Good Mexican Grub in the Northwest?

[erik]

[E-rock]

rbw1966 said:

I was in serenita last thursday and no alcohol was in sight.

 

Watch those jalapenos. I was crying like a baby the next morning.

 

So do you like Serenita? The jalapenos are MOTHERS, there.

[rbw1966]

Serenita is good. And cheap. The joints not pretentious but the crowd may be. I felt like I was not hip enough.

[E-rock]

That's NE for you!

[erik]

[Dru]

marylou said:

That place in 11worth is the kind of recco that's going to get you sent to your room, Drul.

 

 

well shit erik already mentioned Taco Bell!

 

Hey I know what about the world famous Mexico Cafe in Mount Vernon?

[texplorer]

I still haven't found any places that serve TexMex as good as in the Lone Star State. Of course we didn't have any 3000ft granit walls there either.

 

2nd Dru on the redmond gas station.

[MissNormandy]

Super Taco Express in Vancouver, Washington on the corner of 99th street and Highway 99

 

Chicken Fajita Burritos are to DIE for...

 

And it's all authentic too!

[j_b]

i'll 3rd puerco lloron. i used to really like the chile pepper in wallingford (actually when it was in the u district). they had great chile rellenos and chile guajillo, their mole was not bad either. but i have not gone in quite a while. what about the store and counter on lake city way by 15th, are they still around? great taquitos.

[AlpineK]

Gut truck next to McDonalds at the Burlington exit to I-5

 

Gut Truck next to the Reptile Zoo on hwy 2

 

Gorditos bought this gut truck next to 15th NW west side of the street just north of the Ballard bridge. Check it out!! It's mor real than Gorditos.

[chirp]

Hello?! Baja Fresh is awesome , had one in Vegas and it was a mainstay. They got one in Kent and one in Lakewood, among other places.

[cj001f]

chirp said:

Hello?! Baja Fresh is awesome

They're also owned by Wendy's - I severely doubt Wendy is of Hispanic origin.

[lummox]

i had me some good mex food with some coworkers during a gig in yakima. but it was in their backyard. sometimes the roach coaches got some good machaca burros.

[Eerie]

Malena's Taco Shop..off Dravus(?) on north crown of Queene Anne.

 

Guadalajaran(still same name?)...right side of Lake City Way just past first stop light after taking the Lake City way exit from N-bound I-5. Used to be a little grill in the back of the shop (mercado)...now a full on restaurant. Fresh tamales fri-sun.

[montanapup]

Burrito Loco up on Holman is great. They have pumpkin flower sauces and the best fish tacos....another place is by the the Boot and Cowboy Hat waaaaay south on 1st Ave south heading towards Georgetown...and speaking of, there's one there too, but I cant remember the name....as for real good Mex food, it sucks up here. I go home to my mom's for the best homemade tortillas and carnitas.....hehe

[Gaston_Lagaffe]

Esparza's in Portland

[leejams]

Dave_Schuldt said:

AQUA VERDE BOAT STREET WEST OF UW MEDICAL COMPLEX

 

I 2nd that vote. Got early though to beat the crowds.

[Dru]

Isnt the "worm" in the mescal bottle a Mexican grub, or larva?

[allthumbs]

Dru said:

Isnt the "worm" in the mescal bottle a Mexican grub, or larva?

First let's get a few things straight. There's no worm in tequila, or at least there isn't supposed to be. Purists (hah!) say the worm belongs only in a related product, mescal. Strictly speaking, mescal is a generic term meaning any distillate of the many species of agave (or maguey) plant, tequila included. Today, however, mescal is popularly understood to mean a product bottled in the region around the city of Oaxaca. For years this stuff was basically home-brewed firewater consumed by the locals, but in 1950, Mexico City entrepreneur Jacobo Lozano Paez hit on the idea of putting a worm in each bottle as a marketing gimmick. Stroke of genius, eh? I don't get it either, but that's what separates us from the visionaries.

 

The critter in question is the agave worm, which is actually a butterfly larva. The worms bore into the agave plant's pineapplelike heart, and quite a few get cooked up in the brew used to make mescal. Far from being grossed out, Jacobo concluded that the worm was an essential component of the liquor's flavor and color. He may also have figured, Hey, mescal is about as palatable as paint remover, and the only people who are going to drink this stuff are macho lunatics, so why not take it to the max? In fairness, the worms were also said to have aphrodisiac properties, and worms and bugs are sometimes consumed in Mexico as a delicacy. (Supposedly this dates back to the Aztecs.) At any rate, the ploy worked and the worm in the bottle is now a firmly established tradition.

 

(thank you google)

 

[chirp]

But my name is Dave Thomas in RL, and I say its hella good! Ok for some killer stuff go to Bit and Spur in Springdale, UT. period

[Beck]

Tijuana Cantina up in old town Monroe has charred steak tacos for $2.50 each, cactus salad, authentic SOB refreshments, tounge and tripe served several ways, and is arguably one of the best mexican restaurants here in the northwest

[Ratboy]

Casa Vallarta, 156th Ave in Redmond. Best I've had since I moved away from Texas.

[mjz115]

Malena's at 6th and McGraw on Queen Anne hill. Only three tables with mexican soap opera's playing in the background. Stick with the taco's; their cheap and stuffed with meat and guac.

[Terminal_Gravity]

trask said:

Dru said:

Isnt the "worm" in the mescal bottle a Mexican grub, or larva?

First let's get a few things straight. There's no worm in tequila, or at least there isn't supposed to be. Purists (hah!) say the worm belongs only in a related product, mescal. Strictly speaking, mescal is a generic term meaning any distillate of the many species of agave (or maguey) plant, tequila included. Today, however, mescal is popularly understood to mean a product bottled in the region around the city of Oaxaca. For years this stuff was basically home-brewed firewater consumed by the locals, but in 1950, Mexico City entrepreneur Jacobo Lozano Paez hit on the idea of putting a worm in each bottle as a marketing gimmick. Stroke of genius, eh? I don't get it either, but that's what separates us from the visionaries.

 

The critter in question is the agave worm, which is actually a butterfly larva. The worms bore into the agave plant's pineapplelike heart, and quite a few get cooked up in the brew used to make mescal. Far from being grossed out, Jacobo concluded that the worm was an essential component of the liquor's flavor and color. He may also have figured, Hey, mescal is about as palatable as paint remover, and the only people who are going to drink this stuff are macho lunatics, so why not take it to the max? In fairness, the worms were also said to have aphrodisiac properties, and worms and bugs are sometimes consumed in Mexico as a delicacy. (Supposedly this dates back to the Aztecs.) At any rate, the ploy worked and the worm in the bottle is now a firmly established tradition.

 

(thank you google)

 

Trask, I'm impressed. You are absolutely correct. Remember, however, alcohol is my life.... so I thought I would add a bit.

 

I have a dwendeling, but still substantial supply of oaxacanio mescals in my collection. I did a mind boggling amount of research while I was down in mexico last Dec. It is true that some mescals are "con guisano" but the best are typically not. The shite that is availible in the NW is not even worth drinking; IMHO. But there are lots of sublime mescals around. Some are farm house, small batch lovely drams loaded with characteristics of oak or smoke. Some have floral and forest earth notes. I tend to like the mescals "sin gusano" but there are exceptions. I heartily suggest that you find a powder made of chile, salt and dried and finely ground up agave worm, and have a small pinch just before the sip of mescal. It wakes up your mouth and opens up the layers of flavor in better mescals. (I suspect that this tradition was the precursor to the Buffet-esc yuppie-cool habit of the lime & salt trick to masking bad tequila.) Good mescals are well worth the search. The quality seems not to be price corolated. The best I've had are around $18/bottle in oaxaca but if you try you can find mediocre ones for $35 with fancy labels. I also filled growlers from oak barrels of sublime golden anejo for $4 a liter. The world wide shortage of tequila and subsiquant price hikes have helped spur a dramatic growth of finer mescals production. I belive the psycotropic qualities of the agave worm is a product of marketing and is an urban myth. I downed 15 once and was just drunk and had a tummy ache. A word of warning if you are inclined to repeat my little experiment...swallow whole, they taste horrible.

 

The vast majority of mexicans can no longer afford name brand tequila (hell, neither can I) but there are a whole lot of tasty options from farmhouse tequila to the venerable mescal.

 

 

As far as Mexican food (authentic taco stands) in pdx, I think that La serenta is a good choice. I agree that $1.25 or less is a good indication of quality. More usually means less in this case. ( I will pay $1.50 for good lengua) My favorite NW carnitas taco is in Hood River at Mi Ranchita and my favorite NW taco stand, overall is a roach coach in Boardman. They have sublime Tripas and very good sesos tacos (the carnitas is second rate).

 

Some of the very best tacos & mole in the PNW is at my house, the cost is being a belay bitch for a day. The best tacos anywhere are on road side stands, 45 minutes west of Mexico City. And of course, the best mole anywhere, is in Oaxaca.

 

 

 

[skykilo]

Serenita