Tacos, Torta, and Tequila Three must-visit Mexican restaurants for Cinco de Mayo By Geri Dietze Mexican cuisine was the first to be named a heritage cuisine, in 2010, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Some of that amazing food has made its way north, and—in honor of Cinco de Mayo—we highlighted a few of the local restaurants serving up your favorite tacos, burritos, and more.
Osorio Tacos y Salsas
MI Vallarta
Miguel Osorio is a country boy from the mountainous southern state of Oaxaca. His wife, Karla, hails from northern Baja. Together they have fused the traditions, ingredients, and methods of their shared histories to flavorful effect. The north is all about olives, vineyards, and seafood from the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez. The south is an Eden of organic fruits and vegetables, plus cultivated plants that make the region the foundation for Mexican dishes: herbs, greens, and chilies; small, tender-skinned avocados with flavorful leaves; and 25 varieties of beans. (Miguel says beans thrive in the Oaxacan soil.)
Gaylord’s MI Vallarta has expanded upon the idea of street food, taking a full complement of authentic Mexican foods— mostly from scratch—but processing them through a kitchen which is paced to move orders, from the 2-minute fish taco to the 4-minute wet burrito. MI Vallarta combines Americans’ love of true Mexican food with our fondness for anything drive-through. Talk about a cultural exchange!
(Williamsburg)
The Oaxacan Hotline So what is the Osorio difference? Insist upon the best, freshest, and most authentic ingredients, and keep to tradition. Just like Miguel learned about food from working on his mother’s and grandmother’s farms, today his nephew Salvador, Osorio’s chef, keeps in touch with his own mother and grandmother back in Oaxaca to verify recipes. The Heat is On Osorio’s No. 1 favorite is the Alambre, the meat lovers platter: steak, chicken, bacon, chorizo, and pork, plus fresh vegetables, all grilled to impart that warm, smoky finish which is another Oaxacan signature. This is a dish for the American palate—and big enough for two meals—but “elevated by any level of heat,” Miguel explains. Speaking of heat, Miguel and Karla Osorio create a selection of salsas—up to a dozen varieties come summer—with just-picked flavor from a medley of defining ingredients, from the mild avocado-based Salsa Cremosa to the hot Salsa Primitiva, an old family recipe based on roasted peppers. A salsa bar allows the uninitiated to choose their favorites. 6037 US-31, Williamsburg | 231-938-9144 | osoriotacosysalsas.com
(Gaylord)
The Real Deal, Real Fast Chef Emmanuel Poggi explains that, in Mexico, tacos are enjoyed on the street, while, say, a burrito is eaten at home. But at MI Vallarta, it’s all a moveable feast. Owner Cesar Umbral hails from Jalisco, in west central Mexico, and regional menu items include Sopes (pronounced soh-pez), a thick corn cake used as a base for meat, beans, tomatoes, and lettuce; and Torta, a Mexican sandwich— called a Mexican Panini on the menu—a bread roll filled with beans, meat, and vegetables including avocados, peppers, tomatoes and onions. (Jalisco is iconic Mexico: mariachis, wide brimmed sombreros, tequila, the Mexican hat dance, and wide-skirted beribboned dresses all originated there.) MI Vallarta’s biggest sellers are the Sopes and the Wet California Burrito, the Americanized meat and French fry variation said to have originated from the demands of hungover surfers in San Diego. But fast service doesn’t mean that one can’t linger inside MI Vallarta’s large, colorful dining room. This is a great location to enjoy a family dinner with no need to worry about impatient youngsters. (Kids will find plenty to like: tacos to chicken tenders, quesadillas to mac and cheese.) More to Love Cesar Umbral has expanded downtown, opening El Patron Grill in the previous home of the Sugar Bowl, Gaylord’s iconic restaurant which closed, after 100 years, due to COVID. El Patron’s vast menu is fresh, made from scratch, and loyal to traditional recipes. (Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, El Patron has a drive-through window.) 1006 W Main Street, Gaylord | (989) 448 2381 | mivallartarestaurant.com
16 • may 02, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly
