Monday, March 3, 2008
Restaurants Yo quiero gourmet Mexican food
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 9:04 PM
I ran into chef Eddie Hernandez at Taqueria del Sol (Cheshire Bridge) today and lamented that the restaurant's lunchtime specials seem to have recently taken a decided turn toward Tex-Mex. (This week is an exception.) He agreed, saying that efficiency and public tastes have mandated the change, although evening specials still remain more creative, in the vein of the defunct Sundown Cafe, the original full-service restaurant from which the taquerias were birthed.
Coincidentally, I recently ran into Lucero Martinez-Obregon at Zocalo Taqueria (Grant Park), which she owns with her brothers Marco and Luis. They closed their full-service Zocalo in Decatur recently, although the original 10th Street location remains open. I wondered if they too are headed toward a taqueria-only style.
"I would love it," Lucero replied.
I don't understand why creative Mexican food in the Diana Kennedy tradition doesn't do well in Atlanta. Yes, we have Rosa Mexicano, but it doesn't hold a candle to Oh...Maria!, the gourmet restaurant Lucero and her brothers opened in Buckhead almost 10 years ago. Between some kitchen problems and public tastes, the restaurant didn't last long.
Oh well. I guess business is booming at Taco Bell. Anyone got a favorite Mexican restaurant that does more than takes on taqueria-style food?
Comments (7)
Showing 1-7 of 7
cliff, you are wrong about rosa. it certainly holds a candle. and do you really wonder why authentic places don't make it in the ATL? c'mon.....
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You know, Zocalo Taqueria is expensive, simple and fantastic, but it is always empty. I do not get it. Please people, please go and eat at this place.
I would not call Rosa's authentic - after all, it is a chain. And it's pricey! Tasty at times, but pricey.
jen, I know several mexican born peeps who all agree that rosa dishes remind them of their childhood cooking. as for the ridiculous statement that it is PRICEY, no offense but the problem most peeps have is that they consider mexican, like chinese, a low end food. it is not pricey "for what you get" stick with taco bell
As a former Oh... Maria! server, I can tell you there hasn't been a restaurant that matches Maria's (Mama Obregón) recipes. Rosa is corporate, and waaaay too salty. I'm sad the Obregon siblings couldn't let managers do their thing. But then again, what kind of independent owners would they be if they let some manager run their business. Eventually, I have to agree with the sad status quo, people love their chips and salsa.
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