Offering unusual & regional fare,

6 local Mexican eateries deliver

hT e Wh o l e
nE chi lada *
*and then some
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 Café Poca Cosa’s Pollo en Calabacitas al la
Mexicana combines chicken with squash.
BY E d i e J a ro l i m

N
ot long after I
moved to Tucson
from New York
City, I went to a
Mexican restau-
rant with an out-
of-town friend. Manhattan isn’t exactly
known for its south-of-the-border savvy,
so, aside from anticipating that beans
and tortillas would be involved, I didn’t
have any particular ideas about what to
expect. My friend, however, who is from
Southern California by way of New
Mexico, began forming definite views
about Mexican food much sooner.
“That was terrific,” she proclaimed
after we’d finished our dinner, “but it
wasn’t real Mexican food.”
More than a decade and several hun-
dred tortillas later, I have a far better
idea of what she meant by “real” Mexi-
can food—and I know how wrong she
was to exclude our meal from that cate-
gory. Just as no serious chow hound
would deem cheeseburgers and apple
pie to be the only genuine US cuisine
while eschewing crawfish étouffée, say,
or Boston-baked beans, so every foodie
worth her salsa should know that cook-
ing styles also vary vastly by region in
Mexico.
Even within Tucson—which was part
of the northern Mexico state of Sonora
until 1854, when it was bought by the
US as part of the Gadsden Purchase—
Mexican cuisine is very diverse. The
Sonoran style may dominate, but many
other traditions are represented in the
city’s Mexican melting pot.

P H OTO G R A P H Y BY Don Scheer

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 The USA Today Chimichanga Platter from El Charro

T ake, for example, El Charro,

which opened in 1922—only a
decade after Arizona became a
state. Strong culinary ties to Sonora are
evident in such specialities as carne seca
whose great-aunt, Monica Flin, founded
El Charro, you can’t even find the super-
sized wraps for sale in the Phoenix area,
which lies north of the Gadsden Purchase
boundary. Keeping in mind that ito—as
(marinated, air-dried beef), derived from in “burrito”—is a diminutive, it should
the region’s cattle-ranching tradition, as come as no surprise that the meals-in-a-
well as from its abundant sunshine and tor tilla ser ved in the restaurant are
lack of humidity. An- termed burros.
other characteristic dish But other El
from across the border Mexico City’s Charro dishes that
is enchiladas Sonorenses, Popocatepetl volcano many now consider
a flat patty of corn masa inspired the creation typically Mexican were
heaped with chile col- actually invented in the
orado (red chile sauce)
of the topopo salad. US. They include the
and casero cheese. chimichanga, a deep-
Recipes that make use of prickly-pear fried burro that’s found its way into
cactus are typically Sonoran, too—say, El restaurants all over the country, and the
Charro’s dinner salad, which incorporates topopo salad, rarely spotted outside of
spiced nopalitos (chopped, marinated Tucson. Flores contends that the erup-
prickly-pear pads, sans prickles). Even the tion of Mexico City’s Popocatepetl vol-
generous proportions of Tucson’s tor- cano inspired her aunt to create the
tillas, which measure 14 to 18 inches in topopo, a flat tostada topped with an ex-
diameter, are a legacy from Sonora. Ac- plosive mound of greens, cheese, beans,
cording to chef-owner Carlotta Flores, and fruit such as jicama or strawberries.

El Charro 311 N. Court Ave., 622-1922; 6310 E. Broadway Blvd., 745-1922

O f course, Sonora is a large state

and, as Tucsonans who head for
the closest shore at every oppor-
tunity can attest, it’s bordered on the west
by the Sea of Cortez. The menu at El
Mezon del Cobre provides proof that
seafood is as Sonoran as cactus and carne
seca. Indeed, Sonora has dueling piscean
traditions. In inland cities such as Her-
El Mezon del Cobre’s signature dish, Pargo Frito
mosillo, seafood tends to be considered
fine dining, but on the coast, where many
folks still cast nets for a living, casual get-
togethers often include throwing some
shrimp on the barbie.
red snapper, depending on the daily catch
of the fishermen who work the docks at
Guaymas or San Carlos, Sonora. Served
head and tail intact with fresh, hot corn
tortillas, rice, and salsa so you can create
Elaborate and simple recipes accord-
ingly share space on El Mezon’s bill of
fare. The restaurant’s signature dish is Filete de pescado al vapor
pargo frito, a whole fried fish—generally tends to be jealously
guarded by diners who don’t
care to share.

your own tacos, it’s the epitome of infor-

mal family-style dining. Alternately, more
complex preparations such as filete de
pescado al vapor—fish steamed in foil with
tomatoes, onion, chiles, mushrooms, and
green olives—tend to be jealously guarded
by diners who don’t care to share.
Because of its varied seafood offerings,
El Mezon does draw health-conscious
diners. The North American trend toward
de-emphasizing red meat in our diets defi-
nitely influenced chef-owner Consuelo
Medina in her decision to focus on
Sonora’s affinity for seafood, rather than
on its cattle-ranching roots. Then again, if
large numbers of patrons didn’t tuck away
El Mezon’s carne asada Sonorense (New
York strip steak served with onions, refried
beans, salsa, tortillas, and guacamole), it
El Mezon del Cobre 2960 N. First Ave., 791-0977 probably wouldn’t still be on the menu.

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 W
hen the first La Parilla
Suiza restaurant was im-
ported to Tucson from Mex-
ico City some 25 years ago, few people
A nother long-established Mexican
restaurant that has remained true
to its traditions while changing
with the times, La Fuente opened in
1960 as a bar that served snacks. Just as
LaLaFuente
Fuente

could recite their cholesterol count, and the restaurant expanded over the years
fewer still were familiar with dishes from by adding on a variety of rooms, several
Mexico’s interior. Not that the original of them devoted solely to food prepara-
concept of the restaurant was all that ex- tion, so the menu slowly gained geo-
otic: La Parilla started out in Mexico’s graphical scope. The initial queen of the
capital as a glorified indoor taco stand. kitchen, Juanita Huerta, hailed from
Patrons ticked off their choice of items Mar y Tierra (a shrimp, steak, and vegetable skewer over rice) from La Fuente
such as alambre tacos—beef or chicken
sauteed with bacon, onions, and bell
peppers, folded into soft corn tortillas—
from a paper list and got the goods di-
rectly from the cooks who presided over
the large grill (parilla).
But Tucsonans weren’t prepared to
order their tacos like they now order
sushi. Thus the restaurant started pro-
viding regular menus, the contents of
which also began to evolve. Combina-
tion plates started to appear, along
with seafood, vegetarian selections, and

You can still see the alambre

taco fillings being grilled in the
open kitchen.

even US-tinged dishes such as fajitas

and chimichangas.
The most distinctive recipes and
presentations have remained intact,
however. You can still see the alambre
taco fillings being grilled and the corn
tortillas being handmade in the open
kitchen—a common restaurant feature
now, but it wasn’t 2 1⁄ 2 decades ago. Monterrey, but adapted to local Sonoran semi-sweet chocolate) and pastel Azteca, a
And if dishes such as champiñones tastes with the likes of enchiladas, carne Mexico City-inspired casserole that layers
suizos (mushrooms with melted cheese) asada, and bean burros. tortillas, chicken, avocado, and cheese in
no longer include the Swiss cheese that Then, according to Frank Davis, enchilada sauce.
lent La Parilla Suiza the “Suiza” part of Huerta’s grandson and the current owner These days, a chef who hails from the
of La Fuente, the restaurant began look- coastal city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, is at the
its moniker, cheese-lovers will still be
ing toward Chi- kitchen’s helm, so
thrilled by the abundance of their fa-
huahua, Sonora’s seafood figures
vorite dairy product. The restaurant
neighbor, for addi- The restaurant began strongly, particu-
also continues to serve Mexico City- tional recipes. looking toward Chihuahua, larly in the daily
style charro beans—whole pinto beans Dishes such as Sonora’s neighbor, for specials. You never
in a soupy broth—alongside refrieds. gorditas (plump know what briny
Lest you think you’re being virtuous in additional recipes.
masa patties filled delights might turn
ordering them, keep in mind that the with beef, chicken, up: perhaps pescado
broth includes bacon as well as onions or chorizo, then deep-fried) put in an ap- sarandeado, a whole fish stuffed with
and jalapeños. pearance. As time went by, the menu also garlic, olives, carrots, and other vegeta-
started venturing into central Mexico bles, or Mazatlán-style shrimp salad—a
with mole poblano (the classic Puebla spe- pineapple-topped delight with cold crus-
La Parilla Suiza 5602 E. Speedway Blvd.,
cialty that marries chicken with chiles and taceans and a variety of fresh fruit.
747-4838; 2720 N. Oracle Rd., 624-4300;
4260 W. Ina Rd., 527-7200 La Fuente 1749 N. Oracle Rd., 623-8659

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F resh fruit and vegetables are a
staple on every plate at Café
Poca Cosa, where chef-owner
Suzana Davila has been on a mission
to educate her patrons about alta
cocina Mexicana—Mexican haute
cuisine that often looks back to in-
digenous traditions—since she
opened the restaurant in 1989. This
means covering a lot of culinary terri-
tory, both literally and metaphori-
cally. Although born in Guaymas,
Sonora, Davila grew up enjoying
family recipes from all over the coun-
try and continues to explore different
cooking styles in her Tucson domain.
The list of dishes on the daily
changing chalkboard menu might
include a central Mexico-inspired
chiles en nogada, battered chiles
stuffed with pork and fruit (perhaps
pomegranate or papaya) and topped
with an almond sauce. The list is
also likely to include at least one
mole, a category of labor-intensive,
Dishes might include a
A lso riffing on Mexican themes but
central Mexico-inspired chiles
en nogada, battered chiles
stuffed with pork and fruit.
seed-laden dishes whose name
comes from the verb molar, to
grind. Although mole poblano is
the best known type in the US,
many more moles come from the
state of Oaxaca, where Davila often
travels. Several of those served at
Café Poca Cosa—for example, mole
verde, with green tomatillos and
pumpkin seeds as key ingredients—
don’t include a trace of chocolate.
That’s not to suggest that
Sonora isn’t represented. You’ll
often find a listing for pastel de elote,
green-corn tamale pie that might be
topped with mango salsa if mangos
are readily available. Just don’t ex-
pect to taste precisely the same dish
twice. Davila’s cooking has jazz as
its musical equivalent: Some basic
motifs can be traced to particular
regions, but a large part of any dish
is bound to be improvised.
Café Poca Cosa 88 E. Broadway Blvd.,
622-6400; 20 S. Scott Ave. (breakfast
and lunch only)
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J Bar’s Combination Plate Number 9 includes braised beef, jerked pork, and a shrimp soft taco.
moving even farther away from
basing his innovative recipes on
any single region of the country, J Bar
chef-owner Janos Wilder bills his restau-
Entrées, for example, include Yucatán-
style plantain-crusted chicken with green
coconut-milk curr y (there’s the
Caribbean), or a chipotle recado (dr y-
rubbed) flank steak typical of southern
rant as a “Latin grill.” It wasn’t always so. Mexico served with moros y christianos
The original concept of the eatery, which (Cuban white rice and beans).
opened in 1999, came from the parillas of Chilaquiles—a casserole layered with crisp
Nogales, Arizona, just across the border tortillas—are popular in several Mexican
from Sonora where Wilder’s wife, Re- states, but you probably won’t find them
becca, was born. The plan was to serve made with hongos (mushrooms) and cal-
family-style grilled marinated meats, fish, abacitas (baby squash) in a poblano cream
and poultry with a va- sauce as they’re pre-
riety of side dishes, sal- pared at J Bar.
sas, and fresh tortillas.
The food now dances all Is it real Mexican
Ceviches, quesadillas, over the map of Mexico food? If your criterion
and other antojitos (ap- and also ventures into is strict adherence to
petizers) would round the Caribbean and one region’s historical
out the menu. recipes, then no. But if
But not everyone in South America. you believe that the
Tucson wants to eat best kitchens of any
communally. (What’s with that, anyway? country are always metamorphosing—
New Yorkers may not know Mexican cui- whether by deliberately eliminating lard
sine, but we know that nothing tastes as for health reasons, accidentally dropping
good as the food on another person’s an item in a deep fryer and discovering it’s
plate.) So menus became more individual- delicious, or just trying different things to
ized and diversified. You can still get the keep from being bored and boring—then
ceviche appetizer. It’s made with rock every one of these restaurants is genuinely
shrimp from Guaymas, as well as minted Mexican. GT
mango, gingered citrus, and a purée of
Edie Jarolim, who frequently writes about
chihuacle negro chiles. Along with the ro-
dining for Tucson Guide Quarterly, added
maine and nopalitos salad, it’s one of the
at least two dozen tortillas to her total
many dishes that shows a strong Sonoran
count in researching this assignment.
influence. In general, however, the food at
J Bar now dances all over the map of Mex- For information on more of Tucson’s many
ico and also ventures into the Caribbean Mexican restaurants, please see our “Desert
and South America. Dining Guide” in this issue.
J Bar 3770 E. Sunrise Dr. (at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa), 615-6100
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