In the Triangle, and especially in Durham, taquerias are one of the most affordable, accessible places for fresh and creative food. The proprietors of these eateries, bless their hearts, haven't yet figured out how to adapt recipes from their native lands to suit American tastes--and for that we should get down on our knees and lift up our collective thanks. Thus you will find salsas in the classic Mexican style, such the fiery, rich, smoky peanut and chili sauce at El Pequeno Atoron at 3407 Roxboro Road (to be reviewed in a later post) or the magnificent torta at Pupuseria y Taqueria Orellana, along with varietal meats such as tongue, cabeza (head), tripe, and hog cheeks. The squeamish should not run in fear, however, since you can always order pollo (chicken) and end up with something that wouldn't be totally out of place at Chipotle.
One of the more well-publicized of these places is Super Taqueria (2842 N. Roxboro Road), so it seemed as good a place as any to start our journey. Thus my husband Fred, our friend Paul, and I paid a visit there last weekend.
The wall paintings alone are worth the trip. I'm tempted to borrow them as symbols for the WPFC--proud farmers looking to what you can only hope will be a better future, maybe one where good taquerias will be on every corner.
I'd have to agree with other visitors that the condiment bar is one of the most impressive parts of this place--I took a liberal sampling back to the table.
These salsas are far more intense than most of their American counterparts--not just in terms of heat, but also in terms of flavor. They are intended to be used sparingly, like mayonnaise or mustard, and like those condiments they affect the character of the dish. The pico de gallo, a sauce I typically scorn as too common and too often made from ingredients that remind me more of Styrofoam than food, was a surprising favorite. It was fresh and heavy on the cilantro, which probably helped cover the flaws of what had to have been out-of-season tomatoes, and complemented rather than overpowered the smoky spiciness of the tacos. And I loved the pickled carrots and jalapenos, which were sharp, vinegary, and crisp. The tomatillo salsa packed unexpected heat but was better on my gordita than on the tacos.
The tacos were good representatives of the genre--soft tortillas, tender meat, just the right amount of spice. Having had an unpleasant run-in with a tripe taco the week before, I wasn't feeling terribly adventurous and stuck to chicken and carnita. I missed the slice of avocado that we got on the tacos at Pupuseria y Taqueria Orellana but thought the spice on the meat was a bit more flavorful. Paul got lengua and cabeza, neither of which I tried, but he was pleased. And certainly they looked good.
I also enjoyed a gordita, a fried tortilla stuffed with meet and topped with a soft cheese very similar to goat, an incredibly rich dish that benefited from the sharp addition of both the green and red salsas.
The sole disappointment was Fred's torta (sandwich).
Looks beautiful, doesn't it? And at first, it was. But this is a big sandwich, and by the time he was about three-quarters through it, the bread had deteriorated into a soggy mess. Further, while it was a good sandwich, Fred couldn't find anything in particular to recommend it--no swaths of mayonnaise and jalapenos like at Orellana, no crusty loaf like at Atoron, no remarkable price break. If you don't mind your bread turning soggy, though, it's a good, safe order for the less adventurous at the table, something that will remind them enough of Subway to help them feel secure.
The total cost for Fred and me, for two tacos, a gordita, the torta, and two cokes, was $15, and we left a $3 tip. McDonald's it isn't, price-wise--but then again, you won't get pickled carrots there either.
No comments:
Post a Comment