They have done it. El Azteca has satisfied my need for great, authentic Mexican food outside of Southern California. And they did it through beef tacos. What a great day it was when I wised up and went through their drive-thru a few months ago. I hadn't been to the EA since high school and back then I didn't have an appreciation or knowledge of good food. But I have come a long way since then.
My little lunch pal, Van. He is starting to dip chips in salsa and it warms my heart.My favorite food is Mexican food. Fresh, simple and a little greasy. And if all that can come with guacamole, I am even happier. Guacamole dots the i's and crosses the t's on a good taco plate. A barometer on great Mexican food is beans and rice. They are a staple and if those are good, you know the rest of the menu will be too. Good news, El Azteca has some of the best beans and rice in Utah Valley. Off subject, wanna know who has the worst beans and rice? Los Hermanos. I am sorry, but they do. They cannot whoo me with their fancy plant/vine/Tarzan room. If they want to romance me, they can do it by figuring out some better beans and rice. And salsa while they are at it too.
When you go to El Azteca, may I recommend the taco combo with either chicken or beef. Both are good. Don't forget to order a side of guacamole so you can add little dabs of that to your meal. And pay close attention to those beans and rice, especially the magical, spiritual place on your plate where the beans run into the rice. Carefully pour a little of their fresh, house-made salsa right there and scoop it all up with some of their perfect, fresh tortilla chips. Oy vey.
If you are a reader in Southern California in the Inland Empire or the San Gabriel Valley, go to Los Jarritos off of Garey in Pomona. Order the carnitas and then e-mail me and thank me for giving you the best Mexican food experience of your entire existence. In advance, you're welcome.
22 comments:
I love your honesty. And I love your new blog header. Love it.
I'm wishing for some great Mexican food out here in the cold tundra of Wisconsin, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. Restaurant Mexican food (in my opinion) is either fantastical or disappointing. I hate taking my chances and ending up with the latter.
I love good Mexican food too.
I graduated from the Y years ago and knew this restaurant existed but never ate there. If only you had had your blog up and going and spreading good foodie news around way back then! I feel like my college experience has been cheated now! I'll have to make a trek down to happy valley to check it out.
I miss the dark (almost black) salsa from La Salsa. They are no longer in business around here, but I would crave it like nothing else. Heck, it would have made a 2 x 4 taste good. :)
Please find out if they make their beans with lard or if they don't hate vegetarians. If they are kind, we should go there next time I visit. Which won't be until the second quarter of next year, assuming dad follows through and visits during the first quarter. We've decided that he is odd quarters and I am even. He has to kick it off though, visiting before March 31, 2010, or I'm not coming at all. Sweet, eh?
Oh, my heavens, I had forgotten about El Azteca. I used to dream about the food there--especially when I lived in Mexican-food-less New England. Now I'm going to be thinking about pickled hot vegetables and beans and rice for the rest of the day. Thanks for that...
Sorry, Whitney. I just visited Provo/Orem for Thanksgiving and came home with a bucket o' Los
Hermanos salsa. It is my favorite (and my husband's--and he is a born and bred SoCal boy)!! So I have to disagree on that point, but we'll have to hit El Azteca the next time we are in town. P.S. I have already discussed with your sister (via her zazzle shop) that my in-laws live across the street from the Worsleys and are good friends with them. It's a small world after all.
You just made me miss Provo.
Hmm, I'll have to add this to my list for my visit in December. And yes, Los Hermanos food is terrible. Awful. Yuck.
Megan, you're on the quarter system now? Very organized.
WHITNEY. SHHHH.
People aren't supposed to know about El Azteca and how fantastic their food is, and how when I am sick all I want to eat are their amazing rice and beans. People are supposed to go to Los Hermanos and taste their nasty scorched beans and like it, leaving El Azteca to those of us who really know good food.
SHEESH.
Sparks--of COURSE El Azteca makes their beans with lard. There is no other way to make beans so velvety delicious. Beans without lard are chalky and gross. I once got into an argument with a server in a hoity-toity Mexican restaurant about it, by asking if they could go ahead an add the lard back into the beans. Lard is what makes refried beans awesome. Sorry, but authentic wins.
Oh man, my mouth is watering. I love that place. Their nachos are delicious. But pretty much I love everything there
Thank you! I'm going today.
By the way, every time I drive by that ridiculous line at In & Out, I think of you.
I've been reading your blog for a while now and have never felt compelled to comment until you mentioned Los Jarritos and my mouth started watering. I pass by that place on my way home from work and it's about all I can do to not pull off and get their carnitas tacos every single day.
El Azteca saved me when I lived in Provo and needed good Mexican. I went to Los Hermanos once and wanted to cry, it was so bad.
Have added Los Jarritos to my list of places for date night...I'll email you as requested.
As for EA, it is DIVINE.
And it's affordable too! My favorite Mexican restaurant by far. I love their beef nachos and chicken taquitos, especially with their mild/sweet salsa applied liberally.
Sugar, a girl can dream, right? Makes sense that they'd go with lard. I get it. Is there anything I can eat there? Do they fry their chips in animal fat, for heaven's sake? I may have to stick with my very inauthentic, veg-friendly Qdoba here in Sparks.
Maybe I could just drink the salsa.
And Whit, the only problemo with Los Hermanos' salsa is that they don't give me enough of it at once. I like the oniony taste. Their salsa is oniony.
And you like my quarters system, Jessica? Do the same! We can coordinate quarters!
Drooling, really. I have huge craving for mexican food now. Where I live, mexican food is not so great. The locals throw in their own spin, which completely ruins the authenticity. I can´t wait to go visit my family in Ohio, where real Chicanos live and cook A+ cuisine.
Okay, I got linked over by cjane, and I just have to say something about El Azteca. The sole craving I had while pregnant was their Al Pastor burrito smothered in green sauce. Oh my goodness. Try it, you won't be sorry.
I had forgotten about this place, but once I read this I made my husband take me...and can I just say how GREAT their guacamole is...almost orgasmic I tell ya!
For real, Los Hermanos is terrible. All hype, no good food. Wife and I occasionaly hit up El Azteca but we haven't in a while. Thanks for the reminder :)
Sparks:
Coordinating Quarters!
It sounds nice and it's a good idea. Second quarter next year it is. Seems so far away though...
That's my favorite part on my plate. Where the beans meet the rice and they mix together. Especially when there's cheese mixed in there too. Heaven.
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