KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR: Mary Adame
One fact about Mary Adame: She knows how to handle food.
From her childhood in Rancho Orinda, Chihuahua, Mexico to working in local restaurants and finally co-owning Jalapeños Tacos Y Mas in Taos with her husband, she spent nearly a lifetime dealing with food cultivation and preparation.
“I learned to cook from my mother. At the ranch, it was her responsibility to manage the fruit trees—membrillo (quince), apricots, pomegranates, oranges, grapefruits and pecans. Everyone contributed to growing chile and tomatoes plus animals – chickens, cows, pig, goats and horses,” said Mary Adame during a recent interview at her restaurant. The family crops also included wheat, corn, cotton and melon.
Harvest time meant hard work but also appreciation for the abundance created by the family’s efforts. As per custom, no one remained hungry after the meal and people at the table ate all the various foods. Picky eaters did not exist at the family table.
The youngest of 11 children, Mary grew up with her siblings, all of them learning about edible sustenance. Her parents, Margarita Orozco and Jose Adame, have passed away, but they left their mark on their children. One sibling passed away, but the rest of the Adame children reside in various places in the United States.
At age 20, Mary moved to Juarez to work in a factory. In Juarez, Adame gave birth to her three sons. Eldest son Enrique (Emma) Lopez is a college graduate working in robotics in Novi, Michigan, with the couple’s two children Esmeralda, 12, and Daphne, 7. Jonathan Lopez (Malani) is a college student in Juarez, raising 3-yearold Karim. Giovanny Lopez, the youngest, works toward a college degree in Juarez.
In 2009, Mary Adame moved to Taos to work in the food preparation industry once again. She worked at Graham’s Grill for a year and then at The Bistro and Stella’s Restaurant. At The Gorge, she created salads and pastries.
In Taos, she also met her husband Yamil Isbak; the couple wed six years ago. A year ago in May, Mary and her husband opened Jalapeños Tacos and More for a brief partnership with Antonio’s Restaurant, but they now serve as co-owners and recently formed a corporatjon for their business.
The restaurant is located at 210 Paseo del Pueblo Sur across the street from McDonald’s. Jalapeños houses much Taos history and remains distinctive because of its outdoor patio. Locals no doubt remember the bus depot that served the local community for many years.
“A customer told me that the tile floor is the same one used for the bus depot. The location is one of my favorite parts of the restaurant. It’s centrally located and serves us well,” said Adame.
The facility also housed other restaurants in the past: Chinese, Thai and Stella’s II.
The recently changed menu includes food that represents various parts of Mexico, such as Puebla, Vera Cruz, Jalapa, Chihuahua, Yucatan, Mexico City and Guadalajara. Fresh food features prominently in preparation.
“Even the guacamole and ceviche are not made in advance. Our customers like our food presentation, and my favorite activity, cooking, keeps me happy at the restaurant,” said Adame.
The menu includes a wide variety to choose from quesadillas, salads and soups, street tacos, tacos dorados, flautas and specials plus a kids menu. She prepares her chile Mexican style, not New Mexican style.
“Aguas frescas” or flavored fresh water is rotated. Freshly made watermelon, lemonade, pineapple cantaloupe/ melon, mango and horchata (rice) form the basis for the above-mentioned drinks. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Sundays, the restaurant has a brunch with huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, chilaquiles with eggs, huevos Taoseños, omelets, plus the regular menu. If a customer wishes to order a breakfast item during the week, then Adame will gladly accommodate.
When asked about favorite foods, Adame easily answered the question. She listed chile rellenos especial, chile jalapeños rellenos and carne asada as entrees popular with the customers.
Her husband Yamil prefers plato chuleta (pork) and foods with shrimp; Adame likes the chicken mole enchiladas. She prefers spicy sauce, but most customers enjoy the sweet variety, so Jalapeños serves the sweet mole.
Adame runs the restaurant as she learned in her childhood: the food is “comidas de la casa con sabor casero,” which loosely translates to “food with home-style flavor.”
It is her hope that customers leave the restaurant with a full belly and the satisfaction of an enjoyable meal. Two of those satisfied customers asked this columnist to write a story about the restaurant and Adame’s skills.
On Mondays when the restaurant is closed, Adame cleans the house, cares for her plants (remnants from ranch life) and sometimes visits Santa Fe. She also listens to Sirius and watches the Discovery Channel.
At the end of the interview, Adame tied in her food preparation with her love for and respect of food. “Eating well is one of our best customs from Mexico,” she concluded.