where they work. But the food is affordable, you can get a lot of different kinds of hot sauce for free there, it seems to be what they're famous for. It's generally designed well furniture-wise. The colors are intentionally garish but the walls have enough pictures stuck to it to distract you. The drawings on the wall are not that pretentious as it could be. Oh, and quite clean. Overall good and tasty but there is plenty written about this chain already. There are two or three in the Tampa Bay area and a few in Orlando as well.
....
N . Washington Blvd. at 4th St. Sarasota, FL USA Main Bookshop - great place by the way - Kristien asked the cashier about "authentic Mexican places". Of course, it's better to ask for a "hole-in-the-wall" since "authentic Mexican places" is too subjective. Everybody knows what a "hole-in-the-wall" is. This place wasn't. A little too middle class. It was pretty well populated for a small restaurant (about 40-50 seats) - mostly white folks of varying ages and some families. I found out that it is family owned - so in that aspect respectable but still, not impressed...
There were not very many parking spots so I parked in one of the neighboring business's spots. A print shop I believe. According to our server, who was also the host, who also appeared to be the manager (and owner?) they were very friendly and didn't bother him about it. "Not yet," I said. And he approved of my sense of humor and me his as well. Overall quite a nice chap. Eager to please.
The owner of sinister eyes peeking out of the kitchen were not however. The food I must admit was not what I wanted Kristien to be having impressed upon her as "typical hole-in-the-wall" good Mexican food. Too much cheese overall and rather uninteresting. The soft shells for burritos and tacos we ordered were chewy. Actually I think mine was supposed to be hard shell. Nevertheless looks like they skimped on the ingredients. Also they were quite stingy with the chips and salsa. The salsa was not exceptional but I'm hard to please in that department. Reasonably priced for Mexican food but the quality was low. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt since they were a family restaurant and they seemed to be popular with the Sarasotans, but since I don't usually head down those ways I'm not likely to try it again.
Alas. No beef tongue for me this time.
