Tasting Tucson - El Güero Canelo
Tucson, Arizona, is one of the American cities whose history and culture reflect strong Hispanic ties, from the extraordinary mission S. Xavier del Bac to eating places like the taqueria El Güero Canelo ("The Redhead" or literally the "cinnamon blonde", after the appearance of its owner Daniel Contreras).
A trip to El Güero Canelo is a must for visitors, but be warned this isn't haute cuisine. You order from one window and collect food either from a rolling hot dog stand or, if you've gone for the tacos or similar, a van on the opposite side of the entrance. Drinks are domestic and Mexican sodas - the locals sometimes hope for Mexican Coca-Cola, made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
You carry food and drink on paper plates to picnic tables in a spacious eating area that has a roof but no walls - it feels like being at a fairground or food court. Despite this or because of it, El Güero Canelo is more fun than most places you'll eat.
The menu is self-consciously Mexican. There is an extensive set of breakfast egg options, then variations on each of a set of Mexican staples: (soft) tacos with either carne asada or chicken and fresh cabbage, caramelos (a larger taco with cheese, grilled), tortas (a bun with similar fillings and sauce), burros (like burritos but with the same meats, beans and cabbage - rice not evident) and - wait for it - hot dogs.
The Sonoran hot dog at EGC is widely regarded as a masterpiece. If you don't like hot dogs you might well skip to the next paragraph, but the addition of bacon, beans, grilled onions, fresh onions, tomatoes, mayo, mustard and jalapeño sauce makes this something extraordinary. This is a local speciality, but a recent poll in the Tucson Citizen voted EGC's the best. And these are about $3.
The tacos and other more traditional Mexican fare are also something above the normal. Real tacos like these are filled with chicken or with grilled marinated beef, carne asada, which is a far cry from Taco Bell or what you're likely to whip up from the Old El Paso box.
Served with a choice of two wheat or corn tortillas, each taco contains a decent serve of the desired meat and freshly-chopped cabbage. A condiment bar allows you to add any of three kinds of salsa, a thin guacamole, cucumber, grilled jalapeño peppers and more, to taste.
For dessert, if you're still up to it, there's a fine version of flan, the robust Mexican answer to creme caramel.
You'll struggle to spend $10 a head, and feel you've had an experience as well as a meal.
A trip to El Güero Canelo is a must for visitors, but be warned this isn't haute cuisine. You order from one window and collect food either from a rolling hot dog stand or, if you've gone for the tacos or similar, a van on the opposite side of the entrance. Drinks are domestic and Mexican sodas - the locals sometimes hope for Mexican Coca-Cola, made with cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
You carry food and drink on paper plates to picnic tables in a spacious eating area that has a roof but no walls - it feels like being at a fairground or food court. Despite this or because of it, El Güero Canelo is more fun than most places you'll eat.
The menu is self-consciously Mexican. There is an extensive set of breakfast egg options, then variations on each of a set of Mexican staples: (soft) tacos with either carne asada or chicken and fresh cabbage, caramelos (a larger taco with cheese, grilled), tortas (a bun with similar fillings and sauce), burros (like burritos but with the same meats, beans and cabbage - rice not evident) and - wait for it - hot dogs.
The Sonoran hot dog at EGC is widely regarded as a masterpiece. If you don't like hot dogs you might well skip to the next paragraph, but the addition of bacon, beans, grilled onions, fresh onions, tomatoes, mayo, mustard and jalapeño sauce makes this something extraordinary. This is a local speciality, but a recent poll in the Tucson Citizen voted EGC's the best. And these are about $3.
The tacos and other more traditional Mexican fare are also something above the normal. Real tacos like these are filled with chicken or with grilled marinated beef, carne asada, which is a far cry from Taco Bell or what you're likely to whip up from the Old El Paso box.
Served with a choice of two wheat or corn tortillas, each taco contains a decent serve of the desired meat and freshly-chopped cabbage. A condiment bar allows you to add any of three kinds of salsa, a thin guacamole, cucumber, grilled jalapeño peppers and more, to taste.
For dessert, if you're still up to it, there's a fine version of flan, the robust Mexican answer to creme caramel.
You'll struggle to spend $10 a head, and feel you've had an experience as well as a meal.
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