Mexican in Atlanta

Atlanta has a significant Latin American population and a correspondingly large number of Latin American restaurants. However, so many of these spots cater to Americans who like “Mexican” food, and offer Americanized versions of traditional dishes. Well, I have to admit, I do get cravings for cheese-laden nachos and quesadillas, especially after a few drinks :P But for the last few years, I’ve been trying to find places that serve authentic cuisine.

After not even eating any Latin American food for a long time, I have been on something like a rampage recently. First, Little Richie introduced me to Cuban food by taking me to Havana restaurant at the intersection of Buford Hwy and Clairmont Rd. Of course, I had to have the Cuban sandwich (not pictured). I got yucca fries on the side, thinking that they were sweet potato fries… Stupid me… After trying them, I figured out that yucca is a root vegetable. I ended up really liking the fries. They are a lot more fibrous and “stringy” than regular potato fries, but I like that. It gives them a more interesting texture, rather than the soft mush of regular fries. (Although, soft mush inside a crispy shell is great :)

I continued my exposure to Cuban food at Las Palmeras. This time I ordered lemon pork with steamed yucca and fried plantains (not pictured). The pork was lean and very moist. I ordered the dish because I was hoping for an intense lemon flavor, but instead I got only a hint of lemon. Well, that didn’t take much away from the taste. As to the yucca, I wanted to see how it tastes when steamed when compared to fried. The texture didn’t appeal to me much; it was very mushy. It reminded me a little of poached pears, which I am not a fan of. In addition, I thought it tasted rather bland. I think I’ll stick to fried yucca from now on.

Finally, Cashew, Little Richie and I recently had dinner at Zocalo. I had passed this place countless times, always assuming that it’s one of those Americanized Mexican spots. The only reason I decided to go there was the generous review and description that it received by Scoutmob. The atmosphere is typical of a margarita bar, but the food was different. While reading the menu, I was surprised to see many unfamiliar words signifying traditional Mexican dishes. There were many things we wanted to try, but Cashew and I ended up sharing the molcajete carmelitas. Honestly, the major attractive factor of the dish was the lava rock bowl and the cactus it supposedly contained… Well, the dish delivered on both counts. It did come in a warm lava rock bowl, and it had a huge cactus leaf in it. The other ingredients included chicken, tomato, onions, corn tortillas, and chorizo and refried beans on the side. I loved the flavor of the tortillas. I could have eaten them by themselves. The molcajete mixture was much lighter than anything else Mexican I have tasted. It also had a pretty subtle taste that was just a notch above bland. I wonder if that’s what authentic Mexican tastes like. It wasn’t bad, though, and I think I can get used to it if I have more of it.

That seems like a good start for my search for good Latin American food. I know that there are a ton of Mexican places on Buford Hwy, and I’m sure that many of them will have traditional food. I just have to try all of them to find the good ones ;)