Goooooaaaal!
From the tinny sounding television at La Veracruzana, a soccer
play-by-play announcer's booming voice resonates that word with the
infectious excitement of a true fan. As a fan of the food at La
Veracruzana, my taste buds echo the same sentiment with every single
bite. Featuring "the authentic taste of Southern
Mexico," this tiny restaurant serves food big on flavor.
La
Veracruzana is tightly squeezed into a crowded multi-cultural shopping
center in a neighborhood comprised primarily of Asian and Latin
residents. Some shop owners are very territorial about the
precious few parking spots in front of their shops and will chase you
away if your shopping destination isn't their respective shop. In
terms of ambience, La Veracruzana is painfully sparse with only seven
tables and a counter at which you place your order. A small salsa
bar (no chips) is also available.
The
menu includes familiar and not so familiar items all prepared with the
authenticity you might find in southern Mexico. It pays to be able
to speak Spanish because the order-taker and chef don't speak much
English. Still you should be able to get your order across by
pointing at the menu board and butchering the pronunciation of such
words as chilaquiles (even natives have problems with that one).
The
menu includes tacos of several varieties, the best of which might be the
tacos al pastor which feature a melding of pineapple, onions and pork
seasoned to perfection. Served two per order on steaming corn
tortillas, these folded treasures are enlivened with the avocado-based
salsa and a few of the purple picked onions on the salsa bar.
The
burrito de chorizo con juevos (spicy sausage and egg) is among the best
of its kind we've had in Albuquerque. The chorizo explodes with
flavor and has just the right tinge of piquant spiciness without a
surfeit of the greasiness you sometimes find in chorizo.
During
our inaugural visit, we had a quesadilla de queso asadero in which the
incomparable melted Mexican white asadero cheese oozed deliciousness.
It was no longer on the menu during our second visit, but the Ceviche
tostado was at least as good. The tostado was crispier than is
typical, but the lime cooked seafood was fresh and delicious, served
with tangy red tomatoes and ripe, seasoned avocados.
For
postre (dessert) try the pastel tres leches, a moist cake made with
three kinds of milk (condensed, evaporated and whole). It will
have you singing its praises.
To wash
down all this wonderful food, opt for the agua horchata (a rice and
cinnamon drink) one of the three refreshing aguas frescas offered.
The tamarind drink isn't quite as good as the horchata, but it's
refreshing. La Veracruzana also serves a non-diet version of
Fresca, a grapefruit flavored soda which was very popular in the early
70s.
There are many things in Mexico which prove that
great things come in small packages and this restaurant certainly
exemplifies that tired adage.
