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Tacos Jalisco: one more reason Truckee's food scene is better than NYC's |
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Written by Leah Greenstein/special to the World
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Tuesday, 18 July 2006 |
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 Ever since my family moved out to California in 1987 my trips back to New York have revolved around food. Pizza, bagels, Italian ices, greasy Chinese and soft serve ice cream were required eating for every trip out East. Never did I think of the things that I’d grown to love out West, until I moved back to New York in 2002. I’d travel 80 blocks for good chicken apple sausage, 100 blocks for a good cup of coffee, but there was one thing that I never found, and craved daily, authentic Mexican food.
Now I know what you’re thinking, that it shouldn’t be that hard in the culinary center of the American universe to find a quality burrito, or carne asada, but it was. I lived in Spanish Harlem and I was still always perplexed as to why the salsa tasted exactly like marinara.
Mexican cuisine differs regionally — beef dishes tend to dominate northern Mexico, while spicy vegetable and chicken dishes tend to be more popular in the southeast — yet that didn’t explain how I, a total gringa, made better Mexican food at home.
Mole, a popular and magnificent example of the traditional flavors in Mexican cuisine (mole is the Aztec word for sauce) was too often bland and gritty. Traditionally made with unsweetened chocolate, spices and chili peppers, the sauce gets smothered on dishes like enchiladas or ladled over chicken, and it’s complex flavors are so profound that the novel, “Like Water For Chocolate,” devotes pages upon pages to its preparation.
For weeks after I decided to move back to Lake Tahoe I started dreaming about Mexican food: bowls of albondigas; tostadas made with flat, fried corn tortillas not in large flour tortilla bowls like Taco Bell; fat burritos stuffed with marinated meats; fresh refried beans with lots of cilantro; and cool glasses of agua frescas like horchata or watermelon. I drove into Truckee mid-May of last year during a snowstorm, winding my way to Authentic Tacos Jalisco in Truckee, an inconspicuous fav among Tahoe locals located in the 7-11 parking lot on Donner Pass Road. I hadn’t yet made it home, my car was still jam-packed with stuff, but there was no way I could drive through Truckee without stopping.
Jalisco’s owners hail from Chapala in Mexico’s state of Jalisco, a mountainous area with a beautiful lake, not unlike Tahoe. The food at Jalisco is easily some of the best in North Tahoe — their carnitas, spicy braised pork shoulder, still reign tops among any I’ve had — plus it’s reasonably priced and there’s plenty of room if you come with all of your friends.
 I generally can’t resist the tostadas at Jalisco’s, which are only $3.50 a piece and piled with queso añejado (also called cotija, an aged cow’s milk cheese with the consistency of feta), pico de gallo, rich refried beans and meat, but I also love the Armadillo, a special dish made with pork, shrimp, beef and long strips of cactus that resemble green bell peppers. It’s served smoldering, in a hot molcajete (the Mexican version of a mortar and pestle, without the pestle) and it’s huge enough to feed two people, easily. The Armadillo is rich and smoky, with the sweet heat of chipotle and fire-roasted tomatoes. The meats are tender and the small shrimp are cooked so that they still snap when you pop them in your mouth.
I balance the creeping spice of the dish with a nutty glass of horchata, rice milk flavored with cinnamon, almonds, lime zest and sugar. If you prefer beer with your meal, consider a Negra Modelo instead of lighter-bodied Tecate or Corona. The darker style beer, which has been sold in Mexico since 1926, is nuttier and richer than the others, and stands up to the full flavors and richness of the food.
Order a la carte at Jalisco or from their platos, complete with sides of beans and rice and warm tortillas. On Sundays diners can indulge in menudo, a soup made with tripe, hominy and lots of chile peppers, which is said to be great for hangovers, though I’ve never tried. Jalisco also serves cabeza and tongue for the uber-traditional or quesadillas for those who prefer the milder, cheesier side of Mexican cuisine.
I don’t miss Mexican food anymore, I eat it at least two times a week and make a lot more of it at home as the ingredients are much more accessible.
Editor’s note: Leah is currently back east again this week and gorging herself on pizza.
Authentic Tacos Jalisco
11400 Donner Pass Road
530-587-1131
Open daily from 10:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Photos by Ryan Salm/Tahoe World
Top to bottom: Makaiah Mohler (12), Tika Lifton (12) and Taysa Mohler (9) each enjoy the chicken Tacos at Tacos Jalisco. A server brings burritos out of the Tacos Jalisco kitchen.
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deliciosos!
Written by Guest on 2006-08-02 15:52:22
Leah, I couldn't agree more, Tacos Jalisco is exceptional. When I lived in Trucke we would visit this delicious eatery twice a week.
Their Horchata is delicious and their fish burrito's are the best! It's great to see the diversity in your food choices.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 18 July 2006 )
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