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| A Confounded Chile Poblano Eyes His Plate Mates |
My squeeze and I are fans of La Zona Rosa as are many of the posters on this blog. On a typical Thursday night you will see the Z-Red restaurant chocked full to the gills with locals chowing down on the reasonably priced "South of the Border" fare. The service is good, the atmosphere friendly and the al fresco dining area a pleasant spot to dine in decent weather. In other words we like La Zona Rosa as our two former posts attest.
But....(and you knew this was coming didn't you?)....the truth is some of the various menu items do taste the same. For example, in the above picture there are three items. One is obviously a curious, furious or ravenous Chile Poblano. However, can you possibly identify the two items the Poblano is gazing at? Well, according to the menu, one is a burrito and one is an enchilada. And not only do they look alike, I closed my eyes and could not tell one bit of difference in taste between the two. What is more disconcerting is the fact that when I finally subdued and gutted the Poblano, it was stuffed with stuff that tasted just like the stuff inside the enchilito or the burlada (cross between a burrito and enchilada). Just what that stuff is I have no clue. Where the stuffing comes from I have no clue.
Now, is it all fairly tasty? Si senor. Do I have any problem with the meal itself? No senor. Was the meal only $7.50? Si, si senor. I'm just sayin': If there is no difference in taste between a burrito and enchilada why do they have such different names? I'm just askin'. I mean, is this stuff shipped in from some meat filling factory in Mexico or Guatemala where all the "Mexican" restaurants get the same stuff? Is that why a lot of "Mexican" food in the Gump tastes the same? Is there like some Mexican McDonalds that standardizes the meat you get so you are never disappointed nor delighted with your meal? Just askin'. No disrespect intended. I'm not going Shadow Pup on anyone here. It's just that inquiring and hung-over minds want to know.
Comments welcome.
I agree with Senor Carp (can't do that tilde over the "o". Sorry). I, too, have noticed the similarities among the menu items at several "Mexican" restaurants within and without The Gump (Come to think of it, the only Mexican restaurant within the legal definition of The Gump at which I have dined is the Irish-named Mexican joint on the Atlanta Highway at Carol Villa: Tac O'Bell).
ReplyDeleteTac O'Bell uses the same ingredients for all menu items: lettuce, tomatoes, liquid cheesy stuff, ground beef, strange chicken, sour cream, guacamole, the occasional black olive, brown paste, and maybe some jalapenos. These items are arranged or layered differently in or on taco shells (hard or soft, sir?), taco salad "bowls", taco chips, or tortilla shells. Depending on what it's called, the concoction may be nuked in a microwave (burrito) or served cold and fresh (taco salad). It all tastes the same, but, for the price, and with the right Pepsi products, in a hurry, it all goes down mighty fine! Corporate "Mexican" (NYSE-YUM) for the masses!
Ditto for "WelcomeToMoes!" at East Chase, but they do have black beans and Coke Zero and better pictures on the walls.
Outside The Gump, the wife and I have "spells" where we visit either location of Ixtapa for a few weeks. The same general rules seem to apply there: take the same ingredients (see above, with shredded cheese instead of liquid), arrange or layer them on something made from corn or grain, nuke it (or not), and you have "Mexican" food. Ixtapa does provide alcohol, which is always good. Also, for a few pennies more, Ixtapa offers grilled chicken (instead of that strange pulled stuff), and grilled "steak" meat (instead of ground beef), a la fajitas. The fajita dishes also include grilled onions and green peppers. All Ixtapa dishes seem to include an overly redundant plethora of shredded lettuce (that means a lot of lettuce). But, again, Ixtapa (locally owned and operated) satisfies the Montgomery masses.
One more chain store mention: Cuco's. Cuco's has two locations. I think the one downtown on the first block of south Court Street is still expressing itself at lunch. The other location on Chantilly is second only to Crockmier's in being the easternmost restaurant in Gumpland (at Cuco's, the bills show a Pike Road address, but charge The Gump's infamous 10% sales tax). All I have eaten there is the taco salad with chicken. The chicken was grilled with onions and green peppers, and that's good. Again, there is plenty of tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Ho hum.
Once upon a time, I ate at a Mexican restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That was the first time I ever saw green chili sauce. I don't remember what I had, but it was unlike anything to be found in The Gump. Carp is right: Here, it's all the same.
George: You should be appointed our ambassador to "Mexican" restaurants. Excellent comment.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pots. I can do Gump "Mexican" food, but I can do without it, too. These days, I am very partial to Bama Crunch sushi at Lek's Railroad Thai. How I came to appreciate that alien-to-The-Gump stuff is a story for another day.
ReplyDeleteWho is this Jorge? Has he been vetted by TSRC? Have I unknowingly dined with him? Have I inadvertently given him money in exchange for his vote? Am I now subject to indictment? Just asking because I have to meet my PO later.
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