The brilliance of Latin food lies in its simplicity. You take your proteins, your veggies, and your spices, then wrap them up in either flour or corn. In that simplicity lies a dizzying variation of dishes that balance savory, spicy, and sweet in a million different ways. Whether it’s Tex-Mex, authentic Mexican, Latin American influenced or born right here in the U.S., these are the flavors we crave. Even if Tuesday gets all the credit, there are enough flavors under the banner of what we call Mexican food to satisfy seven days a week.
Amigos Sizzling Fajita Platter
The beauty of a fajita is in the way it becomes an experience – not just for the diner, but for the whole restaurant. You can witness it whenever someone orders this sizzling fajita platter at Amigos Café y Cantina. As soon as that sizzle hits, every head in the place turns to catch a piece of the feast for the senses. Our noses delight in the savory aroma of meats and vegetables still cooking on the platter. Our eyes goggle at the massive assortment of goodies piled high. And our instincts for jealousy immediately have us saying, “Well, I know what I’m ordering.”
Everyone in the room will want to share – which might not be a bad idea.
“I have never seen one person finish this alone,” said Amigos owner Carolyn Baltz. “It usually feeds two to three, and there is nothing like the reaction when this comes out, sizzling hot, to the table.”
Piled with chicken, steak, or pork, this mountain of sauteed onions and peppers, flanked by rice, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream, these fajitas don’t just make a meal. They make a statement.
Java Burrito Steak Tacos
Maybe the best part of Java Burrito’s famous steak tacos is that what you see here might look nothing like what you get when you order. That’s because they let you do it your own way – topping it with your own personal greatest hits from corn salsa and cheese to sauce and veggies, all made from scratch right in their kitchen.
But there is a reason we said it may the best part of their tacos. Ask Chef Michael Feketé and he’ll make a strong case for the real star of the show being the steak at the heart of it.
“We use Hunter Cattle Company beef, so we know it’s grass-fed, sustainable. and local,” he said. “It comes in as whole cuts and we trim, clean, and portion everything in-house. Then we marinate it in our adobo, which we make in-house. With braised beef, it gets braised down for about three or four hours with fresh vegetables and spices until it’s super tender and flavorful.”
Everything about it, from the meat to the marinade to the toppings, was prepped right in Java Burrito’s kitchen. What you do with those fresh ingredients is up to you.
Cactus Street Cantina Chimichanga
There are several different accounts of the chimichanga’s invention, and while they don’t all agree on the details, they all agree that this golden, flaky, mouth-watering bundle of flavors is a uniquely American dish. If any dish proves that Yankee ingenuity can create something truly delicious, it’s the chimichanga.
“They say it’s a Mexican dish, but word is it was invented in Tucson,” said Lauren Jordan, co-owner of Cactus Street Cantina, where this gorgeous chimichanga is served. “It’s more of a Tex-Mex thing than an authentic Mexican thing, but I just call it ‘delicious.’ And ‘nap-inducing.’”
When you have this savory symphony of beans, rice, cheese, protein, queso, sour cream, lettuce, and guacamole sitting before you, basking in its gloriously fried flavor, you will absolutely risk the food coma.
“We used to just run it as a special on Mondays, but people kept requesting it,” Jordan said, “so we put it on the menu.”
