FLAVORS OF OAXACA AND THE YUCATAN
Ispent much of my childhood living in Southern Arizona. Every weekend my parents and I would drive across the Mexican border in Nogales to shop. This was way back in the 1950s and “Nogie,” as we called it did back then, did not have much to offer but it was “something to do.” I seem to remember all we bought were espadrilles and oilcloth tablecloths with cute sombreros and prickly pear cactus on them. I now wonder why we needed shoes and tablecloths by the dozens.
Maybe my parents had a secret black market business on the side? Mexicali Rose takes me back to this vintage Mexican memory, oilcloth tablecloths and all.
Mexicali Rose is the end store in the decidedly non fiesta- like Ricky’s Plaza shopping center. I have eaten here for years, I have always loved it and for some reason I always expect that it will vanish like my childhood. Fortunately, it has proved more durable; it has been in Newtown for 20 years.
There are a surprising number of Mexican restaurants in our state. Many of them are chains like Taco Bell or slightly more upscale ones. Some of them are OK, but most of them are a stretch if you are seeking anything authentic.
The problem with “Mexican food” is that Mexico ( like the U. S.) has many regions. The food in Sonora is very different then the food in Oaxaca. Mexicali Rose’s owners and chefs Marklin and Minerva Hidalgo refer to the flavors of the Yucatan Peninsula, but their menu offers great examples all kinds of Mexican foods.
My absolute favorite thing to eat at Mexicali Rose is the mole ( pronounced moe- lay, not mole like the burrowing blind rodent).
Mole is a sauce thought to have originated in Oaxaca. To look at mole is actually quite horrible. It looks like a puddle of brown mud. To taste it ( when it is perfectly made as it is at Mexicali Rose) is another story!
I have made my own mole sauce and will share with you that it is one of the most complicated procedures around. To add to the confusion there is not one recipe for mole, but dozens if not hundreds. Everyone does it differently, but I can safely say that all moles start with the basics of hot chile peppers, ground nuts, black pepper, cumin, chocolate and cinnamon. The last mole I made had 19 separate ingredients and mashing them all together to form a smooth paste was like a workout at the gym. Because I do not like to combine food with exercise, I go to Mexicali Rose and order it there.
Of course, I recommend that you get the pork, or chicken, or whatever is your choice of protein, smothered with mole. It comes with yellow rice and another puddle of dark goo that like the mole is not at all pretty but beyond delicious. I am of course pointing out the great black refried beans.
Mexicali Rose also serves tacos, burritos, chimichangas, tamales and enchiladas. Many diners never get past the complimentary hot tortilla chips and red salsa placed on the table. Personally, I have stuffed so many of these in my mouth that when the entree came I was less then ravenous. This is not unusual, and the staff gladly “doggybag” what you don’t eat.
Some of the other delights here are the shrimp fajitas, served with grilled peppers and onions drenched in a hot red sauce along with rice and beans. My favorite nonmole drenched dish is the chile rellanos, two big green ( mild) poblano peppers served with pork or chicken ( or vegetarian) under a delicious blanket of tomatillo sauce. Tomatillos are those funny little vegetables that look like green tomatoes.
Because Mexicali Rose is small and intimate, most customers walk up to the cash register counter and tell the server what they want to eat. I would estimate half of all the orders are eaten here and the rest are “to go.” If you take your meal with you, don’t worry, because you will still get the kick- ass salsa and chips.
Near the cash register is a glass- fronted soda refrigerator. My eye immediately went to the tall green- glass Coca Cola bottles imported from Mexico. For discriminating fans of Coke ( count me in), these bottles of soda are made with cane sugar, not corn syrup like their American cousins. As with the subtle nuances of fine wine, there really is a difference between the taste of canned or bottled Coke, and Coke made with sugar instead of corn syrup.
One of the fun things to do at Mexicali Rose is to just hang out and look around. The place is adorable, choc a bloc with vintage Mexican calendars featuring beautiful senoritas, Mexican beer signs, chrome and naugahyde chairs beside formica topped tables and black velvet paintings of Aztec Warriors.
The place always has a calm and happy vibe to it. I have never visited when diners did not look pleased and well fed. The prices are quite reasonable, the portions enormous and Minerva ( who owns the place) is one of the sweetest people on the planet.