Tag: Horchata

ArizonaMexicanRating: N/R (Not Rated)United States

El Pollo Correteado – Mesa, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“El Pollo Correteado” translates literally to “the chased chicken” or “the run-after chicken” in English.  It’s been my experience that anyone can chase a chicken, but chasing a rooster is an entirely different story.  Roosters can be very aggressive, even mean.  An aggressive rooster can be dangerous to humans, pets, and other chickens.  Roosters are the “wife beaters” of the animal kingdom. Rooster pecking can be normal courting or a sign of aggression. During courtship, a rooster will gently peck a hen’s head or neck to signal her to squat for mating. However, targeted pecking that causes injuries, bald patches,…

2026 James beard Foundation: "Best Chef - Southwest" SemifinalistArizonaDiners Drive-Ins and DivesMexicanRating: N/R (Not Rated)TacosUnited States

Tacos Chiwas – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States.  As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc.  metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home.  So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints.  As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers. At the risk of delving (or…

AlbuquerqueMexicanNew MexicoTacos

Al Trompo Mexican Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Comaraderie, brothers-in-arms, esprit-de-corps, commitment, dedication…Unless you’ve served your country in the armed forces of the United States, these terms probably don’t mean much.  For those of us who did serve–proudly, gallantly, nobly–these terms mean everything.  They’re not just a call to arms; they’re our code of conduct.  They’re the way we carry ourselves.  They denote our commitment to one another, the importance of taking care of our own.   The uniforms worn by the select and exceptional men and women  signify the call to duty–the ideals, and the shared title of being an American and believing in all that means.  More…

AlbuquerqueBreakfastBreakfast BurritosMexicanNew MexicoRating: ExcellentTacos

Rio Tacos – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

In May, Mexico City’s Tacos El Califa de León, in the downtrodden San Rafael neighborhood became the first Mexican taco stand to win a Michelin star.  One of the things that makes its selection remarkable is that the taqueria is the antithesis of most Michelin starred restaurants.  It’s not elegant and its tables aren’t set with immaculately pressed white linens.  There are no sterling place-settings or fine china.   Instead, the taqueria has no tables or seats.  It’s standing room only with space for only a handful of guests and a metal counter on which they can balance their plates.…

MexicanNew MexicoRating: ExcellentRio RanchoTacos

Las Villas Taqueria – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Upon learning that a new Mexican restaurant named “Las Villas Taqueria” would be launching in Rio Rancho, the bilingual lexicologist in me didn’t immediately ponder the menu.  Instead, my ruminations were of the translation of “Las Villas,” a Spanish term with several meanings depending on context.  I pondered whethr the restaurant was named for  small towns or settlements or for  luxurious country homes, both translations of the term “las villas.”  Then again, “Villas” is a common Spanish surname.  After a superb meal with my dear friend Bill Resnik, I came to the conclusion that “Las Villas” is actually a diminutive…

BreakfastBreakfast BurritosMexicanNew MexicanNew MexicoRating: Outstanding

Ramona’s Mexican Cafe – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” ~Laurie Colwin, Novelist Watch virtually any episode of Kitchen Nightmares and you might just be convinced that families can’t possibly work together in a restaurant.  Kitchen Nightmares, one of Gordon Ramsay’s eight-hundred or so television shows, is rather formulaic–Ramsay spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business.  Almost invariably, the failing restaurant is owned and operated by a family.…

Las CrucesNew MexicanNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)

Si Señor – Las Cruces, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Much as New Mexicans would like to think our sacrosanct red and green chile is resultant from God’s infinite grace, there’s more than divinity at work.  Would you believe science?  Even before it became known as New Mexico State University (NMSU), the state’s second largest university has played a crucial role in chile production by leading breeding programs for disease-resistant, higher-yielding varieties. It started with Fabian Garcia, a member of the first graduating class in 1894.  In 1898, Garcia became director of the agricultural experiment station. His research focused on helping farmers transition away from grain production. He became known…

AlbuquerqueMexicanNew MexicoTacos

Rotiseria Y Taqueria Alcantara – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices have vaulted up 29% since February 2020.  Indeed, an Associated Press survey conducted in 2025 revealed that “the cost of groceries has become a major source of stress for just over half of all Americans — outpacing rent, health care and student debt.”  Very, very few grocery items have proven themselves inflation-proof.  Among those rare items is Costco’s rotisserie chicken which has remained the same price for years.  That consistently low price is a major reason Costco sells  more than 100-million ready-to-eat chickens each year. The obvious question when you peruse…

AlbuquerqueHot DogsMexicanNew MexicoRating: Very GoodSandwichTacos

Dogos VIP – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

Thanks largely to a 1974 Chevrolet commercial and its catchy tune, the phrase “As American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie” has purportedly defined what Americans hold most sacrosanct.  Never mind that hot dogs are derivative of European sausages, they’re inextricably part of the fabric of the fruited plain. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, there is such a thing) estimates that Americans eat seven billion hot dogs (so it’s not just me) during the unofficial summer season which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That’s 818 hot dogs per second and more than a…

AlbuquerqueMexicanNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)Tacos

Arriba Shihuahua – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

“How do they get away with using the name “Shihuahua” instead of Chihuahua,” I pondered, noting to myself that wokeism and cultural sensitivities have declared offensive virtually any term that  is perceived to diminish a culture or an individual (that perception usually being in the eye of the offended).  Surely, the National Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee would take umbrage at that name, much as it did more than fifty years ago when Frito Lay introduced the Frito Bandito.  For those of you not geriatrically advanced enough to remember the Frito Bandito, he was a cartoon mascot who spoke broken English and robbed…

AlbuquerqueMexicanNew MexicoRating: N/R (Not Rated)Tacos

La Zenita – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil Garduno12:01 AM

In his immortal play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare used two lines to convey that the naming of things is irrelevant: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”   My friends Bruce and Loren Plata like to remind me that in Hebrew, the name “Gil” represents a “small goat,” an animal that definitely doesn’t smell quite as fragrant as a rose.  My retort, of course, is that “goat” is an acronym for “greatest of all time.”  So, relevant or not, names do have meanings and can provide a…