Good Food/Bad Food by State

[Mr. Beanz]

All the chatting about food here and there in another thread, where is your favorite, or not?

I had heard from Gina's family that the food in New Mexico was great. Actually, I was not impressed. The choice was your food with a sopapilla, or a sopapilla. I am used to tortillas so the sopapillas are kind of boring and tasteless to me. Family took us to a place in Santa Fe, popular restaurant. well known place right buy the train depot. It was ok but not real good. Being free seeing we did not pay may have even helped the taste a bit. 

Another place, Gabriel's (?). Way out on a highway somewhere out of town. OK, but again, not all that tasty. 

Another one in Albuquerque. right in the center of old town. Across from the canon in the park I think. It was decent but again, not all that good. Service was really good but only 3 people in the joint. And the town closes really early. Heck, we are used to dinner at times being able to find places open till 1 am here in Cali.

One place I really did like was out of Santa Fe, iirc. It was called El Parasol.  Not  a big place but a great burrito with chicharon inside. Oh my, yes!

Arizona, a place called El Indio. in Tucson 20 years ago, was great. Went back last year, not so great, not even good really. Another one Los Molinitos, 20 years ago, great but shut down. Bummer.

I dunno, being brought up a poor Mexican kid in the hood, having relatives cook carnitas in a copper pot over a fire has maybe spoiled me. Seeing some stuff people try to pass off as Mexican food is heart breaking. 

I love me some good carnitas and good homemade tortillas. Heck, I just may never leave my neighborhood again.

I just haven't been impressed with those places and states. Also my grandson, 17 raised in Cali moved to Texas last year. He says the Mexican food is terrible out there. 

So, where are the places and states that have good food/ IN YOUR OPINION. 

[shootingstar]

1 minute ago, Mr Beanz said:

I dunno, being brought up a poor Mexican kid in the hood, having relatives cook carnitas in a copper pot over a fire has maybe spoiled me. Seeing some stuff people try to pass off as Mexican food is heart breaking. 

I love me some good carnitas and good homemade tortillas. Heck, I just may never leave my neighborhood again.

I just haven't been impressed with those places and states. Also my grandson, 17 raised in Cali moved to Texas last year. He says the Mexican food is terrible out there. 

So, where are the places and states that have good food/ IN YOUR OPINION. 

Perhaps you can educate me Beanz on Mexican cuisine. What I've eaten so far..and some of it great. Could you summarize regional Mexican cuisine and signature dishes /flavourings for each? I don't want to the research and sometimes home cooked dishes are never found in restaurants. What would such dishes be, Beanz?

There are  home cooked Chinese dishes rarely/not found in restaurants. And it's healthy. I prepare some of them by heart...had them since a wee tot.

[Parsnip Totin Jack ★]

We have a great variety here. Some is very good, some not so much. DC has people from all over the world and they bring their food and culture here to share. I think that is why I like it. Beanzie described different cuisines and called it all Mexican. New Mexico has its own style. It’s not Mexican but it was influenced by Mexico. Texas has its own take, they call it Tex Mex. Colorado has their versions. A coworker from years back lived near San Diego for many years and there are no restaurants anywhere that have “real Mexican food” other than So Cal. But then again, she wouldn’t try food in Japan; she ate out of vending machines. You’re influenced by the foods you grew up with, I think we all were. As an adult I learned there was a lot of good food outside the bubble that I grew up in. My parents are from Boston. The most exotic seasoning we had growing up was black pepper. Dad hated Mexican food, we ate tacos when he was on travel. 

[Mr. Beanz]

21 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

Perhaps you can educate me Beanz on Mexican cuisine. What I've eaten so far..and some of it great. Could you summarize regional Mexican cuisine and signature dishes /flavourings for each? I don't want to the research and sometimes home cooked dishes are never found in restaurants. What would such dishes be, Beanz?

There are  home cooked Chinese dishes rarely/not found in restaurants. And it's healthy. I prepare some of them by heart...had them since a wee tot.

Well, I would not know all the ingredients. Some of the good stuff just the way it is cooked, of course artery clogging. For instance, the best ever carnitas I have had are cooked in a copper pan over a fire outside. It is cooked in lard and many, so tender.  We have had family reunions where my cousin is cooking the entire time over the fire. Supper time comes and man, it's great. Different seasonings. More the way it is cooked. 

Same as refried beanz. cooked in lard and refried, yum. Ordinary seasonings.

Just simple things like that, cooking methods. 

As is with making tamales every Christmas over 50+ years, recipe handed down from my Grandma. Putting the mole used in the stuffing meat into the masa before beginning. Makes the masa tastier. More color , more flavor. When we got to a restaurant and see that white looking masa, we know we're in trouble. 

[shootingstar]

7 minutes ago, Mr Beanz said:

Well, I would not know all the ingredients. Some of the good stuff just the way it is cooked, of course artery clogging. For instance, the best ever carnitas I have had are cooked in a copper pan over a fire outside. It is cooked in lard and many, so tender.  We have had family reunions where my cousin is cooking the entire time over the fire. Supper time comes and man, it's great. Different seasonings. More the way it is cooked. 

Same as refried beanz. cooked in lard and refried, yum. Ordinary seasonings.

Just simple things like that, cooking methods. 

As is with making tamales every Christmas over 50+ years, recipe handed down from my Grandma. Putting the mole used in the stuffing meat into the masa before beginning. Makes the masa tastier. More color , more flavor. When we got to a restaurant and see that white looking masa, we know we're in trouble. 

OMIGOD --cooked in lard. Ah well, it's like us kids eating pork or chicken fat cracklings. 

For tamale recipe and servings would be so treasured in a family.

[Ralphie ★]

Cheesesteaks and hoagies here are good.   Diners are usually good but some are bad. 

[BuffJim]

  People may think of NY as an urban area, but we have great agriculture. Wine, apples, peaches and Cherries are great. Dairy products and cheese, too. Many craft breweries. NY City has great restaurants, and the smaller cities have specialties like Spiedies, Garbage plates, Chicken Wings and Beef on Weck. 

[Ralphie ★]

Oh yeah-peaches from nj are the best!  We also have some great wineries. Turns oot this is a nice wine climate. Breweries out the wazoo too!

[sheep_herder ★]

Grew up in Texas, and am not a fan of Tex-Mex, but I sure like the BBQ, sea food, and chicken fried steak. Montana has a nice variety of good foods. We seldom eat Mexican food when traveling, as we like our local Mexico Lindo. We will however stop and eat at El Burrito in Fort Collins, CO, and have been eating there since the early 60s. 

[shootingstar]

Peameal bacon sandwiches  and incredible roti choices  and spicy Carribbean meat patties are best in Toronto!

Sockeye salmon, large fresh scallops and Dungeness crab best from B.C. coast.

Bison dishes (anything but a burger. I find that covers up quality meat too much), sasktoonberry pies and best perogi choices..from Alberta.

[ChrisL]

Being a seafood lover I loved @MickinMD neighborhood for crabs, crab cakes & seafood in general.  We used to hit up Baltimore regularly for good seafood & brews.  

Being close to the ocean you would think we would have better seafood options in SoCal but MD has us beat.   

[groupw]

Best - Nebraska has great steakhouses! Kind of like getting fresh seafood on the coasts, nothing like a locally raised cow butchered by a small scale butcher shop, dry aged and grilled medium rare! 
Oh! And the immigrant heavy part of town has some amazing Mexican food! When my girls moved to AZ, it took nearly a year before oldest daughter had an “a-ha” Mexican meal out there because the bar here was so high. I will stack up brews from local breweries with stuff from anywhere in the country!

Worst? Places that don’t understand medium rare. Some places want to cook the meat done, Done, DONE! Same places are afraid of using spices beyond salt and pepper! Mayo is spicy to them..

[Mr. Beanz]

3 hours ago, groupw said:

 AZ, it took nearly a year before oldest daughter had an “a-ha” Mexican meal out there because the bar here was so high.

I'm going to say that maybe that played a part in it but the other part is that AZ Mexican food sucks!      I have had Mexican food in AZ many times as my parents lived out there for 10 years. Mostly around Tucson. 

The Indian Fry bread at St. Xavier was great though, but not Mexican.