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East Side Cuban
Holly had a great idea to go downtown to the east side area called "the Docks" to have lunch. We decided on Tango's, which used to serve up Mexican food, has now revised its menu to be a bit more Latin or Cuban styled. I'm going to get up on my soap box a bit here, and look out, I feel a food review coming on...
I am in search of decent Mexican food around this area. I've tried many, and have found none. I must be spoiled coming from the west coast. OK, so this menu has gotten away from traditional Mexican fare. This burger looks pretty decent, does it not? It was rare - even a bit rare for my taste. I asked for it 'medium.' The honey chips were delicious, though.
My biggest complaint about Mexican food in this region is as simple as this... chips and salsa. If the restaurant doesn't come off with a showstopper when it comes to chips and salsa, then everything goes downhill for me. Is it too much to ask that if a restaurant is going to represent itself as a Mexican restaurant, that it serves HOMEMADE chips and salsa???? I can't tell you how many so-called "Mexican" restaurants I've visited here that serve up chips from a bag and salsa from a jar. This place had the nerve to charge $1.95 for store-bought crap. Most Mexican restaurants are happy to start you off with chips and salsa (REAL chips and salsa)! I make my own fresh - I expect when I spend money at a Mexican/Latin restaurant that I would get something fresh! OK, you can help me down off the soap box now.... {sigh}
On a positive note, the chicken fajitas were rather tasty. There were bits and pieces of the lunch that were good. Especially the company! Thanks Holly!
And the photography! Picked up a tip from DPS the other day which made me want to revisit food photography. You probably read it too.
ReplyDelete"Shiny food looks more appealing than dull food."
Definitely going to try again one of these days.
That looks good! I'm starving so it looks REALLY good! I have yet to find a real mexican place to eat in Redding. Everytime we go back to Reno, I try to talk my parents into taking us to mexican food...real chips and salsa and a BIG margarita! Great shot!
ReplyDeleteIt is kind of amazing that they serve store-bought chips and salsa at a restaurant. I wonder if they have any Mexican folk working there because that would seem to go against their grain.
ReplyDeleteVery nice shot of the burger! Food is a toughie for me... that is photographing it. :)
First of all I think you did a great job on the photo. Secondly a rare burger plopped in front of me goes right back! No sir-eee. As far as the chips and salsa thing, fresh all the way.
ReplyDeleteThe photo looks delish! I have the same problem with Chinese food - if the sweet & sour comes from a package or jar ... yuck. It took 3 years to find a decent s&s restaurant around here. Then I had the stroke, and can't eat there anymore. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteGreat photo, even if the food was not!
ReplyDeleteFirst mistake - expecting Mexican food at the Docks - those restaurants are all owned by the same family and their specialty seems to be pretentiousness. Doesn't surprise me one bit they charged you for chips and salsa.
Second mistake - expecting Mexican food in Toledo. While there are many Mexican families who have started restaurants here after getting out of migrant farm work, the average Toledoan likes their food bland and very "middle-American". I did not know what quality ethnic food was until I moved to South Florida many years ago.
Third mistake - ordering your meat the way you expect it to be cooked. It seems to be a midwestern phenomenon (although my travels are somewhat limited), but I always order meat at LEAST one "grade" up from what I want. If I want medium I order well-done. And then still have to send it back 50% of the time (one of the many reasons I rarely eat meat but that's another soap box for another day).
The only place I've seen that makes an effort with the chips and salsa area is the new place on Monroe street near Target. Plaza Azteca I think is the name. They bring out a spiced queso (white cheese) with the salsa and then have a "guacamole cart" guy that comes around and makes fresh quac at your table to order. The guac costs extra but the queso does not. The rest of the menu is fairly generic and bland but it's not terrible.