*drumroll please*
Back from a long vacation, it’s the liiiiiiiittle diiiiiiiiish! Hope you’re all having a nice 2010 so far. Thanks for checking back even though it’s been like a ghost town around here. TUMBLEWEEDS. Like I mentioned last post, we’ve been planning on updating the site and have lots of great things in store, so stay tuned.
In actual food-related news, we just had dinner at probably one of the most popular restaurants in Dallas, La Duni. Unlike many things that are popular, La Duni really deserves the attention. Their modern take on Latin dishes & beautiful desserts have become (in the small handful of times I’ve visited) some of my favorites.
But don’t be tricked into thinking that La Duni is a Mexican restaurant. Yes, they do have tacos, flautas & quesadillas on the menu. However, their flavors go way beyond the Mexican border with additions like Argentinean sausage & Pampero black beans. Here’s a mini-guide to set the record straight & help you brush up on your Latin before your next meal at La Duni…
Chimichurri – (See above) A green sauce originally made in Argentina & Uruguay. Ingredients often include parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, vinegar & red pepper flakes. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.
Plantain – A member of the genus Musa (bananas, basically). They tend to be firmer & not as sweet as the “dessert bananas” that we eat in America & are often used in savory dishes. When sliced & served fried, they’re also called “tajadas” in Honduras, Panama & other parts of South America. (That’s how La Duni serves them!)
Arepa – A flat, unleavened cornmeal bread from the northern Andes. Kinda like a tortilla, but thicker. A perfect addition to meat dishes.
Pabellon Criollo – (See also: Heaven) A traditional Venezuelan dish that’s made up of rice, shredded beef & black beans. Often served with fried plantain slices. At La Duni, you also get a slice of queso fresco & arepa.
Queso Fresco – A mild & soft unaged white Spanish cheese (See plate above.)
Patacones – Cooked green plantains that are smashed, crisped & then sprinkled with salt.
Chicharron – 1. super crispy pork rinds. 2. a fun word to say
Pisco – A Peruvian liquor distilled from grapes. The main ingredient in the Pisco Sour. (See above. See also: good times)
4620 McKinney Avenue | Dallas, Texas 75205
See website for other locations.
214.520.7300
Here’s one thing I learned growing up in Southern California: the quality of food in a Mexican joint is directly relational to amount of Hispanic patrons. Now I’m not saying that this is the only prerequisite to awesome Mexican food; it’s just that it’s a very good sign. A tucked-away gem like Taco Bravo is one of those places that continues to prove my theory right.
Right off of Northwest Highway in a nondescript location across from the seedy Royal Inn is where you’ll find Taco Bravo. Run by a lovely group of ladies who wear the cutest aprons, it’s one of the tastiest places to get fast-food Mexican in Dallas. I’m almost hesitant to talk about it because it feels like a sort of treasure, but they really do deserve the recognition.
During lunch time, there’s almost always a crowd. Order some chips and salsa to start; that’s a must. They don’t come out to the table right away. Rather, you usually have to wait a couple minutes. This is because they fry their fresh-cut corn chips as you order them. They’re crispy and crunchy, a little chewy, and unbelievably delicious. The accompanying bowl of salsa is served piping hot.
Their crunchy tacos are made from the same fried tortillas, which makes them a must. My favorite tacos are the fajita steak and the spicy ground beef. The latter comes out dripping in a mild red sauce with diced potato mixed in. LOVE! The fajita steak is chopped up in bite-sized pieces with sautéed onion and is just as juicy — no dried out fajita meat here.
When it comes to meat, Taco Bravo offers up quite a lot of choices. They have real barbacoa, shredded beef, pork, chicken, ground beef, chorizo, lengua, shrimp, and many more. I counted at least 12 and I’ll have to go back so I can delve into the choices more expertly.
They serve breakfast all day, which is a big bonus in my book. I ordered the chorizo breakfast burrito that came with a side of refried beans and was impressed that the chorizo wasn’t dripping with red grease, as with most burritos of its kind. I kept waiting for my plate to turn into a pool of crimson excess, but it never happened. Good sign.
Taco Bravo is great little find that does the simple things right. They serve up some great Mexican fast-food at extremely reasonable prices. We’re there weekly and although we often end up ordering the same things, we’re going to branch out and try the numerous other items on the menu. When we do, we’ll report back here. ‘Till then, enjoy amigos.
Taco Plate (w/rice & beans & drink): $4.99
Breakfast Burrito (w/bean & choice of meat): $2.99
2019 W Northwest Hwy | Dallas, TX 75220
(469) 420-9600
I’m always amazed at how often Taco Bell manages to come out with new products. I’m pretty sure they are the champions of fast food product development. I hope their R&D department is well paid, because those folks churn out a new twist on “Mexican” food at least once a month. The imagination they must have! So, in an effort to stay abreast of the Taco Bell situation (and to keep the little dish classy), we’re offering you a new feature: ‘Keeping Up With the Bell’. Whatever they dream up, we’re going to eat.
On this initial installment, we’re tasting the Black Jack Taco… Yeah, it’s not going to last long. Here’s what it’s supposed to be:
“A crunchy black taco shell filled with seasoned beef, zesty pepper jack sauce, shredded lettuce, and a blend of three cheeses: cheddar, pepper jack, and mozzarella.”
Here’s what it’s actually like: Your normal Taco Bell taco shell with meat. The shell apparently isn’t made out of blue corn; my guess is that it’s dyed that color. So you take the normal taco, slather on a strange mayonnaise-y sauce that doesn’t taste “zesty” or “pepper jack-ish” at all, and sprinkle on a generous helping of tasteless cheese. It’s bad, even by Taco Bell’s standards. Underwhelmed & kinda grossed out, we considered that maybe we were being overly-harsh because we’re not ultra-familiar with Taco Bell’s normal fare. Perhaps this is what we should have expected?
To get an expert’s opinion we turned to our resident Taco Bell expert. She’s someone who not only eats at Taco Bell on a regular basis, but also really likes it. She’s the ideal audience for the Black Jack Taco. In her words (during the tasting): “Disgusting… OMG that is mayonnaise-y. What is this?”
So there you have it, the word from our expert. Taco Bell failed on this one. But it’s not a huge failure; they’ll have another chance in the next week or two when they move on to their next big idea…
