In my latest career twist, I find myself working as a Tex-Mex restaurant consultant. First I showed the owner of Paco’s Tacos and his crew around the Houston Tex-Mex scene–and then once they got the place open in Charlotte, North Carolina, I went out there and sampled the whole menu.
Lord knows, I am used to being a restaurant critic. But I can’t say I have ever been called on to put my money where my mouth is quite like this before. After I pointed out the problems, I put on chef’s whites, marched into the kitchen and joined the chefs in trying to fix what was wrong. Step one was ordering some yellow corn tortillas, step two was making some old-fashioned chili gravy. If was a lot of fun–and we made a vast improvement in the enchiladas at Paco’s Tacos and Tequila, if I do say so myself.
- Sampling the new beef enchiladas at Paco’s
If you are in Charlotte anytime soon, go eat the new enchiladas at Paco’s and tell me what you think.
Wow, I wish I could do that to the Mexican
restuarants in Omaha…they could use some real help with the dishes they call Tex-Mex. I love all your cookbooks and they are what remind me that if I can’t find it, I can cook it!
I’m an old fart, and every once in a while I find a good Tex-Mex beef enchilada with a “most excellent” chili gravy poured on top. I say every once in a while, because it’s like looking for “fur on a frog.” So, now I’m searching to find the best “chili gravy” recipe available to peons like myself. So far, so bad. 😀 I know, I know, I’m too picky. Can’t even find and good greens, collards, or “snap beans” anymore…