How to make your man stare at you in wonder.
(The bad way.)
This afternoon, between my nervous breakdowns over the next chemistry test on Tuesday, “Rupert” and I were talking about food in England. I told him that I keep hearing that it sucks.
He’s been talking to several of his co-workers who live there and he says they say that it’s not so bad because after all, there are Italian restaurants there, as well as Greek and Thai and whatever else.
But I was cranky and didn’t care about all that. I wanted to know about the Mexican food. And that is where we hit a wall.
Paraphrasing Rupert: Honey, I Googled and asked around. There isn’t going to be any Mexican food in England. Please don’t kill yourself.
I stood there with my hands on my hips and belligerently asked him what the hell is wrong with the British people. Why no Mexican food? Are they insane or simply evil? Don’t they see? Don’t they know how very delicious Mexican food is?
And I’m not talking about Taco Bell; I’m talking about quality Mexican fare. Those little places run by real Mexicans that are all over the place here in Texas, those places that make you pass out on their enchiladas and tamales.
NO, said Rupert firmly and with more than a little despair. None of that there. Get hold of yourself, woman.
Then I asked the most idiotic question I’ve ever asked in my entire life, which is a great achievement:
“Do you think they have Mexican restaurants in Spain, at least?”
As soon as I said it, I knew how dumb it was, but that never stopped me before so I acted like I expected a real answer. But all Rupert could do was laugh out loud (he LOL’ed, he sure did) and then ask me to please just leave the room before I embarrassed myself any further. Which was good advice, and I wandered away while fantasizing about queso con carne and tamales de pollo.
Hours later, I still want some nachos.
It’s more Tex-Mex than full-on Mexician food, but there’s the Texas Embassy in London, a short walk from Trafalagar Square. I remember it having enchiladas and burritos, so they should have nachos.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 pmESTI find it intensely amusing that a post about how England has no Mexican restaurants would be filed under the “Britain Surrenders” category.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:35 pmEST…and do a Google search for Mexican restaurants in England. If there’s not at the least a dozen in the entire country, we’d better ramp up this globalization thing.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:36 pmESTDon’t worry, there seem to be plenty. Also there are many Indian (Tandoori), Greek, and Middle Eastern places.
Native British food itself is basically what we think of as “home cooking.” There are a few differences, but it’s the same roast beef, mashed potatoes, boiled veggies, and so on that your grandma used to make, if your grandma was descended from Anglo-Scotch-Irish settlers like mine was. And their desserts are to die for — yes, even the ones with peculiar names like “spotted dick” — that is, I believe, some sort of bread pudding studded with raisins and soaked with custard. Oh god, English custard. It is to die for. Also all their tarts and cupcakes or whatever those things are with whipped cream all over them. And try clotted cream on your scones. (You WILL eat the scones. They are food of the gods.)
Jeez, I think I just gained five pounds typing this.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:44 pmEST15 years ago, they didn’t know about American popcorn either, according to my nephew. So, be prepared for that, too. (Gee thanks. Now I’m hungry for Mexican food with a Corona / popcorn movie chaser.)
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:47 pmESTYou’ll find some approximations. Get ready for a lot of ground beef and cheese. You will have access to the necessary raw materials, don’t recall if you’ve ever said if you’re much for cooking. If not, it might be a good time to start. Real Mexican food is really pretty easy.
The upside is, you’re going to Indian food heaven! You’ll have access to much better diversity of Indian cuisine than anywhere in the US. Over here, the different regional styles are generally all lumped together like Chinese food is. You’ll be able to drill down right to your favorite style over there!
Joe
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:57 pmESTCake or death!
LOL!!!
Here’s one with American sports on the telly too: The Texas Embassy and Harrod’s usually has a tiny selection of Old El Paso fixin’s for ex-Pats.
[Edit] Woah! click on their story. Awesome!
What Andrea said, don’t worry you will be stuffin’ yer gob with all manner of tasty goodies and whining about missing them when you eventually return to the US. I still long for freshly baked scones, strawberry preserves and clotted cream.
*Sigh*
Excellent Indian food is just about everywhere, think pork vindaloo. One can never go wrong with chiles and pork.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:11 pmESTJust askin’, is the following an oxymoron?
“Fine English cuisine”
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:22 pmESTDuuh. Spain is a long commute, and you’d probly be disappointed. The Mexican food you’re used to (and the dumbed-down Taco Bell variety, too) is a Native American cuisine. From the little I’ve read, real Spanish cooking is a lot different. A lot blander, more Euro. Any experience, anybody?
Sign up, and get over it. It probly won’t be as bad as you think. Or ditch Rupert and marry someone who isn’t going anywhere, like, say, me. /sarcasm
On that very topic, thanx to those who noted my announcement last thread.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:37 pmESTNo doubt about it, Rachel. You’re all woman.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 pmESTSedate yourself before googling for smoked brisket.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:40 pmESTI’ve eaten spanish food in a good restaurant in Houston. It reminded me a little of italian food. I had a really excellent loaf of bread, and I dipped pieces of it in a small bowl of molten goat cheese topped with what tasted like marinara sauce. That and a multi-layer sandwich that looked like compressed composite armor from an M1A1, but tasted like a very good grilled panini.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:46 pmESTduh, you racist contrarian broad, good mexican food requires ILLEGAL immigrants.
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 pmESTsee, they are good for something besides washing dishes and mowing lawns.
There is good food to be found in London and pub food now is far superior to what I had on my first trip to England in 1975. But the secret is to go to Scotland. Now they got some good eats there. No Messican, sorry, but lots of good salmon, haddock, pork, lamb, bangers, tatties, ale and single malts. Get thee hence to Edinburgh to the Braid Hills hotel pub. And to Glasgow for a deep fried Snicker.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:17 pmESTSpain is THE foodie hot spot, the most creative food and hottest young chefs are in Spain at the moment. The traditional regional food is wonderful too, especially seafood or pork dishes. Spaniards like them some pork, yes they do.
This is mighty fine English cuisine.
Chef Marco Pierre White has made reviving traditional British cooking and using local ingredients a mission after turning in his three Michelin stars and buying The Yew Tree Inn.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 pmESTAs odd as it sounds, I ran into Mexican food in Dubai & Abu Dhabi, UAE, and in Bogota, Columbia. So there might be some there. Somewhere. I’d check near American military bases.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:30 pmESTSpanish food not to be missed:
Paella. Pollo con patatas fritas (rotisseried chicken and french fries, both done in olive oil). Prawns the size of (not so) small lobsters. Seafood!
Oh and let’s not forget tapas hopping.
Damn I miss Spain.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:35 pmESTThe Spanish food is much blander, ane is well known that it is.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 pmESTNo prob, Rachel. You can buy some of the fixin’s for your cravings over there. You’ll find tortillas and taco shells and all that stuff. Get your folks to send you the spices and things - CILANTRO was one thing I never could find in france. Spices and such aren’t heavy and won’t cost a lot to send.
Years and years ago, having moved to france, tacos were the first thing I missed. And cheddar cheese!!!! And cream cheese!!!! And sour cream!!!We used to drive about 3 hours away to a specialty (and expensive) shop that catered to people like me. They sold Dr Pepper and taco shells and maple syrup to go with the pancake mix. Finally found cream cheese in Jersey, in the Channel Islands.
Whatever you do, don’t offer to make tea for anyone British and then pop a cup of hot water in the microwave. They do make tea better than we do and PG Tips are my favorite.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 pmESTI haven’t had it, but a friend from England says the closest thing they have to Mexican food is a Scottish delicacy called “haggis”.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:44 pmESTCilantro is just fresh Coriander which should be available most anywhere.
November 22nd, 2008 at 10:53 pmESTYes, they do have Taco Bells over there (if you’re willing to settle). Speaking of the UK, I can’t believe you haven’t blogged about the “Baby P” tragedy. It is the story right now, and will drive you to equal parts tears and outrage. You won’t believe what a so-called “mother” and her sadistic, live-in boyfriend did to a small toddler.
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:30 pmESTWhen I lived in London 20 years ago, there used to be a Tex-Mex place in South Kensington called “Texas Star Fajita Bar”. Fear not, Fair Rachel: Try a search under Tex-Mex and you’ll have better luck, as I did:
1) Chimichanga UK: http://www.chimichanga.co.uk/index.html
2) Texas Embassy Cantina, in London’s Soho:
http://www.thelondonrestaurantreview.co.uk/displayrecord2.asp?RecType=2&EntryID=685
3) UrbanSpoon.com has several listed all over London:
http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/52/5161/London/Tex-Mex-restaurants
What can I say? I’m a Giver!
Also, if you and The Rupert will be living near London, you simply have to go to Siam Food Gallery in Virginia Water, in Surrey (http://www.yourbestlocal.com/Siam-gu25/restmore.asp). Gorgeous interiors combined with exquisite Thai food.
Brendan mentions the “Baby P” story: it is quite simply a beyond-horrifying story of neglect on the part of those entrusted to protect children. The Harringuey Council has ‘apologized’, as if that makes their negligence somehow forgivable. Don’t read it unless you’ve taken a drug that will make you forget what you’ve just read. It’s that haunting.
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:39 pmESTYeah - that Texas Embassy place wasn’t bad.
Yes, I spent 2 days in London and one of my meals was at the Texas Embassy. The local food is just that bad.
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 pmESTAlso, following your acing the Chem test, pick up an issue of “Olive” as a treat for yourself. It’s an English food, travel and restaurant magazine that I am able to buy at my local Barnes & Noble or Borders. It will set you to rights about what you have to look forward to once you are settled in the UK. Twenty years ago, English Cuisine was ina sad state. Nowadays, there’s so much choice and most of it is wonderful!
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:48 pmESTI lived in London from 88-89 and there used to be a Chi-Chi’s in Trafalgar Square, I think (I wonder if it’s the Texas Embassy now?) It was a northeastern chain that has since gone belly-up. My first two weeks there we must have gone there five times. It sucked, but at least it was something!
Langtry, I think we went to that place also (Texas Star Fajita Bar) and I remember that it was awful. We asked for jalapenos and the waitress didn’t have a clue what they were.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 amESTRachel,
I’m a Texan-in-Exile in New Jersey. Traveled to London many times in the past 20 years and the Texas Star in Kensington is passable Tex-Mex. Give it a try if you are near there.
My favorite restaurant to recommend in London is the Blue Elephant. Thai food with beautiful ambiance - if a bit pricey.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:11 amESTWhen you get to the island, just create an Amazon wishlist and share it. We can all offload various necessities that way, and you can have your proper nachos.
However, one thing the Brits do right is bacon.
Plus, many English foods sound pornographic. Open up a can of spotted dick! Order some bangers n’ mash! Fish out the toad in the hole! Keep in mind that the further north you are, the more likely your meal may consist of various digestive organs rather than muscle tissue.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 amESTTwo words - Texas Embassy.
When I lived in London it was where I would go to fight off the occasional bout of homesickness. Now when I go there I visit with a sense of ‘London nostalgia’.
It’s funny the things you miss when living in the UK. I missed American chocolate (yes, I know European chocolate is ‘better’ but I wanted my Hersheys), Coke made with Corn syrup instead of sugar, Lemonade (just a container of Countrytime powder in the cabinet made that feeling go away) and fluffernutter sandwiches (which I really don’t like more than once a year… until I can’t get one)
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 amESTActually, the question about Mexican food in Spain isn’t that dumb of a question.
First, the food in Spain is among the best in the world, so you wouldn’t miss Mexican food even if it were close to England.
Second, the food in Spain is entirely different from Mexican food. The flavors in Spain are very subtle in comparison to American or Mexican style food.
Anecdote illustrating my point. A friend of mine lives in Málaga, Spain. I went to visit her and she and her friends took me to a Mexican restaurant one time. The woman sitting next to me (a very beautiful woman because they are all very beautiful in Spain) told me that her burrito was extremely spicy. I told her that my enchilada was not spicy at all, in fact it was quite bland. We tasted each others’ food and her burrito was even blander than my enchilada.
Spanish take their food very very seriously. In fact it’s quite an insult, so I’m told, to say about someone that the village they are from makes bad bread. I haven’t been there in about 8 years, but I still have dreams about their food. England? Not so much.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:23 amESTHere’s a novel idea…how about learning to cook Mexican food yourself?
Hey, if this white girl (meaning me) can make tamales, carnitas, and mexican rice that my husband (who grew up a rocks throw from Tijuana)) literally drools for, anyone can.
I make 5 different kinds of amazing salsas too.
Don’t have the right spices or chiles? Grow yer own. Onions, tomatoes, beans, rice. Other than that, it’s just a lot of slow roasted or bar-b-qued meats.
Currently, I am learning to can for the upcoming food shortage that my husband says is right around the corner. I started with acidic veggies like tomatoes, and am working my way towards meats and such. Kind of scary canning meat though.
Like with most anything else in this life, sometimes you just have to do it yourself.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:26 amESTBack in 1990, I had Mexican food in Paris and Chinese food in Rome. And the best Italian food I had was in Switzerland.
Nothing surprised me after that combination.
But I have to agree with other posters, you will have some time on your hands. Learn to cook. Nothing beats homemade!!!!!!
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:45 amESTDon’t forget the porco con chili verde…!
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:59 amESTrachel darling, you can’t think like that. living overseas 20 of the last 30 years (Japan and Germany), take it from me, you just have to look at this as an opportunity to experience new things. mexican food will still be here when you get back.
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 amESTI told Tim M that you were moving to England, and after he stopped laughing ( it took a while ) he told me to tell you to do what Roger Simon suggested- move to France instead. They’re more conservative and the food’s better.
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:33 amESTActually according to Google there are Mexican restaurants in Glasgow — or at least they call themselves Mexican. This isn’t the 80’s anymore — the UK has become quite civilized. Just keep in mind that what we think of as “Salisbury steak” might turn up on menus as “hamburger.” (Though yes, they have discovered American-style hamburgers, and not just McDonald’s either.) Also, they call shrimp “prawns.”
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:40 amESTRach,
Two words: Market. Opportunity. The Brits are primed for it with Indian curry an kabobs. You can do it!
UPDATE:
There seem to be plenty of Mex places in London:
Here
November 23rd, 2008 at 2:49 amESTOkay, note to self: a new Berlin Airlift operation — call it Operation Saddest Bee — should be organized as quickly as possible in order to regularly provide appropriate spices and frozen entrees from Campuzanos, Don Jose’s, Gloria’s and El Fenix on a semi-regular basis to Ms. Lucas. . . .
November 23rd, 2008 at 3:07 amESTMexican restaurants do exist in the UK, if one looks hard enough. I did a semester abroad at the University of East Anglia. For my birthday, my flatmates, knowing how much I’d been craving Mexican food, kindly took me out to the one Mexican restaurant in Norwich.
It was, uh, interesting. It was Mexican as seen through a middle class, British lens. There were peas, cabbage, and chopped carrots my burrito. The rice was kind of a brown-rice pilaf sort of thing. The sangria was basically just bottom-shelf red wine with a few sad chunks of orange floating in it.
All in all, it was Mexican food, but just barely.
November 23rd, 2008 at 3:24 amESTMexican food is great and all….but I’m still trying to figure out why Rupert wears leg warmers…
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:53 amESTWhile there may be one or two Mexican joints in the British Isles — oh and I’m sure they’re just “fine” — (“Would you loik some vinegar for your flatbread Hispanic-stoyle chips, luv”?) — COME ON. When you’re out and about and just want a quick cheap nomnomnom in the drivethru, you’re going to be burrito-supremely FUCKED.
Someone had to say it. I just did.
CLEARLY, then, the only real solution is to contact Taco Bell and see if they are ready to expand the franchise to England. It doesn’t look like they have thought that far ahead. I guess there could be a few “demand” issues as well.
The parent company’s thought about UK Pizza Hut, but not T Bell. YET. “Contact form.” Heh.
I could eat Mexican food EVERY DAY, for ALL meals, for the rest of my life. I am not kidding.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:09 amESTI’m glad Dogette said it so I don’t have to.
I appreciate when I’m facing a bad situation and people try to make me feel better about the whole thing, but I want to know 100% of the bad on the front end so I won’t be surprised.
In my travels I always tried my best to eat the local cuisine. As long as it was edible. Notice the emphasis.
Yeah, there are probably places that call themselves Mex. Maybe even Tex-Mex. Actually I’d have that Texas Embassy on my list for emergencies, looked promising.
Truth is though, as far as I’ve been able to glean the only place you can get real TexMex is Texas. I don’t care what the sign outside says.
Brace yourself. Sit down. Ready? Here it is. Only a tiny fraction of a percent of the people in the United States even know what TexMex is!
Even here in the states 10 years ago when I was still traveling a lot I was appalled that you couldn’t get TexMex across the southeast, even in New Mexico and Arizona. I mean, isn’t TexMex sort of the basic grub served everywhere? I am here to sadly tell you it is not.
NMex and Arizona have their own version of Mex which I call “southwest”, but it isn’t TexMex. Blistering hot enchiladas (hot enough to make you pour sweat) served with a fried egg on top, that sort of thing. Its actually pretty good food I thought. Its not TexMex though.
And in none of those places is anyone going to put a big steaming pile of sheep guts on a plate in front of you.
You can make TexMex, as others have said. I make quite good TexMex, flautas, fajitas, etc. Not that hard, takes the right ingredients of course. You may want to learn how to make fresh flour tortillas if you are a real TexMex snob like me. Even if you are not inclined to learn it you might want to get some recipes and take them with you. Just in case.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 amESTI think dear old Rupert was just fucking with you on this because as Seppo and several others have mentioned our own google search turned up lots of mexican places to eat at in England.
Now besides that I have come upon a way to solve our illegal immigration problem and give England a seemingly unlimited supply of mexican restaurant workers. We simply place signs all along our southern border that say the following in spanish: Go to England you stupid fuckers, that government gives away 10 times more free shit compared to the United States.
We might have to supply a few large boats to help them get started but hey what the hell, that seems reasonable!
This might work so well that we could print a few thousand in english and put them in downtown Detroit and San Francisco.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:41 amESTRachel, anywhere where you find American G.I.s, you’ll find a mexican restaurant. There was a really good one near Ramstein AB in Germany; I’m sure if you do a little research once you get over there, you’ll find a few.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:40 amESTA whole list of Mexican restarants in London.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 amESTDepending on how adventurous you are, the Fat Duck in London is the place to go for British cuisine at its finest. Snail porridge, bacon and egg ice cream, jellied tea, parsnip cereal, etc. Apparently, it is so popular it is booked months in advance. This is the menu, which needs to be seen to be believed: http://www.fatduck.co.uk/
There is a review here: http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/may/29spec.htm
Speaking of what one misses abroad– I lived in Germany for two years back in the 70s. I found myself missing peanut butter (which I had never eaten very regularly) and grits!
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:08 amESTDepending on how adventurous you are, The Fat Duck in Berkshire is the place to go for British cuisine at its finest. Snail porridge, bacon and egg ice cream, jellied tea, parsnip cereal, etc. Apparently, it is so popular it is booked months in advance. This is the menu, which needs to be seen to be believed, particularly the “tasting menu”: http://www.fatduck.co.uk/ (The menu link is on the right in the faintest possible color.)
There is a review here: http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/may/29spec.htm
Speaking of what one misses abroad– I lived in Germany for two years back in the 70s. I found myself missing peanut butter (which I had never eaten very regularly) and grits!
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 amESTEchoing previous comments…Yes, it’s Indian food heaven in old Blighty. I love Mexican, and I love Indian, and if I had to go without one I’d make it as long as I had the other.
Beware of “English Breakfast,” though. Baked beans + boiled tomato = WTF?
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:22 amESTActually, when I lived in a small town in Spain, there was a Mexican restaurant, owned by a Mexican gentleman and run by him and his Spanish wife, a couple of blocks away from my house. And it was good, authentic Mexican food (as in, Mexican, not Tex-Mex, which I prefer).
That being said, there’s plenty of tasty “native” food in Britain (and Spain). You just have to figure out what it is. Not necessarily haute cuisine, but just plain ol’ good food.
Bangers and mash. Yum.
Fish and chips (and they ain’t nuthin’ like what you’ve had in the States).
Bubble and squeak on Boxing Day, made from the Christmas dinner leftovers. Ahh.
Plenty of good food in England, before you even start going to Chinese and Indian restaurants (which are also fantastic).
So even if you crap out and there isn’t a decent Mexican restaurant near you, there’s still plenty of good food to be had.
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:34 amESTWith the help of Google, I found this site, which is a guide to London restaurants. The “Cuisine” drop-down menu includes Mexican. Click on that and a list of over 40 Mexican restaurants pops up, sorted by area of town. Each listing has a link to reviews, maps, pictures, and the restaurant’s web site if available.
Enjoy!
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 amESTRaquelita mi hijita,
Bring a few cans of chipotle chiles, maybe a few bags of dried chile serrano, chile ancho, chile guajilla, and over there you can probably purchase a few ounces of cumin. That’s really all you need. I doubt you’ll get any ready-made tortillas, much less fresh ones from a tortilleria, but you never know. I’m sure you’ll find some kind of corn-chipoid snaks. Get a hold of a few good Mexican cookbooks — I think Diana Kennedy has a pretty good one — you can make all that stuff at home. I might even be able to find my ex, a Brit who lived in Mexico same time as I did, and put you guys in touch. Her name is also Rachel. You two would be deadly fun together, I bet.
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 amESTJust do it the MEU way and take what you need with you.
Get yourself a crate and fill it up with gallon sized cans of liquid nacho cheese, boxes of Taco Bell taco shells, bags and jars of spices and herbs and jars of pickled jalapenos.
They make beef and chicken where ever you go, so no need to pack up critter parts or pieces in the crate.
Oh, and if you ever really want something to mess with the local furrin deveel’s heads, have em over for dinner one night and provide jalapenos dipped in mayo and sprinkled with chili poweder for hors d’eouvers.
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:16 amESTAfter three weeks in Europe, the Texas Embassy next to the British Museum was a godsend. i was having withdrawals. It tasted great; however with hindsight it was a “fair to middlin’” place compared to Tex Mex here in Texas.
And speaking of Texas Embassy, there is a plaque on the side of Berry Brothers Wine Shop in St. Charles that commemorates the only embassy the Republic of Texas had. Pretty good wine there too.
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:17 amESTI passed at least one Texan restaurant in London (haven’t been inside)- see http://creakypavillion.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/yes-i-do-have-regrets/
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:47 amESTSeveral years ago in Edinburgh, my husband and I stopped into a “Mexican” restaurant at the bottom of the Royal Mile. We knew it had to be a joke, and it was. The beef in the taco was covered in barbecue sauce. We had a good chuckle over the experience. My husband started plotting how we could open a Mexican restaurant somewhere in the UK.
Also tried a version of Texas chili in a pub in Lindesfarne. It was even blander than most of the stuff you find here.
As far as Mexican food, you’re probably on your own, but you will find all sorts of good Chinese and Indian restaurants. The general pub far is usually very tasty, too.
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:21 amESTre: Spain, this from one site:
Mexican restaurants are fairly popular in Madrid, with at least five good ones located around the city centre. One of the best is Rosalinda (Tel: 91 576 34 82), which makes homemade Mexican food. The cosy, warm atmosphere and the spicy, wholesome food are the perfect ingredients for those wanting to spend an evening meal in real comfort. You can get to it by getting off at the Goya metro stop, then heading to Duque de Sesto, 40.
You can also try the Tex-Mex restaurant called Sí Señor at Pº Castellana, 128. Call them on Tel: 91 564 06 04 to book a table, just in case there isn’t one available on the night you plan to go. It’s a very easy to find the venue, as it is based in the Castellana zone and is just near the Plaza Castilla metro. Patrons here will find a lively, fun-filled atmosphere, along with quality food at reasonable prices.
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:40 amESTCome on now, don’t be like that Matthew Engel fellow who came over here and couldn’t find a restaurant besides Olive Garden! Read reviews, talk to the locals. You might be surprised at what you find out.
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:54 amESTIf she is to be herself, Rachel must have piquancy; Cilantro is essential!
I’m betting that decent grocers will carry it, perhaps under another name. If not, then I wouldn’t try to import it — taking ag products through customs can be problematic! If the ‘pwace’ you ‘went’ in the U.K. has at least one decent windowsill, though, you can certainly grow your own!
Sadly, dogette’s right (no shock there!) about the instant comfort aspect — you will need to make finding a suitable substitute a first priority (and blog about it, of course!).
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 amESTTake a Mexican cookbook with you…cooking Mexican food is easy.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:08 pmESTRachel, we’re talking about you, behind your back, on Melissa Clouthier’s blog
Rachel Said If Obama Won She Was Leaving The Country
(I’m Paul Gordon in the comments there)
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:56 pmESTGlenn,
You are a patient man. Before you despair of their future, remember, Girlchild had, as her model for marriage, you and Joyce.
(Also, ummm, College Girl’s boyfriend? Is 23 and doesn’t have a driver’s license — oy! They’re supposed to give us nervous ticks — that’s why we gave them life, right?)
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:23 pmESTfelicity is right. When I moved to NYC in 1979 there wasn’t a Mexican restaurant to be found. There was a Puerto Rican bodega on 14th Street that sold a limited amount of Mexican items, so I made frequent pilgrimages there to stock up on canned goods. They had no cilantro, though.
I was later astonished to find cilantro in just about every Asian green grocer/deli in NYC. It was called “Chinese parsley”.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:26 pmESTMy friend Meg spent a year in England, and one of the things she missed most was Mexican food. She finally resorted to making her own (paragraph titled “Wishful Thinking Cuisine”). She ordered the ingredients from Tesco.
Happy Cooking!
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:32 pmESTCilantro is also called coriander, I believe, so you should be able to get it there. Coriander is a staple in Indian food, so they should have it in one of the ethnic markets.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:34 pmESTMy twin brother is working in a small town in England as a nuclear engineer and the first thing he noticed was how terrible and bland most of the food is there. But the good thing: he said he’s cooking more at home rather than going out for dinner all the time, which saves him some dough. He also said the Brits he has encountered so far aren’t very friendly. He lived in Prague for years and loved it there, the people were great, but had to move to England for the job. He would go out to the English pubs and no one would speak to him at all he says. More difficult to make friends there he says.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:49 pmESTOh, and Rachel,
If you do need to grow your own veg and/or herbs — heck, even when you’re just shopping for them! — you’ll find some of the names will be very different. Everybody knows the Brits call eggplant “aubergine”, right? But did you know they call peppers and chilis by their genus name, “capsicum”?
Oh, the grocery blogging. Can. Not. Wait.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pmESTI think I’d crawl into a little hole and die if there were no Mexican food where I live!
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:52 pmEST+1 to the suggestion to learn how to cook it yourself. Rachel, meet Rick Bayless. If you do better with TV presentations, for rather more moolah you can do that too. Rick is a wonderfully obsessive perfectionist who’s been ALL OVER Mexico and spent massive amounts of time there figuring out the essentials of the cuisine and the various sub-types. Tex-Mex it ain’t, but real Mex? Oh yeah.
Tip two, discover the world of the food bloggers. There’s a pretty big web culture of chow-hounds that make their bones searching out the best places to eat in their corners of the world- and yes, really good food in the UK is no longer a contradiction in terms, if it ever was. It definitely helps to appreciate novelty, though- I see a lot of comments bashing on haggis, for example, but y’know? Just because it wasn’t a muscle meat doesn’t mean it *tastes bad*. (And the “English breakfast” involving grilled tomatoes, toast, smoked fish, and beans? I liked it.)
ETA: Here, have a UK foodblogger starting point: Eat Like A Girl, An American In London
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:52 pmESTThe Spousal unit and I feel the same way about Korean food…we MUST have kimchi on a regular basis or our gut ceases to function properly. I learned to make kimchi, a very good bulgogi with an array of panchan and pork jjigae. Which reminds me that the Brits say bean shoots, not sprouts.
We can usually find passable Korean food near American military bases. Korean food can be hard to come by in the US too.
BTW- We drove I-10 across country in March and had the best enchiladas and chile verde evah with fresh handmade tortillas at a local joint near a truck stop between Las Cruces and Deming.
We look for the places with parked pickup trucks in front when on the road…where ever the locals eat is usually good and cheap. We were the only non-locals in the joint as people turning off the freeway stopped at the Wendy’s next to the gas station on the frontage road.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:07 pmESTI can’t mail restaurant food to England, but I can mail the fixings, you supply the fresh stuff. Use soft shells for packaging your household stuff, if your taking any. Can goods can be packed in your carry on. Just not sure that you can pack enough for your lengthy stay.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:12 pmESTWe have Mexican restaurants in New Zealand, but people who knew otherwise had always said that the food wasn’t much chop compared to the real macoy (and I’d always thought Mexican food was rubbish). It wasn’t till I was living in Tokyo that I discovered a restaurant that served ‘real’ Mexican food.
Suddenly I got it. Oh how I got it.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:28 pmESTOne more thing — Indians use cilantro, especially in the biryanis, so it should be available over there considering how many people from India live in England. There’s this program on BBC America (don’t know if your cable service offers that channel) called “You Are What You Eat,” where this nutritionist takes British fatties and weans them off their diets of deep-fried cholesterol and gets them to eat veggies. Part of the show usually shows them in the produce section of the local markets (and they do have supermarkets as well as open-air markets that are better) gathering up all kinds of veggies, and she’s big on things like chickpeas and stuff. The only thing you need to watch out for are different names for the things, and all the stuff is weighed in metric, unless they’ve relaxed the EU nazi nanny laws and let them go back to imperial. Anyway, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding most ingredients, though many things may cost much more than they do here. I don’t know the pricing scale.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:33 pmESTThose Mexicans are legal, right? RIGHT?
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:36 pmESTHmm. Should I take the hint? I left a comment this a.m. that ended up in moderation (despite its absolutely PG rating) and it is nowhere to be seen. I can sum it up in two words:
Fat Duck
Check out the “Tasting Menu”. Snail porridge, bacon and egg ice cream, etc!
Oops. I see the original post is still in moderation. Oh well. The condensed version here will do fine.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:44 pmESTWell, there’s always blood sausage and Yorkshire pudding to tide you over. ::sob::
But there are a great number of really fine beers in England and Scotland, which is good, cause you’re gonna need ‘em.
One thought: when you get to Edinburgh, be sure to grab a bottle of William Wallace Malt Whiskey Liqueur. It’s fabulous stuff, and you’ll feel it all the way down to your stomach, where it will immolate that Haggis shit the Scottish make.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:54 pmESTEasy! get yourself a Jane Butel mexican cookbook and pack masa harina meal and dried pintos and black beans in your kit before you head out. I lived in British territories for 7 years and made out fine. In fact, I learned to love cooking Mexican. You’ll have no trouble buying spices in England. And what a great way to get to meet people!
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:16 pmESTBut I bet you’ll be having such a blast eating Indian that you won’t miss it as much as you think now.
Can you explain to this ignorant soul what the appeal of kimchi is? And maybe an idea of what it tastes like? If that’s really possible, since I know there are different kinds.
I’ve never eaten it, but I’ve seen it, and I think it looks terrible. But it must not be, if it’s eaten with every meal.
After all, peanut butter looks pretty nasty too, but I love it.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:14 pmESTKimchi is a spicy fermented cabbage which is wonderous and difficult to explain to the uninitiated. Think of saurkruat, minus the vinegar, with some spice and heat. Sorta.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:09 pmEST*giggle* I’m glad I’m not the only one who asks questions like that … sometimes my brain needs time to catch up with my mouth.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:34 pmESTLearn to cook, hon. It ain’t hard to make tortillas, etc…. Just have your relatives ship you Gebhardt’s chile powder, etc….
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:07 pmESTKimchi is fermented vegetables with spices and heat. Some is almost bland and some will toast your windpipe.
Old story is that rural Koreans made it in large clay pots which they sealed and buried under their dirt floors to keep the house warm.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pmESTI still have the burn scars on my neck from getting a massage after lunch from a korean masseuse.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:32 pmESTNot that Glenn was right- Spanish food will be like a wet sponge compared to Tex-Mex.
You don’t eat Messican food there in Dallas- you eat what I do in Houston, which is Texas food made by brownies. It’s far, far, far more spicy and interesting than Messican food, which is in turn far far more interesting and spicy than Spanish food. So much better, in fact, that Tex-Mex has infested Mexico proper because duh, it’s better.
And it is the food of the Gods. Fucking Brits, this is proof of our racial superiority.
Addendum- I mean native Spanish food, of course. The Spanish are masters of everyone else’s food, and you will NOT be disappointed by nearly ANY other cooked meals. The Spaniards say they do everyone’s food better than the people who they took it from, and it’s hard to argue with them.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:39 pmESTUmm…so ARE there any Mexican restaurants in Spain or not ?
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:50 pmESTHere ya go Rachel, just because I care.
http://www.buenofoods.com/
You can order their stuff online and have it shipped. Best Mexican ingredients you can get in New Mexico. You could also pick up the Red Chili Bible and the Green Chili Bible from Amazon and get your cooking on over there and impress everyone.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:51 pmESTLike Andrea says up top, what Britain lacks in Mexican immigrants it more than makes up for with Indian immigrants. You might find authentic Indian food, particularly the spicy stuff from the vicinity of Madras, to be just what you need.
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 pmESTWhen my sister lived in Holland I used to send her care packages of cans of jalapenos and other mexi type foods. For her wedding the caterer was told to serve tortillas with the sauteed chicken, steak, and chilis, but served CREPES. Yes we had fajitas on crepes at my sister’s wedding reception.
Get some recipes before you go, and get your family to send you boxes of ingredients. I suspect it’s gonna be a DIY mexican restaurant for you.
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 pmESTMy father, who’s career took him to almost every country on the planet, laid down for me one inviolable rule:
November 24th, 2008 at 12:05 amEST“There’s ALWAYS a good Mexican restaurant near the airport.”
He gave me this wisdom after returning from Fairbanks, Alaska, which (at least in the 70’s) did have an excellent Mexican eatery near the airport.
Of course, I never thought to ask him about some of the other out-of-the-way places he went to:
Bodo, Norway.
Saudi Arabia.
Punta Arenas, Chile.
New Delhi.
La Paz, Bolivia.
Fort Churchill, Canada.
Point Barrow, Alaska.
Jakarta, Indonesia.
London.
Toulouse.
Guatemala.
Barbados.
Tokyo.
Denver.
Washington DC.
Give us your address when you get there. We’ll send you care packages and a Mexican food cookbook. It will be ok. Be of good cheer.
Also you should know about clotted cream. It tastes like very mild cream cheese but is spread on everything like butter. It’s the best thing the cow ever did. You’ll be ok, sweetie.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:03 amESTYou can get ‘cilantro’ everywhere, in virtually every supermarket, not just in specialty Asian shops. It’s just that it’s called ‘coriander’.
November 24th, 2008 at 3:09 amESTI too was amused by the category this was posted under — Brain Surrenders. But then I realized I was dyslexic, which of course is not funny.
November 24th, 2008 at 6:51 amESTVeering off topic wildly . . .
I remember ordering a “lunch special” sandwich on a train just north of London. Definitely NOT nomnomnom:
2 pieces of the whitest bread in the world, with NO CRUSTS.
2 THIN THIN THIN slices of pallid, sickly, pinkish, dried-out tomato. (You could see through it.)
1 slice of PROcessed cheese-like substance.
1 ultra-thin slice of cucumber.
Oh what hearty fare. I got back to London and hit the Burger King in Piccadilly.
November 24th, 2008 at 7:26 amESTWell, mild and bland food aside, you get to start telling British jokes on the other side the pond.
Q: How do you make an Englishman happy in his old age?
A: Tell him a joke when he’s young.
November 24th, 2008 at 8:09 amESTEngland is notorious for terrible food. This is largely an undeserved reputation England has a rich gastronomic history which only more recently went dormant, and more recently still, the foodies have revived. Seek out good English food, I hope yo won’t be disappointed.
November 24th, 2008 at 8:23 amESTWe only eat at Mexican restaurants where they post the employees’ Green Cards on the wall behind the counter, for the convenience of INS.
Another rule: If they charge more than $9 for anything, it ain’t REAL Mexican.
November 24th, 2008 at 8:48 amESTSounds like a business opportunity. Better get started soon before capitalism in England is a quaint memory.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:19 amESTYou are beyond funny! When you go to Spain, you’ll get to eat tapas…and while it isn’t as spicy-tummy-filling with it’s goodness as good ole Mexican food, it is quite tasty. Also? You can drink sangria by the pitcherfulls. Try out the Manchego cheese. Nomnomnomnom.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:28 amESTHey, it ain’t just the furriners that don’t have good Mexican food within reach. My little town (one stoplight, downtown 1 block long) has 4 (yes, four) places to get pizza and 2 to get subs, but no Mexican food to be found. My favorite Mexican restaraunt is about 70 miles away (Xochimilco’s by the Ambassador Bridge for any SE Michganders–24th & Bagley) and I don’t have the occasion to get there much. Used to eat there 1-2 times per week. Miss it sooo much. So thanks to all for the great suggestions of cookbooks, websites, etc.!
OT–Whittle has his take on corporate training (indoctrination) sessions over at E!E!E! He Whittlizes it beautifully.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:33 amESTDoesn’t seem o/t at all. John Montagu, 4th Earl Sandwich, used to order up sliced meat and bread for himself at the gaming table. Thus, a “sandwich.”
What you convey is, in spite of hosting the invention, the Brits have completely brainfarted on the concept.
HA! There’s an “Earl of Sandwich” franchising setup in the US. I typed in my zipcode and they helpfully aimed me to their nearest place, a mere 235.45mi away. Fortunately, we have SubMarina’s all over the place.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:35 amESToff topic, but still food related:
I was in my old Betty Crocker cookbook looking for a gravy recipe. So under sauces was “piquant”. I’m not kidding, and am mostly certain I actually read that right. Just what the hell is “piquant sauce”?
November 24th, 2008 at 9:50 amESTBack in the 60’s proper white people politely referred to Mexicans as Spanish. We’d go out for Spanish food. You’d hear things like “I just had the couch reupholstered. Ricci is a wonderful…Spanish gentleman and his prices are very reasonable”
November 24th, 2008 at 10:23 amESTA few points:
Coriander and cilantro are from the same plant, but are not the same thing. Coriander is the seed and cilantro is the leaf.
The Texas Embassy restaurant is decent, but not great. Once you are there for a while, it will really taste good.
If you aren’t already, get into Indian food. It is spicy, relatively cheap, and there are good ones throughout the country.
Find a good fish and chips place and eat it with the malt vinegar, not ketchup or tartar sauce. Trust me.
In London, there are all kinds of fantastic Italian, Greek, Thai, and Spanish restaurants. (Those who dislike Spanish food haven’t been eating in the right place. The food isn’t spicy hot, but it can be awfully tasty.) Look for small places. Some of the pubs now have little Thai kitchens that turn out great food.
Ask around for places that have good traditional English food. Most of them are crap, but if you get roast beef at one of the real ones, you will be a happy person.
If you need a steak, go to an Argentinian place. For hamburgers, you may be out of luck. I never found one that I liked. There is a relatively new chain called Hamburger Union, but I have not tried it.
Some restaurants of note:
Maharaja Tandoori - Indian, Denman Street
Piccolo Diavolo - Italian, Old Compton Street
Gaucho Grill - Steak, off Regent Street
Patara - Thai, Greek Street
Don’t let people scare you. You are going to eat well over there.
November 24th, 2008 at 10:42 amESTSnowdog,
In the UK, coriander is both the seed and the green plant. And they are available everywhere. By that I mean all supermarkets stock them all year round.
I realise that the UK is regressing rapidly to third world status, but it isn’t quite there yet. Mexican food is widely available, just maybe not in your preferred or expected format.
November 24th, 2008 at 11:53 amESThey Marge, if you ever had occasion to drive a little North instead of South, may I recommend Los Quatros Amigos … at least the ones in Bay City, Midland or Saginaw (we prefer the Bay City location). Real honest-to-goodness Tex-Mex … we eat there at least once a week … my displaced from Texas wife loves the place (and hates TacoHell) and always picks that as #1 whenever I ask her if she wants to eat out. Also the best margueritas in the state, if not a larger area. We usually get the 32 oz half-jug … finishing off the 64 oz jug would certainly invite the red/blue light “special” …
November 24th, 2008 at 11:59 amESTnbc,
I stand (well, sit actually) corrected. I guess the terminology used is different between the US and UK. Strange, because all the other terminology is exactly the same
I have to admit that when I lived over there (which was some time ago), I didn’t do a whole lot of shopping, as there were all kinds of nice restaurant owners willing to make food for me.
I didn’t comment on the current state of Mexican food there because the last decade I have never been there long enough to go into withdrawal. I just think that when you are dining in London, go with the varsity and have lots of curry.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:27 pmESTDon’t do Mexican Food in Germany. Germans like things a LOT blander. Everything winds up being just as “spicy” as frijoles.
“I love refried beans…makes me want to try fried beans, maybe we’re workin’ too hard and it’s just as tasty.”
November 24th, 2008 at 12:46 pmESTRachel this may crack you up, or not. I was reading the message thread and laughing at your response to Rupert when the Spousal Unit wandered into my office and asked what was so funny. I gave him a short explanation.
A pause, then my man stared at me in wonder.(The Bad way).
I tell ya, I really lost it. He was not amused which of course made me howl. Like you I have a faulty “inappropriate response” governor that has been getting me in deep shit all my life.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:20 pmESTI’ve just realized something- I don’t have a man.
November 24th, 2008 at 5:58 pmESTIs this a problem?
Don’t get talked into trying haggis. Bitch slap the suggestee and walk.
Far and fast…
November 24th, 2008 at 6:06 pmESTY’know, I have the same problem, only instead of London, I’m living in Tokyo. Oh, sure, they have “Mexican” restaurants, but for some reason, it’s not spicy, it’s sweet, and it’s not really Mexican Mexican, y’know? It’s like Japanese Mexican.
At this point I’d probably even kill for a Taco Bell burrito…
November 24th, 2008 at 8:09 pmESTIf you don’t mind going all the way to Edinburgh, Pancho Villas (240 Cannongate) is pretty good. It was a bit pricey, though… I just stuck to the appetizers. Although that could have just been because I was only over there for a few weeks, and kept converting all the prices back into dollars; with the pound averaging about $1.80 while I was there, everything seemed like a fortune.
There’s one in Glasgow as well, but: a) it’s farther (further?) away, and b) Glasgow is a shitty city. Never go there. Kelvingrove Park was nice, and the necropolis was interesting, but otherwise its really not worth visiting.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:03 pmESTOh my…I never thought about it before…no Mexican food in England.
That IS depressing and unacceptable !
November 25th, 2008 at 1:30 amESTYou’re gonna have to go native at least a bit, Rachel. Having abandoned the Septic Isle some years ago, I sometimes miss the desserts. And very little else. Take a cookbook (or hell, buy one there) and be prepared to do your own Mexican (and much else) - because good Mexican over there won’t be cheap.
Don’t assume that an eatery that offers ‘good English Fare’ will be anything better than nasty. I hate to dump on my mother country, but your best bet is to go in expecting mediocrity.
But having said that, you’ll have a great choice of Indian and Chinese cuisine, and the food hall at Marks and Spencer do some great, great pre-made desserts. If you travel to Scotland, then you might be in for a pleasant surprise, but you might have to abandon a few taboos when it comes to ingredients.
On the other hand, if you want to win friends and influence people, practice making margueritas; that’s a skill that’ll have people cooking for *you*.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:00 amESTBritish food is not the cultural desert a lot of you seem to think it is…due to the empire and proximity of Europe you can eat any type of food. Most of it will admittedly be in the london, but even small villages in the middle of nowhere do great food…
try the sweet olive or the miller of mansfield or the crab .
All near me, and all in small villages. If you need anymore, just give us a shout.
November 25th, 2008 at 5:11 amEST“Texas Star in Kensington is passable Tex-Mex. Give it a try if you are near there.”
Hah, I was dragged there by some locals on my last visit. It was indeed passable, perhaps good if you are desperate. Do you cook, Rachel? I have learned to make my own tortillas and if you stock up on dried chiles and masa before you leave, you can probably survive.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:53 amESTOh, the other problem with England, especially London, that you must be prepared for: it is damn expensive, amazingly expensive. Of course, if Rupert is on the special overseas pay some of my friends have received in the UK, this will be less of an issue. I wanted to take a postdoc in England but they paid 22,000 pounds/year (where the buying power of a pound was about that of a dollar) so I declined.
November 25th, 2008 at 9:57 amESTPeople say a lot of bad things about Engish food.
But when you go there and try it, you realize that people don’t say nearly enough bad things about English food.
One restaurant’s special was “Pigeon Kidney Pie.” The waiter said, “Don’t let the name trick you…it’s more of a quiche than a pie.”
November 25th, 2008 at 10:22 amESTI’ve had some most excellent food in the U.K. If you like cheese, especially, you’ll be in hog heaven. Also, Chicken Tikka Massala on a crusty baguette — yum, yum, YUM.
You will find some Mexican food there, but I can’t speak to the quality. What rocks the Casbah is the Indian food, though.
Truly, I found my bliss in the food hall at Harrod’s. I was ready to move right in and live there forever.
Poop on those know-nothings who say all the food stinks over there. Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and the Two Fat Ladys right back at ‘em, I say.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:16 pmESTLooks like there’s a great business opportunity for you guys to open a mexican shop across the pond! And, they have great indian food there if you like that sort of thing.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:14 pmESTIt surely has it’s fine restaurants.
But for everyday food, hotel food, etc….watch out.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:51 pmESTRachel,
Do you like to cook? Even if only in self-defense?
If so, get a couple of Diana Kennedy’s cookbooks. The Cuisines of Mexico is a good one. Also The Tortilla Cookbook.
November 25th, 2008 at 8:40 pmESTI stumbled on a Mexican restaurant in Bern, Switzerland. Its just a short walk from the main train station, towards the parliament building. I can not comment on the quality, though. It would be silly to have eaten there since I was in New Mexico 48hrs later.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:09 amESTSome of you have been smoking crack.
Taco Bell???
If you want a double serving of dog food filling with cumin seasoning in a stale taco shell, then Taco Bell is the way to go.
If you want real Mexican or Tex-Mex food, avoid Taco Bell like the plague.
I’m a blue collar worker in a plant that employs a lot of Mexicans, and I’ll tell you that my mouth literally waters from the smell from their meals heating in the microwaves.
Taco Bell?
November 27th, 2008 at 2:52 amESTThe only thing Taco Bell brings out is projectile vomiting.
Ten years ago when I lived in Bradford there was an excellent Mexican place. The owner was from New Mexico (Albuquerque I think) and the chef from Guadalajara. It made a refreshing change from curry.
There’s a ‘Mexican’ restaurant in my little home town of 30,000 people. I can’t vouch for its authenticity but the last time I walked past it seemed busy.
As for London, if there is a cuisine you can’t find there then it doesn’t exist. It is currently the restaurant capital of the world, which it should be when one realises how cosmopolitan the place is. Wickedly expensive, though.
November 28th, 2008 at 10:04 amESTDang. I could have taught you how to make it yourself at home, but I’ve already left Texas. Maybe we can do a crash interwebz course. By all accounts, my Tex-Mex is great… I don’t cook so much authentic Mex, though.
And Spain… Spanish food is yummy.
But you need to get hooked on Indian food, because they have it aplenty, and Indian food is the best food on the planet.
December 4th, 2008 at 9:07 amEST