El Maguey Mexican Restaurant - SLC, UT!

The Maguey (Mah-GAY) Plant is the main ingredient of Mexico's "Mezcal," a tequila like beverage. And the plant is so much a part of the central Mexican's sense of landscape & homeland, it makes perfect sense that there would be restaurants lovingly named "El Maguey" all throughout Mexico and the USA, too. Popping up where the Mexican diaspora has landed a home-sick soul. Oh, so very true!

And here locally, El Maguey - SLC is a quiet West-side family eatery that comes to mind when hunger demands a steaming plate of Huevos Rancheros or Sopes (little crispy boats of corn meal piled high with a variety of goodies)! Perhaps your Achilles heel is the Gorditas, little pockets of deliciousness in a range of meaty flavors. One of my faves are the Flautas (pictured above) and, man, they are Hot! Crisp! and Sumptuous! Even though my personal preference dictates the use of Mexican cheese, I enjoyed these with mozzarella (after all Oaxaca's String Cheese is a Mozz Style and not an unknown flavor to chef's from south of the border).

The clientele is principally Mexican families. So don't be surprised to find two or three generations at a big table laughing together and enjoying brimming plates. On this second visit, it's easy to see that El Maguey is building momentum and is drawing attention in the community. Yes, there's soccer on the flat screen and much Spanish is spoken but English is very welcome! Service is pure politeness with a smile.

All salsas are made in-house (the Tomatillo & Avocado is savory yet refreshing) and the Horchata, ambrosial. Open in the morning for breakfast (a rarity) and Menudo is served all week long not just weekends. It's only a matter of time and I'll find you there for the Chiles Rellenos... just another weakness of any hungry fanatic of big flavors & low prices!

El Maguey
714 S. 900 W.
SLC, UT 84119
801.359.3365

Home-made salsas pique appetites and flavors perfectly!


Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

The Copper Onion for Brunch is Tops! SLC, UT

A SLC Sunday at The Copper Onion is a bit of a surprise. Familiar brunch plates are offered on a menu that's short and well thought out. The piece that pops is the twist given those favorites. And the customer service is delightfully spot on!

I ordered Eggs Benedict yet asked that the ham be omitted and spinach substituted to arrive at Eggs Florentine. Done - and with cheerful agility! My two brunch companions ordered Steak & Eggs and Chorizo & Eggs, respectively. And in their enthusiasm ordered a fourth plate of Eggs perched on Pulled Pork smothered in Green Salsa and we shared it all with appetizers of Patatas Bravas (Spain's spicy potato dish) packing flavor out of this world. And Brussel Sprouts cut like slaw caramelized perfectly on the grill just to add crisp to the crunch. The Bloody Marys were tweaked as well, no celery but celery seed gave balance to this brunch classic. And the Apple Pie complete with ice cream and lightly Pralined Almonds sweetly capped a lazy Sunday afternoon. And not being those to leave well enough alone, we finished with Brandy Alexanders because this old fashioned (liquid dessert) cocktail is not readily found anywhere these days... and this Alexander is made with Mexico's Presidente Brandy. Chocolate & Brandy, Ole!

Sunday Brunch?
Oh yes, please! I'll meet you at The Copper Onion!




The Copper Onion
111 E Broadway Ste 170
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 355-3282



Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

Shahrazad Market & Restaurant! SLC, UT

Duly impressed! We sat down as three friends looking for the flavors of the Middle-East. Each having different degrees of experience with the cuisine didn't dampen our collective enthusiasm. Open to the experience, we came eager to learn more. We knew to expect olives, garbanzos, and large wedges of lemon for squeezing but not much else. As an opening salvo, we received a large rustic Koubz bread (considered a gift from God) with a smooth hummus and a Garlic, Mint, Cucumber & Yogurt dipping sauce that peaked our hunger and fomented conversation. What's in this? Slurp. Wow, that IS good. And more noises of the that ilk...

Shortly thereafter came HUGE platters of steaming food sending heavenly aromas into the air. We dusted it all with the tart flavor of Sumac!  And while sipping pomegranate juice and laughing we ripped into plates so different and yet so delightful, we confirmed we'd be back again soon. But next time we'd bring even more friends. A secret this good must surely be shared!

Shahrazad Market & Restaurant
1615 W. 2100 S. SLC, UT 84119
http://www.facebook.com/shahrazadmarket



Copyright © Mick Huerta 2012. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

Cannella's PIZZA! Two Thumbs Up! Way, Way Up!!!

Cannella's is an old school American-Italian fave in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah. However, currently there's a renaissance happening there. The young Joe Cannella along with Culinary Institute of America grad, Sean Guckian, are shaking up the Out-West Pizza World!

Upon tasting these pies with heady flavor and crispy crust my hard core East Coast friend gasped; "OMG! This is New York, this is New York!" I thought perhaps the style was closer to Pizza Mecca - Napoli. Never one to quibble, it remains best for your taste buds to decide. Fresh & crisp one version is superbly sublime cheese; another sports a fresh salad on top; yet another is perfumed with truffle oil!

These young fellows know well it begins with incredible dough and finishes with the flourishes! And what that will do in your mouth is a matter of getting there and finding out if you can handle all the flavour!!! "OMG, this is New York!" Many thanks to irrepressible New Yorker, Nancy Fillat, for such an apt description and a perfectly quotable line!



Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved
mickhuerta@gmail.com
All Accordin' - Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

Playing with a Little Dead Boy

He was shy at first but the cajoling playfulness of the health worker brought a smile to his face. So many big people in a small house can be worrisome when you’re eighteen months old. But mommy had invited everyone in and was chirping her welcome. She began to peel layers and layers of clothing off the boy to ready him for the monthly session of weighing and measuring, general checkup and check in. And even though the gathering was all business it was conducted in a neighbourly fashion that felt like a social call.

We’d knocked at the front door on a cloudless day sparkling in high altitude blue. Our sizable troupe, comprised of invited representatives and volunteers, tramped into the small space. We came together to learn about projects and build contacts for future collaborations. And fortunately in touring locations, CSRA, an Andean health organization arranged for us to make a house visit to see a child who had been seriously ill. Fits of diarrhea had racked the boy and left him weak, underweight and categorized as high risk. We accompanied the health worker; whose rapport with the family was unmistakable. His reassuring tone and manner put everyone at ease. First assisted by mommy it was hop, hop up onto the scale for weighing then swooped up and laid down onto a height measuring contraption, all appropriate notations and entries were made. Dots were placed on a graph and the information was shared with all present. Efficiency was punctuated by the boy’s giggles and smiles. He thought it great fun.

Then in conversation about the child and his regained health, diet and activity level yet more information was added to the file. All attention had shifted to details provided by mommy. On the sidelines, the little boy brought me a ball and though not sure on his feet, he wanted to play. I took the ball and rolled it to him. He wobbled then steadied himself; he kicked the ball out the door and into the courtyard. With peals of laughter he toddled after it and kicked it again. I blocked with my foot and scooted it back. Kicking it to the older sister, she joined in. More laughter, more fun; the games went on. Inside the adults finished up and initiated their goodbyes as we in the courtyard continued to play and titter and assist the boy in training to “Bend it like Beckham.” Parting pleasantries concluded with a little boy´s hug and a pat on the head, the troupe piled into a waiting vehicle and we began our return journey to the La Paz city center. En route I asked the health worker; “If the family had been left without care, would the boy have survived his illness?”
“No way, he´d have been one dead little boy.”
“So attending to this family and to the child, saved the boy’s life?”
“Señor, without help that little boy would have been just another statistic.”

We all cringed. And with the high infant mortality rate on the Altiplano of Bolivia, I couldn’t help but think I’d been playing soccer with a little dead boy who, thankfully, had been snatched up, protected and saved for more of this life to be lived full on…


Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011. All Rights Reserved.
mickhuerta@gmail.com
Travel, Culture, Food & Wines

Sweet Dreams - Bill & Nada’s Cafe SLC, Ut

On a hot desert afternoon she was in love with her car and insisted on driving. Flying in the top down convertible I saw a street person I had spoken with many times. She liked the idea so we stopped and gathered him up on the way to Bill & Nada’s, a now gone iconic Salt Lake City cafe/diner we both enjoyed but had not visited together. Our guest was withdrawn as we looked over the menu. Noticing the wariness we assured him that he should order anything that appealed simply let the waitress know. As it was one of our very first dates we lightheartedly decided on big omelets, fries, plenty of red Tabasco and long neck bottles of impossibly cold beer. In humble fashion he ordered an inexpensive combo and a glass of water, we attempted to put him at ease. The water and beer arrived right away, sipping we laughed about everything and nothing while waiting for our plates of classic Americana.

“Excuse me. Off to the men’s, won’t be a moment.”

Upon my return a stern face stared through me.

“Let’s go!” she insisted curtly.
“Really?”
“Yes! Now!”

We paid the cashier in silence leaving my street friend in the booth eyes downcast staring at three untouched plates. Alone in the car she explained that our companion had mumbled like a madman over and over all he wanted to eat was her. Tires squealed on asphalt as we pulled away.

“What did you say?”
“I told him to shut up or I’d kill him.”
“Bravo.” …was my only response.

We sped off into the heat, wind in our hair accompanied by Patsy Cline singing Sweet Dreams (of you). Fortunately, we were en route to find sustenance & redemption at the Red Iguana.

(Bill and Nada´s Cafe closed Dec. 20, 1999 after the death of William "Bill" McHenry, Aug. 6, 1999)
Photo credit: Ravel Call

Copyright © Mick Huerta 2011.
All Rights Reserved.
Travel, Culture, Food & Wine!

RED IGUANA - 1,2,3!!!

My dear friend Helen called from her office in Manhattan. She was frustrated that there is so little good Mexican food in the Big Apple! She had just lunched at a new place that promised the flavors of Mexico and delivered frou-frou nothingness on a plate. "Could you, please, just overnight some Mole Poblano from the Red Iguana." she cried over the phone. It was her plea (albeit tongue in cheek) that prompted me to think about my attachment to the Cardenas family and the Red Iguana.

My love of the Red Iguana began decades ago with the first location on 3rd West in Salt Lake City. Ramon Cardenas Jr. served patrons while his parents, Maria and Ramon Sr., conjured up their signature dishes. Sadly that restaurant burnt to the ground but precipitated the move to the current flagship location on North Temple. I met Ramon Jr. in the studios of community radio station KRCL above the Blue Mouse Cinema where we both were DJs in the ‘80s. I subsequently met Lucy Cardenas, his sister, on the campus of the University of Utah. She was then and still is incredibly vivacious and dynamic.

My family, the Huertas, and the Cardenas family would go on to become friends. Over the years, we have shared many experiences and have many tales to tell. They range from Ramon Jr. and my brother Roberto traveling with me through Mexico by bus; to making and eating Pizza Neapolitana with Lucy and her husband Bill in the home of my brother Joe; to the Red Iguana Employee Halloween Pumpkin-Carving Contest where I was the judge for years. The contestants took part in an activity that (unbeknownst to everyone) was part of their cultural acclimation to the USA; or watching the Oscars with Lucy and Ramon Sr. at the old Cardenas family cabin. The evening punctuated by catered foods and fresh margaritas from the Red Iguana.

All the stories flavor our past and our present. And I just don’t know how to separate the people from the food. Passion, big flavors, wonderful aromas and the ever present phrase "Please, be careful the plate is hot!" I believe the adjectives qualify both, food and the people. I will always enjoy the Red Iguana #1 at 736 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT, where after their respective shows we hung out with Santana, Los Lobos and the Paladins. Yet I’ve come to love Red Iguana #2 at 866 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT, same great food but a Choo-Choo train runs through it or rather right outside the front door. Just like the little boy at the next table who asked; “Daddy, when’s the train coming?” I have the same sense of anticipation while I have a meal and keep an eye out for the train. I made a point of going to the "Taste of the Red Iguana" (#3) at 28 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT. The menu is shorter and the food faster but it redefines having something quick to eat in a mall. Nothing better!

Family, food, friends and fun - These are the things I associate with the Red Iguana. Pick a location. Bring your friends and family and expect to make memories. You’ll not be disappointed! Unlike my friend Helen in NYC (who doesn't have Red Iguana 1,2 or 3!).

Photo #1 courtesy of Michael Roberts

In Search of Saffron!

Thus the season begins. I review my ingredients for Paella and notice that the saffron stores are low. Currently, friend and Paella god "Markito" is visiting family in Barcelona and the arrival of saffron is imminent. He is to return in a matter of days which puts me at ease, somewhat.

Hibernate for the winter - then comes the sun. It's the change of season that spins my way of thinking. Spring weather by nature is inclement; cold days followed by brilliant sunshine. Combine the weekend with clear skies and the back-garden will see much activity. Big salads and fresh breads and chunks of cheese to sate the guests 'til the Paella has cooked and been given ten minutes of repose. In the resting, all flavors blend and the rice mellows while sucking up olive oil, saffron and seafood.

Pictured above is a recent Paella made in the home of my good friend Peter. The indoor variety is good but lacks the savoriness of a Paella exposed to smoke. Yes, I long for a wood-fire in the open air to undertake the next Paella but I shall forever remember the words spoken to me by an old man in the south of Spain; "The best Paella, is the one you have in front of you!" I agree wholeheartedly but cooking out of doors and over fire gives flavor to everything. Most notably, it gives flavor to life.

RED IGUANA 2

Red Iguana 2 is a triumph! Everything you've loved about the original location but now they have a (choo-choo) train running just outside the front door! Very cool!

Tamales; Red, Green or with Rajas

Every SATURDAY at 10am, a Mexican family (husband and wife - Rey & Emperatriz) arrives at the Super Bodega in SLC, UT to sell fresh handmade tamales (they're up all Friday night cooking). When presented with the steaming pots there are a few choices to make: cheese, chicken or pork, also, corn husk or banana leaf. Top your selection with the fresh Green Salsa (not really picante but packs big flavor with a mince of cilantro, red onion and garlic). After eating your fill, visit the bodega to buy a large variety of vegetables at wholesale prices. You'll never need to pay retail supermarket prices, again! Best avocado prices anywhere!

This is one of those moments where you wonder how you were transported to another country and another time. Welcome to Mexico, would you like some mango juice to finish your meal? The Super Bodega, 6th South 6th West, SLC UT