You might agree or disagree with my opinions, but that's life, isn't it? And no, I get no commissions or kickbacks from any of the places favorably reviewed - I do this entirely for my own amusement and your information. This, by the
way, is the one part of NotTheNews that often features POSITIVE critiques, so to those
of you whining about NotTheNews being too negative, get off my case.
A Meaty Review
Tacos and Barbecue
The Casual Restaurant Critic is back and this time has visited two new establishments dedicated to the charring of bovine and porcine flesh for human consumption. In one case it's a 50/50 situation; in the other, a success.
Los Molcajetes
First, the 50/50 proposition. A new taqueria along Meridas' already suffering Montejo prolongation doesn't sound too original or too promising, but Los Molcajetes looked kind of different and it was about time for a change from the steady but now uninteresting La Parrilla and it's lame offshoot La Parrillita, or that bastion of slow and uninspired service Las Tablitas de Tony Villa or whatever it's called this week.
Los Molcajetes offers the usual melted cheeses, caramelos, tacos al pastor, tacos de arrachera, filete, chuleta etc etc etc that you 9 readers and many others have come to know and love. Their specialty is a dish called... El Molcajete. Described as a molcajete filled with salsa verde and featuring all kinds of meat, cheese and other stuff. The Critic, always in the mood for something new gastronomically speaking, took the chance and ordered this ... dish. I say that because it's huge with enough for two hungry persons with very sharp teeth. Unfortunately, the dish is a bit of a let-down. It is indeed filled with a lot of salsa verde, (green sauce for those Shakespeare lovers among us) - so much salsa verde in fact that it gives rise to that uncomfortable thought in the back of one's mind - what do they do with all the leftover salsa verde? I don't want to speculate. The meat and cheese and grilled onions are sliced and laid in strips around the edge of the molcajete so that they are half in the salsa verde and half hanging out. Someone's idea of a unique presentation I supposed but the look is more like little strips of blackened flesh and unmelted cheese hanging on the edge of a bowl - kind of like they're trying to escape the salsa verde lake. The meat is beef, pork chop, chorizo and something else, but it is all severely cooked to the point of crispy black. This is not the best way to eat meat in the Critic's humble opinion and some of it was so chewy that it was in fact, unswallowable. All in all, not a great dish to order.
The other negative of this taqueria was the lack of a handmade tortilla - these were brittle and flavorless.
On the other hand, the positive side, the jamaica was excellent, the service attentive and friendly, the michelada outstanding and the rest of the tacos quite acceptable.
Wings and Ribs
Located in the Gran Plaza "Food and Food" Court (that's it's name - honest), this new culinary option among all those tacos and pizzas is a welcome change.
Barbecue is the thing here, and there are three types of baby back ribs to choose from - apple, spicy (for gringos) and regular. All of them are excellent, slow cooked in a huge smoker cooker right there on the premises. As side dishes, one can order sweet beans, corn and chile poblano, crispy potatos and ... macaroni and cheese! All light food to be sure, but extremely tasty and a welcome addition to Merida's most varied mall food court.
Another highlight of Wings and Ribs is that the food is there on a steam table, just like Kelly's Cajun Grill, prepared in small batches so that it's always fresh, so you don't have to wait for your food and listen for those obnoxious announcements "numero cuarenta y siete Taco Inn, numero cuarenta siete Taco Inn" as if you were in some kind of damn airport. If you want to feel like you are in a third world airport, sit in the plastic or homemade metal chairs of the Plaza Dorada food court and try to maintain your sanity while all the announcing goes on. Try carrying on a conversation!!
Am I digressing yet again?
Try the ribs - they're great!
