This restaurant has been on my wishlist as I was curious about it. Curiosity has been more than satisfied. I realize that large groups perhaps are not the appropriate setting for spectacular service, but ours could really use some improvement. We had at least 20 people in our party. The evening started out good; our server was on top of our drink orders. Unfortunately, as the evening progressed, the restaurant filled and our service got progressively worse. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except we were stuck with a mandatory 18% gratuity for large groups. No incentive for good service. Amongst the faux pas: the doneness of hubby’s steak was incorrect, the server mixed up a couple of the orders, and was slow in general.
The food was for the most part, average. Many who ordered steaks had the incorrect doneness. My beef skewers were dry. The salad and shrimp I had weren’t bad and the dessert was the highlight for me.
The overall volume was loud; even before the live band started playing. Halfway through our speeches, they finally turned the music down.
I was so busy socializing that I forgot to take pictures, except for the dessert. Sorry guys, there will be no next time.
Milhojas con Arequipe Dulce de Leche Custard/ Mille-Feuille
A friend suggested that we try AÑEJO for lunch as I seemed to be on a Mexican kick. It came highly recommended. So the three of us took our time with a leisurely lunch on Sunday.
We decided to share the bacon wrapped jalapenos and ceviche. It was very tasty and came with a dipping sauce of huitlacoche aioli. This really intrigued me as huitlacoche is Mexican for corn smut. Fungus that grows on corn. I was disappointed, as any flavor was overwhelmed by the taste of garlic. The dip did pair nicely with the jalapenos. The japalenos were nicely baked and fresh tasting; no deep fry here.
Bacon wrapped jalapeno
So back to the huitlacoche. We asked for a sample of it on its own so we could judge the true flavor. They were nice enough to give us a small sample that they would dress their caesar salad with. It came with cilantro in oil. It had a very mild and delicate earthly flavor. It’s one of those things like durian; if you can get past what it looks like in this case, it is delicious. It’s also really nutritious and good for you. A delicacy in Mexico; a plant disease in other parts of the world.
Huitlacoche sampler
The shrimp ceviche was delicious as well as the side of jicama salad. It was a nice foil for the richness of the jalapeno appetizer.
Scallop and shrimp ceviche
My friend J had the adobe pork taco and the Mexican stew. I sampled a bit of the stew. It was rich and hearty, not quite the light lunch as advertised on the menu. My friend A, had three crispy snapper tacos. I sampled a piece of fish and it went well with a homemade spicy roasted red pepper sauce they had on the table. The fish was a perfect golden brown, and moist.
Pozole “Mexican Stew”
For myself I choose something light. The tomatoes on my tuna taco salad were perfectly ripe. Not something that I would expect around this time of year. The home fried tacos with a smidge of refried beans went well with the greens and tuna. It was a perfect main to go along with some heavier shareables.
Tuna taco salad with refried beans and jalapeno ranch dressing
I was absolutely full before we decided to order dessert. I love cinnamon and sugar. I thought I died and went to heaven when I sampled the churros with chocolate sauce. One bite and I was hungry again.
Churros with cinnamon and sugar and spiced hot chocolate
The tres leche was quite interesting. The cake was dense, but super moist. The side I was nibbling on was cold, but according to my friends the cake was warm. No matter, I really enjoyed it cold. I thought the sorbet was a tad on the tart side, but the flavours worked well together.
Tres leches, milk cake
The server was friendly and the service was very good. But then again it was a slow lunch as the restaurant wasn’t all that full.
This was an over the top meal. I’m not sure why the ratings are on the negative side on Urbanspoon, but this time I will gladly disagree. It smacks of a return visit.
A friend suggested that we try AÑEJO for lunch as I seemed to be on a Mexican kick. It came highly recommended. So the three of us took our time with a leisurely lunch on Sunday.
We decided to share the bacon wrapped jalapenos and ceviche. It was very tasty and came with a dipping sauce of huitlacoche aioli. This really intrigued me as huitlacoche is Mexican for corn smut. Fungus that grows on corn. I was disappointed, as any flavor was overwhelmed by the taste of garlic. The dip did pair nicely with the jalapenos. The japalenos were nicely baked and fresh tasting; no deep fry here.
Bacon wrapped jalapeno
So back to the huitlacoche. We asked for a sample of it on its own so we could judge the true flavor. They were nice enough to give us a small sample that they would dress their caesar salad with. It came with cilantro in oil. It had a very mild and delicate earthly flavor. It’s one of those things like durian; if you can get past what it looks like in this case, it is delicious. It’s also really nutritious and good for you. A delicacy in Mexico; a plant disease in other parts of the world.
Huitlacoche sampler
The shrimp ceviche was delicious as well as the side of jicama salad. It was a nice foil for the richness of the jalapeno appetizer.
Scallop and shrimp ceviche
My friend J had the adobe pork taco and the Mexican stew. I sampled a bit of the stew. It was rich and hearty, not quite the light lunch as advertised on the menu. My friend A, had three crispy snapper tacos. I sampled a piece of fish and it went well with a homemade spicy roasted red pepper sauce they had on the table. The fish was a perfect golden brown, and moist.
Pozole “Mexican Stew”
For myself I choose something light. The tomatoes on my tuna taco salad were perfectly ripe. Not something that I would expect around this time of year. The home fried tacos with a smidge of refried beans went well with the greens and tuna. It was a perfect main to go along with some heavier shareables.
Tuna taco salad with refried beans and jalapeno ranch dressing
I was absolutely full before we decided to order dessert. I love cinnamon and sugar. I thought I died and went to heaven when I sampled the churros with chocolate sauce. One bite and I was hungry again.
Churros with cinnamon and sugar and spiced hot chocolate
The tres leche was quite interesting. The cake was dense, but super moist. The side I was nibbling on was cold, but according to my friends the cake was warm. No matter, I really enjoyed it cold. I thought the sorbet was a tad on the tart side, but the flavours worked well together.
Tres leches, milk cake
The server was friendly and the service was very good. But then again it was a slow lunch as the restaurant wasn’t all that full.
This was an over the top meal. I’m not sure why the ratings are on the negative side on Urbanspoon, but this time I will gladly disagree. It smacks of a return visit.
I don’t often review chains. This would be a first on this blog. I was craving a Mexican food experience like the one I had in Hawaii, at Maui Tacos. I love fresh food with toppings that you can put on yourself. So my friends and I paid a visit to the one in the Beltline. It’s a standalone restaurant with some kitschy Mexican decor. All well and fine, how was the food? It was actually pretty good. Think of it as a Mexican Subway. Order the basics (taco, quesadilla, salad or burrito) and go crazy with the fillings and toppings. I ordered a regular chorizo burrito. Not pictured, as how can you take a good photo? I topped it with Mexican rice, black beans, pepper, medium salsa, cilantro and sour cream. It was extremely filling. I didn’t have to chug a litre of water afterwards which means it wasn’t overdone with salt. Next time, I would order the small instead.
My friends had the taco salad and tacos, as seen below.
Memories of Baja. Specifically fish tacos. I had a hankering for some this week and crawled the web for something suitable.
I bought some tilapia and pan fried it with salt and pepper. I also bought some haddock and baked it in cornmeal. To serve, I heated corn or flour tortillas with the fish on top in a frying pan. Topped with white sauce, red cabbage slaw and a squeeze of lime.
It’s a cold, snowy day today. Perfect time for some comfort food, and of course, using my new toy, an All-Clad 7 quart deluxe slow cooker. I like using dried beans and soaking them overnight. I find that they have a much firmer texture in the finished product. It gives the chili some “bite”. Vary the chili powder to taste. Chili pepper flakes can also be added for extra heat. Don’t forget the cocoa; it adds a certain je ne sais quoi.
Slow Cooker Chili
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
2 C kidney beans
1 C black beans
1 can corn
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs cocoa powder
salt & pepper
vegetable oil
Brown meat in slow cooker insert if possible. If not, use a dutch oven. Add all the spices to the meat except the cocoa. Brown the onions in another pan with the oil. Transfer meat to the slow cooker and add onions. Add the rest of the ingredients with enough water to cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.
Mise en placeBrowning in progressSlow cooked is bestPerfect day for a pot of chili
I got a tortilla press and warmer for my birthday. I can now have perfectly formed tortillas. There are a couple of differences between this and my hand rolled tortillas. These have a more even thickness, and they are thicker. I would almost call them roti. My hand rolled ones are thinner but obviously not round. I might use these for roti…
Thought I’d send hubby off to work with a nice breakfast this morning. I had learned to make some Mexican food from scratch many moons ago. Found a recipe for hand made tortillas in the back of my recipe binder. Tastes so much better than store bought ones. Also dug out the homemade salsa we canned in September. Delicious.
Homemade TortillasHeuvos Rancheros Homemade flour tortilla, homemade salsa, organic eggs, Spragg’s Hawaiian sausage, avocado, sour cream, chives and cara cara orange slices
