Friday, April 4, 2014

In Search of Really Good Mexican food…

College Station TX part 2 027

One thing we sorely miss from our time living in Texas is the abundance of really great Mexican food. There are many styles of Mexican cooking but in Texas the unique style is known as Tex-Mex. The Mexican food purists say that anything north of the Mexican border isn’t Mexican food so a regional cuisine developed that is similar to the Mexican food in northern Mexico but yet distinct in its own way… is thus called Tex-Mex.

Gallitos Fish at Los CucosChile con carne, breakfast tacos, cheese enchiladas and fajitas are major components of the Tex-Mex cuisine. One spice found in many Tex-Mex recipes but in very few, if any, Mexican recipes is Cumin. Tex-Mex is a very different cuisine compared when to the Mexican food in the Southwest in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.The rich savory gravies of Tex-Mex food is just delectable.

Bryan-College Station (sister cities) have nearly 50 (or more) Mexican restaurants that mostly serve Tex-Mex food. Finding one restaurant in town that is the best is nearly impossible.As most towns do this area features an annual compettion called the Best of the Brazos (College Station is in Brazos County) where the public votes on what they think is the best in many different categories…

The Local Winner this year is a place called Casa Rodriguez and it is our favorite spot to get cheese enchiladas. We went there many times in our past and looked forward to going once again. Their salsa was as great as ever but the enchiladas were a bit disappointing in that they weren’t warm enough through and through. We sure do miss the enchiladas, and especially the migas for breakfast from Los Nortenos, our former favorite restaurant. Sadly it had closed down and  in addition to their enchiladas we d especially  miss their migas breakfast...

College Station TX part 2 029We also had to revisit our favorite spot for fajitas and one particular Mexican seafood dish called Gallitos Snapper. called Los Cucos. We also love their chips and salsa and after spending an evening at Los Cucos we were completely satisfied and will return several more time before we leave. The lemon butter sauce with jalapeno, mushroom and tomatoes that top the fish is absolutely wonderful. I have tried on many occasion to replicate this sauce but have failed each time so we must return for Gallitos fish anytime we find ourselves near their restaurant.

There are many other eateries we must visit or try before we leave here. It is very important for us to get our Tex-Mex fix before leaving the state of Texas and there is no better place to start than here…

10 comments:

  1. I hope you find it! Having been in/out of New Mexico many, many times, I can truthfully say you will have to keep moving along in your search 'cuz there isn't much in the southern NM region. Sad to say. You know how it is when you can step into a Mexican food restaurant and instantly know you're going to enjoy the food there because you can smell the salsa? Well, you can pretty much prove that adage by going to several places in southern NM. In the northern part, I don't have much experience, however. Perhaps someone else can help you out there.

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    1. Well, those of us raised in southern New Mexico have a very different opinion.
      Salsa is just a condiment. Red and Green Chile are the stars. It is hot, it is wonderful and has much more flavor than Tex-Mex. However, after living in Texas for a while I did learn to like fajitas. And, after living in Florida and Missouri for almost 20 years. Tex Mex is pretty OK but still not as good as the food from my home land of NM. It is all in what you are used to.

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  2. The Mexican food purists say that anything north of the Mexican border isn’t Mexican food...

    Uh-huh. Come down to Mexico with us next year, and we'll make you understand just how true this is!

    www.travelwithkevinandruth.com

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  3. Wishing we could get away and travel down to that area. But gate guarding being 24/7 just not feasible. Love Tex-Mex. We are up in Centerville, TX.

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  4. Yummy:) I love when you find a favorite restaurant in a new area.

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  5. I have to agree with Kevin after spending a year in Mexico. We thought we knew good Mexican food but were blown away when we headed south of the border. Having said that, a girl still has to get her fix somewhere. :)

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  6. We love Mexican food, but never explored Tex-Mex too much. Most of our best dishes have been from adventures in Mexico too, but food in Sante Fe ranked a close second. When we go back "home" to Oregon, we feel the same way about getting our fill of oysters, salmon, and halibut.

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  7. After spending three months in Mexico, small towns and villages have never found anything even close to that taste. But then everyone has different tastes too.
    Don't like Tex-Mex at all.

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  8. Never knew that cumin which we like is principally a Tax - Mex spice.

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  9. Los Nortenos in its day had the best midges and cheese enchiladas I've ever had. My brother used to eat there every day.

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