Mexican Restaurants in Pittsburgh? (Beaver Falls, Beaver: mall, food, kitchen)

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

In my experience, people do that all the time.

Me too. Foodies are pretty particular about authenticity no matter which cuisine in my experience.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I'd like to hear more about this. When I saw the name was "Crazy Bull"... I immediately suspected it would be horrible...

It was more the service, but a bit if the food too. In a nutshell: wanted some food Saturday night & all of pittsburgh must have come out of hibernation to go out to eat & everywhere had crazy wait times. No line at El Torro Loco so figured we'd try it out.
First words from Maître d looking at us coming in is something along the lines 'god*mmit more f'ing people', then leaves, come back to make some comment that unfortunately she has to serve us. We sit, get asked for drink order, I order a margarita (it was on the menu) and the response was they haven't got their liquor license but would give me one if I really wanted. Some general b*tching about the staff by the waitress & other stuff made us decide to just get an appetizer platter then stay for dinner (would have just left but were starving).
The 'Mexican' appetizer platter consisted of jalapeño poppers & mozzarella sticks which probably came from sams club & what I think was a quesadilla.
There was a lot more weirdness but I won't detail it. Just bad vibe overall. Bad first impressions will kill a restaurant.

And I never got my margarita dammit lol

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Goodjules

Me too. Foodies are pretty particular about authenticity no matter which cuisine in my experience.

When dining with others, I like to insist upon picking a restaurant with authentic food. Then I ask for ranch dressing for dipping.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

When dining with others, I like to insist upon picking a restaurant with authentic food. Then I ask for ranch dressing for dipping.

Way to go!

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Amp'd bought Villa & are changing it into a steel cactus.

About time something new went in there... that beautiful space has been under-utilized by the confused Villa concept ever since Bruschetta's left.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by sskink

Most non-Chinese Americans wouldn't want any part of "authentic" Chinese food. And it's not because of "weird" ingredients, although Chinese do tend to like cartiledge and chewy textures. Rather it's about the wok. The design of the wok means you cut up everything into similarly-sized chunks for quick cooking - without removing the bones. Yes, you may encounter a whole steamed fish or whole chicken at a restaurant or banquet, but in an informal setting more often than not you'll be served small chunks of chicken or fish WITH the bones (because the cultural dogma is "food tastes better with bones"), so you're always picking bones out of your teeth. Somehow, Chinese folks have developed a method of pushing them all off to side while the food is still in their mouth - and many enjoy eating the smaller bones. I've eaten enough staff meals at Chinese restaurants to know I don't have that talent, nor do I want it. I would much rather have the pork stomach than the fish or chicken.

You're unlikely to find spaghetti & meatballs or even lasagne or baked ziti/manicotti at restaurants in Italy. And it's rare to find zucchini flowers, raw artichoke and certainly horsemeat over here. But most everything else is surprisingly close in intent, if not freshness or execution. If you're not talking about horses or organ meats, there just isn't much of an "ick" factor to turn off American diners.

With Mexican restaurants, OTOH, it's less about "authenticity" to me and more about limited options. To me, it seems that 99% of what's offered on menus represents 5% of what Mexicans actually eat, when taken as an entire country and not just a couple of border states (another poster mentioned he's from Chihuahua and is comfortable with the selections, which as a Northern state would make sense). I went an entire year in Mexico City not eating a single meal that was wrapped in a tortilla other than the occasional enchilada. The tacquerias were for 2am when you needed to sop up alcohol. Few people drank margaritas (tequila is mostly consumed straight up, often with a sangrita chaser), micheladas are a big thing (beer & tomato or clamato). Few people put limes in their beer except tourists. Typical table salsa (red or green) isn't chunky (pico de gallo and guacamole are). Once you're about 100 miles inside the border, you're not going to find a burrito (which is actually a SF invention).

There are three phrases I find hilarious:
"I'm from Chicago so I know pizza."
"I'm from Seattle so I know coffee."
"I'm from California so I know Mexican food."

But I do believe in "I'm from Chicago so I know Mexican food." Really, they've got it going on over there.

Food does taste better with the bones. To borrow a phrase from Ed Rendell, American is a nation of culinary wusses. We've become so detached from our food sources with everything being processed and packaged... that so many of us have developed psychological aversion to things like bones.

[TheYO]

Is Vicky's still open on Smithfield Street Downtown? I used to work at Station Square and would walk across the bridge to Vicky's for lunch. I drove by last week and it looked completely closed. I hope it's not because that place was great. One of the few places around here that had pollo con mole.

[TheYO]

Originally Posted by sskink

But I do believe in "I'm from Chicago so I know Mexican food." Really, they've got it going on over there.

So true. I spent some time in Chicago and the Mexican food is the #1 thing I miss most (well maybe #2 after reliable public transportation at all hours). I used to go to the Maxwell Street Market every Sunday just to eat. Most times I'd be the only gringo there, and all the vendors had some amazing food.

[Copanut]

I really miss Chi-Chi's.

[LIRefugee]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I really miss Chi-Chi's.

You could always go to Kuwait.