Restaurant Review - R & R Taqueria

We've been going to the R & R Taqueria on Honeygo Blvd for years now, but I've never written about the place. Mostly because I became Instagram-lazy and fell into the trap that I tried to avoid for a long time. Because, yeah, it is easier just to write a few word caption than to think analytically about something. "This is pretty. Like and follow me for more."

I'm sorry. But I can't guarantee I'll be better about it.

look at this pretty picture of tacos!

Anyhoo, we love the tacos at R & R --and most other stuff, too. But the tacos especially, for one main reason: the meat is always tender. I've had tacos in lots of other places, both "authentic" and "inauthentic," and across the board, most chicken and beef tacos could be filled with shredded leather and I wouldn't know the difference. Not only is the meat usually tough, but it also has no flavor. (I'm not sure why restaurants still insist on using chicken breast meat for everything when they know damn well they're going to overcook it. Dumbasses.) 

At R & R, however, the meat is tender and well-seasoned. I enjoy the carnitas the most, made with fatty little hunks of pork. The buche, or pork belly, is also outstanding, as is the lengua, or tongue. Talk about tender meat! I also appreciate that the tacos are simple street tacos, topped with white onion and cilantro, served with wedges of lime and small pots of moderately spicy green and red sauces. 

big-ass torta

I also enjoy their tortas, served on bolillo bread and stuffed with beans, cheese, pickled jalapenos, mayo, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and a protein. The one pictured has Milanesa de res, or breadcrumb-coated and fried steak (like chicken or veal Milanese), but can also be had with carne asada, blackened chicken, pork al pastor, carnitas, or chorizo and egg.  

more pretty tacos!

Another one of my favorite things to eat at R & R is a tamale. So many of the ones I've tried in other places were dry and bland. Recently, at a restaurant that specializes in birria dishes, I had tamale that was a crumbly abomination. R & R's tamales are quite the opposite--fluffy clouds of steamed masa and lard dough with either a pork or chicken filling and topped with salsa verde, salsa roja, or mole. (Pork and mole for me, please!)  And they are $3.50 each. For a modest eater, one makes a very fine and super cheap lunch.

not as pretty, but super delicious - tamales

We've tried several other items at R & R, including huaraches, sopes, alambre, parrillada, and the steak and queso-smothered fries. Everything was delicious. There's so much more to try, but I get a bit paralyzed looking at the vast menu so I default to tacos. Someday I'd like to go for breakfast and get a burrito, or chilaquiles, maybe a chorizo omelette. I'm curious about the burger, which combines ground beef with chorizo, but they serve it on a frackin' brioche bun. (WHY???) Wonder if I could get it on bolillo, like a torta?

Only one way to find out.

R & R Taqueria

5005 Honeygo Center Drive

Perry Hall, MD 21128

https://honeygo.rrtaqueria.com/

There are also locations in Baltimore City and Elkridge.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Street Cauliflower - Sponsored Post

Is there any such thing as "street cauliflower" for reals? I had it at Baltimore-area restaurant La Food Marketa and loved it. A riff on a Mexican street food dish commonly made with corn and known as elote (on the cob) or esquites (off the cob), LFM's version topped cauliflower with cotija cheese, taco spice, and chili lime mayo. A tortilla crumble was employed for a much-needed texture contrast. When I got home that evening, I realized that I was in possession of a cauliflower and could easily make a riff on this dish at home. 

My pantry is currently stocked with food samples after a trip to NYC for the Summer Fancy Food Show. Among them are products from Runamok Maple and Olivia's Croutons. Normally when I make esquites, I whip up a little sauce with mayo, sour cream or yogurt, chipotle, lots of lime, and a bit of maple or agave syrup to balance out the tangy flavors. It's reminiscent of the sauce the late, lamented Gypsy Queen food trucks used on their crab cake tacos, and I've made it numerous times. This time, I omitted both the sweet stuff and the chipotle and drizzled Runamok's Chipotle Morita honey directly onto the cauliflower. (And then I had a spoonful of it for a "cook's treat.") It has a nice balance of rich honeyed sweetness and smoky chipotle heat, and I can see myself using it in a lot of applications, both savory and sweet. 

I didn't have any tortilla chips on hand, If I had, I wasn't inclined to do anything other than bash them into bits--forget making a crumble. But I did have a box of Olivia's Cornbread Dressing! The cubes of crisp cornbread are seasoned lightly with somewhat Thanksgiving-y herbs, but after sampling a few several, I determined that they wouldn't detract from the overall Mexican-ish flavors of the dish at all. 

I hesitate to supply a recipe, since I just winged it (wung it?) as I usually do. I'll just offer guidelines, since I know many people prefer a recipe, or at least a list of ingredients.

Street Cauliflower

1 whole cauliflower (or hell, a bag of frozen cauliflower)

Salt

Full-fat plain yogurt or sour cream

Mayonnaise

Chili powder

Lime

Crumbly tangy cheese, like cotija or feta

Runamok Maple Chipotle Morita infused honey

Olivia's Cornbread Dressing

Cilantro

Chopped green onion or slivers of red onion

Trim the stem and any green leaves off the cauliflower. Cook in your favorite method. I put it, whole, in a big pot with enough salted water to come up about halfway, brought it to a boil, then turned down the heat and covered the pot. When the fork was tender most of the way through when I stuck a knife into it, I took it off the heat and drained off the water. You could also separate the florets, toss them with a little olive oil and salt, and roast them in a 400F oven until they're a texture you like. Or just pop a bag of frozen cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover it, and nuke it until hot and tender.

While the cauliflower is cooking, make the yogurt sauce. Put a half cup or so of sour cream or yogurt in a bowl. Add a heaping tablespoon of mayonnaise (or leave it out, if you prefer). Add chili powder to taste - start with a teaspoon, mix it in well, and add more if you want. Then squeeze in some lime juice. Taste, add more lime, add more chili powder, etc. until it tastes pretty good. Then add the magic flavor enhancer - salt. Not too much. Just enough to bring out the flavors of everything you just put in. If you happen to use a salted Mexican-type seasoning rather than chili powder, then ixnay on extra sodium. You could use Tajin and leave out the lime, too, unless you want more tang. It's up to you. 

Pile the cauliflower on a plate. You could put some salsa down on the plate first, like I did, but it's totally optional. (I had half a jar of tomatillo salsa that I didn't want to go to waste.) Dollop with the lime yogurt, drizzle on the honey, sprinkle on the cheese, crushed cornbread croutons, cilantro, and onions. 

Serves 2 as an entree, 4-6 as a side, dependent on one's appreciation for cauliflower.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Gypsy's Truckstaurant

I have been a big proponent of the Baltimore food truck scene since Day 1. I am fortunate enough to work near an officially city-sanctioned food truck hub, and if I wanted, could have a truck lunch every day. Many trucks have come and gone over the past several years, some I have liked very much. But my favorite is the long-running, award-winning, Gypsy Queen Cafe. Twice a week, one of their two trucks would park right in front of my building. I soon found myself spending a bit of time every Friday with Annmarie at the black truck known as "Little Gypsy."

Full disclosure: Annmarie provided recipes for each of our three books. We are friends, but it was the truck that brought us together.

Eventually, the so-called food truck hub in my area began to be overrun with renegade trucks. Trucks that didn't even have signage. Trucks that served mostly fried foods that were likely purchased in bulk at a kitchen supply store. They'd get to the hub at 7am and leave no room for the regular trucks that served more interesting and house-prepared foods. Little Gypsy stopped coming around, though I do see the original truck once in a while.

Food Trucks in Baltimore seem to be going strong, as seen by the recent Food Truck Week and various festivals. But I rarely bother to get a truck lunch anymore.

Now if I want one of Annmarie's crab cakes, I can go to the Gypsy Queen Truckstaurant. While it's not convenient to work, the hours are longer, so I can have dinner as well as lunch. Or both.

The Truckstaurant is situated in a former garage on Clipper Mill Road. If you're trying to find the place while heading south on Clipper Mill and have driven as far as Birroteca, you've just passed it. Turn yourself around and go back a few hundred feet; you can definitely see the sign when approaching the restaurant from that angle. Eventually there will be a sign on Clipper Mill, which will make finding the place much easier.

The restaurant is much like a Tardis--it's far bigger on the inside than it seems on the outside. Annmarie and Tom did most of the work themselves, including painting and decorating. The result is a fun and eclectic space that feels like its been around for ages. It's homey and comfortable, with booths, a back lounge, and a long bar. There's also a dining space with tables on the other side of a clever partition made from empty wine bottles donated by restaurants and friends.

The menu includes all of the food trucks' greatest hits, including various items stuffed into waffle cones. My favorite is the crab cone. Annmarie's crab cakes are "saucy," that is, very moist, which is the way I prefer them. They're also topped with her dynamite chipotle aioli, which is good on just about everything. Possibly even chocolate cake (though I haven't tried that yet).

There are all manner of other goodies on the menu, including chicken wings and fat dates stuffed with bleu cheese and wrapped in bacon.

One of the advantages of a brick-and-mortar version of Gypsy Queen is a liquor license, so one can have beer, wine, or cocktails with their noms. Additionally, GQ Truckstaurant has a ridiculous 7-hour-long Happy Hour Tuesday - Friday from 11am to 6pm, which seems like a damn fine excuse for day drinking.

Gypsy Queen Truckstaurant
3515 Clipper Mill Rd
Baltimore, MD 21211
(443) 869-5602

Posted on Minxeats.com.

Fiesta Mexicana

My brother discovered Fiesta Mexicana first, when he lived on the east side of Baltimore County. He and Dad would go to the tiny family-run restaurant for lunch on a semi-regular basis, which made me wish Mr Minx and I lived closer. The two of visited the restaurant in 2012, while we were writing Food Lovers' Guide to Baltimore. We ordered the Paquet Eduques, a combo platter including two enchiladas, and one each sope, taco, quesadilla, and flauta. We would have ordered more, but in those days we were eating at multiple restaurants a day in order to write about as many as possible before we hit our rapidly approaching deadline. We especially enjoyed the authentic Mexican quesadilla, which only vaguely resembles what goes by that name here in the US.

Recently, my Dad moved to the area and we took advantage of the proximity to visit Fiesta Mexicana not once but twice in a matter of weeks. The first time, I tried the pambazo, a sandwich served in a roll that has been brushed with a savory guajillo chile sauce and seared, then stuffed with meat and garnished with lettuce, crema, and queso fresca. The normal meat filling is chorizo with potatoes, but I opted for the Milanesa, a breaded beef cutlet that they cut into pieces and pile onto the bread. The sandwich had lovely flavors and textures, from the slightly chewy seared parts of the roll to the cool cream and everything in between. I could get this every time, but there are so many other things on the menu, I'm definitely going to have to branch out.

On the next visit, I tried three of the tacos: carnitas, carne asada, and campechanos, which is a combo of chorizo with shredded beef. The fillings are generous and the corn tortillas are thick enough that they don't need to be doubled, but I was a bit disappointed. Both the carne asada and carnitas were tough and chewy, and I really couldn't tell the pork from the beef. The campechanos was the best of the three, but was also lacking in moisture.

My Dad got his favorite, the quesadillas. Made from pockets of fresh masa stuffed with your choice of meat, cheese, or veggies, these are closer to turnovers than what we normally consider a quesadilla. The texture is both crisp and tender, and they are especially good when stuffed with chorizo and potatoes, or spicy chicken. He normally doesn't like sour cream (or so he says) but he gobbled these up even with the generous drizzle of crema.

On one occasion, we ordered enchiladas to go. Normally stuffed with shredded chicken and topped with a spicy green sauce, they can also be filled with any other meat for a slightly higher price. Occasionally, molé sauce from Mexico City is available, which I am sure is a treat.

On both occasions, the restaurant was full of patrons ordering things like nachos, chilaquiles (eggs with tortilla chips soaked in chile sauce), cecina (flank steak), and tostadas, all of which looked tempting. Next time I'll try one of those, if I don't just get another pambazo.

Fiesta Mexicana
8304 Philadelphia Road
Rosedale, MD 21237
The menu can be found here.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Pani Puri

Pani puri, also called gol gappa, phuchka, and gup chup, is a popular Indian street snack. Consisting of a crisp-fried, hollow bread (puri) filled with a mixture of potatoes, mung beans, chick peas, or all of the above and topped with a sweet/sour date chutney, the treat is finally dunked into a tangy mint-flavored water before being eaten in one bite.

While it seems rather too-involved and maybe more than a bit weird, I can attest that the combination of textures, flavors, and temperatures is absolutely delicious. It's one of those snacky foods that you eat one or five of and think, "just one more," before eating another dozen and suddenly being really really full.

They're easy to make at home, if a bit involved. I found a bag of ready-made puris at an Indian grocery store, so the real messy work was done for me. All I had to do was find a recipe for the filling and the water. Seems easy, but there are dozens of recipes on the 'net, all of which are different. So I cobbled together what I thought were the more interesting aspects of several recipes and came up with my own. Apart from the reduction in the heat level, the result is pretty authentic, I think.

Puri

Break a hole in the puri with a spoon or your finger.

Add some potatoes and some date tamarind chutney

Dunk the filled puri into the pani.

Pani Puri

1 package ready-made puri

Date and Tamarind Chutney
10 pitted dates, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/4 cold water
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée. Keep refrigerated in a covered container until ready to use.

Pani
1/2 cup finely chopped mint leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno chile, deseeded and minced
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups water

Mix all ingredients except water into a paste. Stir in water. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Potato filling 
canola oil
4 medium sized potatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt

Heat oil in a large saute pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until starting to brown. Stir in potatoes and turn down heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are cooked through. If potatoes seem to be sticking to the pan, add a couple tablespoons of water. When potatoes are done, stir in chili powder and salt to taste.

To eat:

Place the pani in a deep bowl. Poke a hole in a puri. Add a spoonful of hot potatoes and a small dollop of the chutney. Using a spoon or your fingers, quickly submerge the filled puri in the pani so some of the juice leaks into the opening at the top. Remove and eat in one bite. Repeat.

Makes lots.

Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.