L.A. Foodies who've spent time in Texas, what's the difference between Cali and Texas Mexican food? (San Diego: homes, neighborhoods)

[the one]

tex mex food is a fusion of US and mexican food. it is spicy (not nec. good) and has a lot of black pepper (something i dislike). it is not very authentic mex. cali mex food does not exist, at least not in the sense that "tex mex" does. LA or Cali has a lot of "nuevo latino" restaurants and those are more high cuisine, fu fu places. not very authentic. mexican food will be good no matter where. as long as it is mexican food. and to me that looks like. guelageutza for oaxacan. claritas for DF. la casita for barbacoa. or any tortilleria for authentic dishes. and you can be certain it will be good MEXICAN food because mexicans are cooking it. none of this tex mex, nuevo latino fusion. LA definitely has so many mexicans, the fresh ones that have not been here for generation after generation that the restaurants are more like mexico and less a fusion or tex mex invention as you would find in the lone star state. and before yall try to let me have it, yes texas also has a lot of fresh mexicans, but the mexican community goes back further that they have their own food style. cali mex does not really exist. so a comparison is really mute. but of all the restaurants that i have ate in TX very few had anything special. all spicy tomato sauce and pepper. i will take a cemita from a poblano lunch truck off central any day.

[SnappyBob]

I prefer the Tex-Mex over Cal-Mex myself but maybe it's because that's what I'm used to. San Antonio has the best Tex-Mex by far. There are a few places in Austin but you have to know where to go. I've never found any good Tex-Mex north of Austin. I used to spend a lot of time in LA back in the early 80's and the first thing I wanted when I got home was an enchilada plate.
The place I loved to eat the most in LA was a place I think was across the street from the Amtrack station. I forget the name but they were the originators of the French Dip Sandwich. I used to eat there almost every day. Great pies too! Sometimes I feel like hopping on a plane just to go an have lunch there again. Somebody's got to know the name of that place. It was very popular.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by HotFudge

I'm from Texas, and I love Mexican food here. I really don't see a difference between Mexican food in Texas when compared to that in California. The Mexican influence in California and in Texas is pretty much the same, so I guess that's why the food is so good. NOW don't ask me to compare Mexican food from Texas versus that of Iowa or Washington, because THEN I'll argue with you LOL

btw, I'm from Texas, but I definitely like California more

i think a good rule of thumb is to not eat mexican food at a restuarant in a state that doesn't share a border with mexico, unless the proprietor is of mexican origin. a very popular mexican place near where i lived in the east served tofu dishes and made their enchiladas with no sauce. the other mexican restaurant i tried had better food, but was upscale and expensive. basically, they served what we could get here at any decent family-run joint, but put it on nicer dishes in a lovely environment, and charged three times as much. mexican food should not be expensive; it's peasant food!

[blazred]

I'm from San Antonio and we went to LA to visit family in LA ans SD but from what i've seen Tex-Mex is way better cause ya'll don't have any tacos over there it's all burritos and I can't beleive ya'll didn't have any Carne Gusada which is the best of all Mexican food.

[shannon94]

NO Tacos? I ate plenty of tacos the 31 years I lived there!! Carne Gusada? Whats that? All I know is that California has the BEST Carne Asada around!! Can't find it in Texas. Anybody know where I can get it let me know!!

[Slauson Rosecranz]

The place I loved to eat the most in LA was a place I think was across the street from the Amtrak station. I forget the name but they were the originators of the French Dip Sandwich. I used to eat there almost every day. Great pies too! Sometimes I feel like hopping on a plane just to go an have lunch there again. Somebody's got to know the name of that place. It was very popular.[/quote]

Philippe's Famous French Dip. That place, along with the Original Pantry, is legendary.

But that's for *another* foodie post.

[Jaipur]

Tex-Mex is spicier. In my opinon better. But one of the main things I have noticed is that Mexican food in Cali is alot more seafood and alot less meats. I have also noticed some regional specialties in Tex-Mex such as cactus.

[Claire_F]

Originally Posted by shannon94

NO Tacos? I ate plenty of tacos the 31 years I lived there!! Carne Gusada? Whats that? All I know is that California has the BEST Carne Asada around!! Can't find it in Texas. Anybody know where I can get it let me know!!

Carne Guisada is like a stew. Carne Asada is usually grilled. There's a difference.

I don't know about the rest of Texas, but in Houston, Carne Asada is probably similar to Tacos Al Carbon, or fajitas.

[motoman]

I am from Dallas and have lived in LA for three years now. I haven't found anything in the LA area that comes close to being as good as Tex-Mex. I prefer the spicier, chili-based, Tex-Mex to the more bland LA stuff.

In LA, hot sauce is little more than tomato sauce or chopped up tomatos with just a touch of spice. Herrera's in Dallas has the best hot sauce I have ever had. Great flavor, just the right amount of spice.

LA was the first place I have ever been where you could get a burrito wet or dry. What the hell is that? Wet is just mildly spicy tomato sauce poured over the top of it.

Chili sauce is a rarity in LA. It is the basis of Tex-Mex. LA Mexican food is more tomatoey in general. I don't care for it, but it will do since I don't have much of a choice.

Fajitas and things like that are pretty much the same, although priced much higher in LA. But I guess the food in general is much more expensive. In LA was the first time I ever saw a $15 plate of two enchiladas. I laughed my butt off.

Oh, and you can't find Tex-Mex style nachos anywhere in LA to save your life. Nachos in LA are a plate of chips with a hodge podge of crap piled on top. It's a simple appetizer, but it's pretty much a staple of Tex-Mex.

Pappasito's, the original in Houston, is FANTASTIC (I think that's the one I'm thinking about). Their fajitas make LA fajitas look like a two year old's attempt at fine cuisine.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by motoman

I am from Dallas and have lived in LA for three years now. I haven't found anything in the LA area that comes close to being as good as Tex-Mex. I prefer the spicier, chili-based, Tex-Mex to the more bland LA stuff.

In LA, hot sauce is little more than tomato sauce or chopped up tomatos with just a touch of spice. Herrera's in Dallas has the best hot sauce I have ever had. Great flavor, just the right amount of spice.

LA was the first place I have ever been where you could get a burrito wet or dry. What the hell is that? Wet is just mildly spicy tomato sauce poured over the top of it.

Chili sauce is a rarity in LA. It is the basis of Tex-Mex. LA Mexican food is more tomatoey in general. I don't care for it, but it will do since I don't have much of a choice.

Fajitas and things like that are pretty much the same, although priced much higher in LA. But I guess the food in general is much more expensive. In LA was the first time I ever saw a $15 plate of two enchiladas. I laughed my butt off.

Oh, and you can't find Tex-Mex style nachos anywhere in LA to save your life. Nachos in LA are a plate of chips with a hodge podge of crap piled on top. It's a simple appetizer, but it's pretty much a staple of Tex-Mex.

Pappasito's, the original in Houston, is FANTASTIC (I think that's the one I'm thinking about). Their fajitas make LA fajitas look like a two year old's attempt at fine cuisine.

Have you been to the non-gringo Mexican restaurants? They are best if they have a B rating. Look for the landscapers' trucks there at lunchtime and the carts with radishes and salsas. Authentic stuff. These guys are real Mexicans.

By the way, I've been to Pappasito's in Clear Lake when I traveled to JSC. It's Tex-Mex (and not cheap, two fish tacos $12), different from Mex-Mex. Yes the food is good but the stuff I'm referring to is good too and it is cheap, like $4.50 or so for a carne asada burrito...no gringo cheese....no gringo guacamole...extra onions and cilantro....I'm getting hungry....

I'd take a date to Pappasito's, I'd have lunch at El Taco de Mexico.