Border Bites

High Hopes and the Accompanying Masochism

2008-12-01T09:20:00.000-08:00

Flashback to August 25, 2008—the first day of school for my final semester at the UA (pending successful completion of all 5 classes-(please have mercy on me!) I was so excited to put all my knowledge learned over the summer at channel 12 to use and become.. Editor-in-Chief of Borderbeat.net (cue the dramatic music)

First I should attempt to portray to you why I wanted to hold such a title:

1. I'm a control freak. In every aspect of my life. Sad but true.

2. I guess # 1 pretty much sums it up.

The thing is, at the inception of the semester, I had a lot on my plate (both allegorically, and literally). Yes I was busy and I loved to eat. For the most part, unrelated, but nonetheless; true. I was working as a bartender/server 3-4 nights a week, heading to Phoenix for the everlasting internship early Friday morning (3 a.m.) and taking the aforementioned 5 classes; all of which are time-consuming and interesting (especially Ms. Kurzer’s class, and not just because I’m borderline failing it). I already felt busy but I have an incessant inability to say “no” to a challenge and I had great aspirations for the publication. I wanted to somehow make it the most read online publication at or around the UA. (Stop laughing).
While it may not be the most read, it is something I’m proud of. The reporters in the class were easy to work with and many put out exceptionally commendable online articles. Having another Editor-in-Chief really helped as he knew all the ins and outs of the technical side of producing an online magazine. I was able to focus on the creative side, helping develop story ideas, story formats, and basic right-brained related activities.
The highlights of the class, though, far outnumbered the detriments of the time-consumption. I was able to create a few videos, some of which I’m semi-proud of. I was able to learn html (though I still don’t know what it stands for). I was able to meet some really interesting, helpful, and all-round good people. I was able to experience St. Andrew’s Clinic, which you can read my thoughts on below or see the stories. I was introduced to some fascinating online news outlets of which I could attempt to mimic or at least be inspired by. Oh, and did I mention I actually had fun doing all of this? I think we all had a good time in class and doing stories, though I’ll have to fact-check that point to verify.
But here is a fact: I had no idea that I was going to gain so much from this class. The experiences were invaluable, the time was memorable and the publication remains the most read online border-related magazine publication put out by the University of Arizona journalism department. And though I know it sounds infomercial-like, I feel lucky to have experienced it all and almost wish I could do it again. (Minus the other classes and working 3-4 nights a week).

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22556281-661,00.html

Macayo Mania

2008-11-24T01:00:00.000-08:00

Though I've heard that Macayo's Mexican restaurant is not "authentic" Mexican fare, it has been one of my favorite restaurants in town since I moved here in 1999. Along with El Charro, Macayo's is the place I take all of my out-of-town guests who crave Mexican food (all of them). The Spanish word "macayo" means "macaw" in English (like the bird). Macayo's began as a family run business in 1952 when Woody and Victoria Johnson opened up the first Macayo's on Central Avenue in Phoenix. The first Tucson location opened in 1982 on Oracle Road and Magee Road. This is the location I frequent most frequently. The staff has always been extremely welcoming and this week it was no different.

I hate to admit it but I rarely stray from my Chicken Chimichanga de Macayo. Why fix it if it isn't broken? Plus it's so good, I'm always craving it. It's chunks of chicken wrapped in a flour tortilla and deep fried (what's better than deep fried anything?) and then smothered in their relleno sauce. They top it with sour cream, lettuce and tomatoes and it comes with a side of refried beans or rice. Yes, I usually ask for both rice and beans because I can never choose!

And then there's the salsa! It's very distinct--in a good way. You can definitely taste the cilantro in it which I love and it has the perfect ratio of solids/liquid. Of course it's a never-ending bowl of chips and I rarely eat less than two.

Mango Monger

2008-11-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

The warm weather in Tucson seems to attract crowds to outdoor events and festivals. Last weekend was a prime example. "My Nana's Best Tasting Salsa Challenge" is an Arizona based salsa festival and contest. It was held in Tucson for the first time on Saturday, November 8 at Reid Park. Admission was $5 at the door and you could taste any and all the salsa you want. Each of the salsa makers make a booth to attract taste testers in hopes that they will donate a dollar to their jar which counts as a vote for their salsa. Mariachi music resonates throughout the park and hundreds of people young and old congregate at the gaudily adorned booths. Did I mention the margaritas? At first I felt like someone was stealing my idea, but then I realized that their Margarita Mix-Off had been an annual event in Tempe for years. Of course I had to work that night so I couldn't partake in the inebriation celebration, but I did try just about every salsa offering out of the nearly 40 options.It was a tough competition. From mild to "hot", the salsas differed significantly from one another. The "hot" salsas were not really hot at all. I would actually call them medium at best. There was a rumor making its way through the mill about a blueberry habanero salsa in the challenge. After hearing this, I began to investigate. Much like the rumors of Brett Favre joining the Vikings, and to my dismay, this rumor turned out to be just that: a rumor. But I did find a favorite. A woman by the name of Joy Slagowski who is a reporter for the Daily News in Sun City, made a mango black bean salsa that was INCREDIBLE! I should note that I typically hate mango salsa as I feel there is no room for fruit in salsa (save for tomatoes but we all know that's a farse!) I liked the salsa so much, I tossed a few dollars in her jar and after telling her she deserved a trophy for her concoction, she showed me two that she already won in prior Tempe festivals. I guess I'm not the only one swayed by the mango mix.

A day in the life of humanity

2008-11-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

Living in Tucson for over nine years, I thought I knew all there was to know about this western border town. As usual, I was wrong. This weekend has brought about a new perspective for me on many things, some of which I will cover throughout the week. Despite its relevence to my usual topic, I feel compelled to write about the most rewarding experience first: our trip to St. Andrew's Clinic in Nogales, Arizona, on the border of Mexico. There I saw children from around Mexico with disabilities and ailments, who came to the clinic for medical treatment. The children of St. Andrew's Clinic are beautiful. Smiling through it all and gracious for the help they were given, they opened my eyes to what it's really all about.When we first arrived, I was nervous. I had heard and seen many things about the clinic and knew that I wanted to do it justice in our publication. I wanted to cover every angle, meet all the volunteers and hear every child's story. But of course, I didn't even come close. The few children I was able to meet captivated me so much, it was time to leave before I knew it. I began to think that I could be any one of them. And any one of them could be me. I thought that if they had been born on this side of the border, this type of treatment would be readily available to them at all times. But I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone. All the volunteers were happy to help. The children were happy for the help, as were the many parents who drove their children for hours just to seek it. And meanwhile, I felt helpless. I felt a little out of place. I wasn't helping, I was simply observing.Throughout my day of trying to coordinate the chaos, I found myself entranced in a moment of reality. I went there with a purpose of getting every story in the perfect online multimedia format but instead, I found myself overwhelmed by the powerful message of love, selflessness and gratitude. It was difficult, but the children kept smiling and despite the tears welling up in my eyes, I smiled back. I walked in nervous, and I walked out inspired. The day came to an end as we drove our cars back to our normal lives in Tucson. There was something different about the ride home, though, and I think everyone in the car felt it. We had just experienced something great. And we wanted to go back.

Mean Mexico City Cuisine

2008-11-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

I used to go to La Parrilla Suiza nearly every week when I lived near the northwest location on Ina Road. But since I moved to central Tucson, I rarely find myself making the trek to that location. While on Margaritour 2008, however, I found another location with the same great food, with at least half of the ambience of the northwest location. La Parrilla Suiza is a self-proclaimed "authentic Mexico City cuisine" restaurant. They cook many of their dishes on charcoal or they are grilled. This is what they say sets them apart from the northern Mexican cuisine that is frequently served in Tucson and in neighboring border towns. Long-time bartender Manuel has worked for the company for nearly 25 years. He told me that they also have several locations throughout Mexico and others in Phoenix as well.
I ordered the cheese enchiladas as I am a creature of habit and find it difficult to stray from such a perfect dish. As expected, the enchiladas were as delicious as I remembered them. The margarita I had is called "The Widow of Oz," and is made up of Tres Generaciones Plata tequilla, melon liqueur and Sweet and Sour. The tequilla is one of my favories and is made with 100% Blue Agave. The margarita was decent but I prefer their house margarita since it's made sanz the melon liqueur. Beyond the enchiladas I love that La Parrilla Suiza gives you three types of salsa with your homemade tortilla chips. One is a creamy avocado based salsa which I would call my favorite. But the hot salsa is a good addition to the milder dishes and the pico de gallo is delicious and made from all fresh ingredients. The bar is a little dark but it's cozy and Manuel "Manny" gave us great service. His English was very broken but I could tell that he loved the company he works for and he kept the chips and salsa coming. I'm glad I found this other location and maybe one day I'll try something new there! The one thing it lacks is the mariachi band that always seems to be playing at the Ina Road location. While it can be rather loud at times, the band really adds to the atmosphere and makes you feel like you're in Mexico City.

El Charro, not that far-o?

2008-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

My favorite restaurant, and a reason to stay living in Tucson is a place called El Charro Cafe. There are now five locations in Tucson and I've been to every one of them at least three times.
Not only is it the best Mexican restaurant in town, it's also the oldest Mexican restaurant (run by one family, that is) in the nation! El Charro has been in continuous operation by the same family since 1922.
The first location was opened by Monica Flin, who is the great aunt of Carlotta Flores, the current owner of the restaurants. The first restaurant moved four times and now resides on Court Street in the El Presidio district in Tucson. The site was first the home of Monica's father, Jules, and was willed to Monica and later made into the El Charro Cafe in 1968. Each restaurant is run by one of the family members but each has (pretty much) the same menu and fantastic food.The Court Street location is my personal favorite as it boasts an ambience that the others lack. The location has an outside patio area between the restaurant and the bar, a basement dining location and random rooms throughout that contain tables and beautiful Mexican artwork.Beyond the ambience and the history, the food and margaritas are delicious and even crave-worthy. My favorite dish is the Bahia Style tacos with Carne Asada. "Bahia" means "bay" in Spanish and for all you non-locals, Carne Asada means "DELICIOUS STEAK" or just charbroiled steak if you're a vegetarian. Sorry, PETA! The tacos come four to a plate in little flour tortillas with beans and Spanish rice. Pair those with a house margarita or the new organic margarita (or three) and you won't want to leave the cozy restaurant. I work at a restaurant in town and see many visitors from around the country. I always recommend El Charro for the best Mexican food and out of the ordinary ambience.

Inspirational Salsa

2008-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Craving Mexican food as I usually am, I decided to try something I haven't tried before. Well, actually, this was only after attempting to go to Mi Nidito only to find out they were closed on Mondays. So I headed over to El Parador on Broadway.
The first room you see when walking in is a spacious courtyard dining area that looks more like an open air garden than a restaurant. I was told that the room used to be an open air shopping plaza before being made into a restaurant by the owner John Jacobs in 1977.
I was seated quickly as dinner rush hadn't yet begun. Having never been there before, I asked my waiter, Miguel, what their specialty is. He told me they're known for their homemade salsa. I ordered a house margarita, hoping that I wouldn't regret not including El Paradorin my Margaritour. After trying the margarita, I was glad I didn't include it in the tour but the salsa was another story. The salsa was so good that it inspired me to embark on a Salsatour 2008 TBA.
Miguel then recommended the El Parador Special. For $16 I got a cheese enchilada, chile relleno, beef tamale, 2 rolled chicken tacos, rice and refried beans. The enchilada was maybe the best I've ever had. It had that classic tomato-based enchilada sauce that I love and the cheese inside was perfectly melted. The tamale was decent, but a little dry for my taste. The rolled tacos were amazing and the chile relleno wasn't bad considering I'm not usually a fan.
All in all the food was delicious and the service was exceptional as well. When I first arrived, there were hardly any tables seated, but while I was eating the place began to fill up. Next to me, a guy was sitting with what appeared to be his wife or girlfriend but he was talking on his cell phone the entire time. That reminded me of one of my favorite pre-movie commercials:

Anyway, Miguel informed me that they also have live music and Salsa dancing on Friday nights. A band called Descarga plays from 10pm-2am and they even offer Salsa lessons! He also told me that it's rare that the restaurant is as dead as it was when I was there so be sure to make a reservation.

Guadalajara Goodness

2008-10-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

Guadalajara Grill is best known for its tableside salsa making.
But after searching Tucson for the best margarita in town, I found they also have delicious house margaritas I also found Emma Holzman, owner of Guadalajara Grill who welcomed us in during the middle of the lunch rush to serve us margaritas and tell us about herself.

Emma had an immediately apparent warmth about her and an obvious knack for customer service. A native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Emma learned how to cook from her mother who made enchiladas for her elementary school. After graduating, Emma moved to Alaska where she met her husband, Seth. They decided to move to Tucson as it was an easier transition for Seth than moving to Guadalajara. With a mutual love for cooking and entertaining, the Holzmans opened Guadalajara Grill on Prince Road. After developing a reputation of great food and friendly service, Guadalajara Grill moved into a larger building down the street to accomodate the influx of loyal customers. While there, I was told that the infamous patio is on its way and the shirts of the employees confirmed that as you can see below.

I'm a sucker for chimichangas so I had to try Guadalajara's Carne Asada Chimichanga. I eat a lot but even I couldn't finish this dish. But I definitely tried, as it was DELICIOUS! I even took the rest home and for the first time, my leftovers didn't have the chance to become science experiments! That's right, I ate the rest later. I was so pleased with the margaritas, the food, and the friendly service, I wonder why I haven't made this a staple in my restaurant recommendations in the past?