Category Archives: Mexican

El Rincon Opens in Addison Circle

El Rincon, a local, family-owned Mexican restaurant, recently opened its THIRD location in Addison Circle earlier this year. This authentic spot’s first location opened in Carrollton in 2016, and they’ve been a neighborhood favorite since. (I even made the long drive from Dallas Proper to eat at their original location a couple times!) But, I’m delighted that their third spot is even closer to me.

Their dishes and cocktail are made from scratch with fresh ingredients, and you can taste the quality. While TexMex in DFW is a cut throat category, they’ve continued to stand out, and rightfully so. (I broke my diet after this shoot so I could get my face in their queso … it was irresistible.) You’ll also melt when a hot plate of fajitas passes your table; because they’re legit. With five fajita options, there’s a little something for everyone. (Order extra tortillas … you’re welcome.)

As I say in nearly every review—I know why you’re here … THE BOOZE. And luckily, El Rincon has some great drinks. Their approach to the bar is simple yet impactful—they want quality spirits and cocktails, and that extends to their staff’s knowledge. They ensure their staff knows what they’re serving and where it comes from. They say themselves, “[they] believe in fully understanding where our drinks come from.”

Can’t decide which of their delicious-sounding margaritas to get? Opt for their margarita flight—three margaritas made with their house-infused tequilas. (Currently they’re offering tamarind, pineapple-serrano, and hibiscus-ginger margaritas in the flight.) For people like me who just like to try everything, it’s ideal. (It’s like a cruise … see what you like best, and then you can go back to it!)

One of their cocktails, the El Jefe Margarita, is really special. They bring together a house blend of Herradura Anejo Tequila (that they went to Mexico to pick themselves), Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar and they shake it tableside and serve it up in a martini glass. To make sure you appreciate their house Herradura blend, you get a small taste of it to sip on the side.

Beyond great cocktails, killer specials/HHs, and curated spirits list, El Rincon offers tastings and specials to help their customers appreciate spirits. They’re passionate about the juice, and want their guests to learn about them, too! Every Tuesday they feature a tequila and put it on special so guests have a chance to explore new brands, expressions, and flavors. Watch their website and social channels for regular announcements of the upcoming tastings and features. (Also ask about their tequila flights!)

The staff is friendly and ready to take care of your needs. As they say, “Come as a guest, leave as family.”

EL RINCON
elrincontx.com

Carrollton: 1114 South Elm Street #100  | 469-892-6429
Frisco: 2809 Preston Road #1200 | 469-664-0012
Addison: 5004 Addison Circle | 469-547-1019

HAPPY HOUR & SPECIALS
Monday (all day, Tuesday-Friday (3-7pm), Saturday (5pm-close)

$5 house margaritas, $5 sangria ‘ritas, $5 select wines BTG, $4 well drinks, $4 bottled beers, $3 Crown & Fireball, $3 draft beer, $2 off appetizers

Tuesday: $10 taco entrees, featured tequila specials
Wednesday: 1/2 price bottles of wine, $3 house blanco margaritas
Thursday: $4 house margaritas & sangria ‘ritas, $3 draft beers
Saturday (11am-3pm): kids eat free

El Rincon is currently observing all COVID precautions to keep guests safe.

RESTAURANT REVIEW: MI DIA

With three DFW locations, Mí Día scratch kitchen has something very unique to offer … it doesn’t just focus on the traditional.

The menu is well designed and carefully crafted with a fresh mentality. I dined in and enjoyed a few items off their catering menu (which are also on their regular menu), and was surprised by the excellent quality that usually isn’t found in cooking intended for large production and was pleased by the bold flavors I enjoyed. Their largest catering order was for 4,000 people, so should you be on the market for a catering option, I think your needs will be met with weddings, birthdays, holiday gatherings and more!

I normally go with my gut (pun intended) on food choice, but I stepped outside my comfort zone and let my waitress dictate my experience! She recommended the Fig and Berry and Cloud 9. The first is their current signature drink with blackberries, figs, house-made cinnamon agave, THREE liquors, and a cinnamon sugar rim. It may be a new favorite. The second was a LTO cocktail that gained enough fans that it made its way on to their cocktail menu. It’s made with 1530 Blanco Rosa, Cointreau Noir, lemon, lime, vanilla agave, and hibiscus air (ummmm basically the adult cotton candy). I’m not sure if calories are involved with air, but I’m here for it either way.

Now, on to the food! Tamales are one of my favorite traditional items—kinda like when I go to an Italian joint and judge them on their chicken parmesan. Theirs definitely passed the “Taylor test” … the masa tastes crazy fresh, the ratio of masa to protein was spot on, and both proteins (pork and chicken stuffed with New Mexico red and green Chile sauces) have a spicy, but not overwhelming kick to them. Who doesn’t love a good taco, right? Especially when you get to build it yourself! The Cochinita Pibil were pork tacos served with picked onions that offer a bright acidity that really livens up the dish. The meat was moist, well seasoned, and comes tied up in a banana leaf! You can’t go wrong here!

On to dessert … holy churros, (Chalupa) Batman! If you like chocolate, cajeta (Mexican carmel), and fried dough, YOU MUST try this. Y’all know I have 28 sweet teeth and this did not disappoint. The crunchy outside with a creamy cajeta inside, lightly drizzled with chocolate and side of cappuccino ice cream was the best way to end this dinner.

Every dish that passed our table made us want to extend the meal—the presentation was nicely crafted and polished. Believe it or not, you eat with your eyes first, folks … and I was pigging out.

If you’re dining in, their happy hour is Monday thru Friday, 3-6PM; $2 off multiple menu items and $5 house margaritas. Seeing as we are coming up on patio season here in Texas, theirs has oscillating fans and is fenced-in by wire trellis covered with greenery. It has a relaxing, laid back vibe … just what we all need to unwind from the day.

I can’t wait to come back and try more of their food and drink offerings … though I’m not sure I’ll be able to be enticed to try something other than what I’ve already had since everything was perfect.  I guess I’ll just have to go for lunch, enjoy a couple HH drinks, and stay for dinner!

MÍ DÍA FROM SCRATCH
Grapevine: 1295 S Main Street | 817.421.4747
Plano: 3310 Dallas Parkway, Ste 105 | 972.403.7474
Flower Mound: 2601 West Windsor | 972-874-4747

midiafromscratch.com
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Mi Cocina HP Village Is Back

Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village is back and officially open after a quick beauty refresh that will have you ooh-ing and ahh-ing in between sips of your Mambo Taxi.

While well loved in the Park Cities, Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village was once a dark, outdated dining room, but after 8 weeks of intense renovation, it’s now a clean and crisp vision reminiscent of a Mexican villa. The walls are now a bright white and the ceiling a dark wood. The seating has been reupholstered, and the balcony is now curved.

 

But the main update has been to the upstairs bar, known to locals as Monkey Bar due to the large painting of monkeys that used to adorn the walls. Previously only known by hyper locals, they’re making the once small space filled to capacity almost nightly a more welcoming space with additional seating. The bar now has an outdoor patio with umbrellas for shade and misters to keep cool even on the hottest of Dallas days. Monkey Bar is accessible from both Mi Cocina’s interior through a back staircase and the stairs across from Bistro 31. (Just keep climbing.)

 

The inside of the bar was also given a face-lift with new upholstery and brass accents. The Monkey portraits may be gone, but the theme is not lost: we’re still excited to monkey around up there. While sitting out on the patio you may even hear some jungle sounds over the speakers to set the beach-in-Mexico mood. We’re not mad about it.

 

Monkey Bar offers a great selection of appetizers from $8-$16, like Nachos Al Carbon and Quesadilla Morita con Huevo. Margaritas range from $12-$16 … but really we’re all there for that Mambo Taxi.

Stop in to see our favorite MiCo face lift. The food remains the same, but now the dining room’s a whole lot better to look at.

 

MI COCINA
micocina.com
Newly renovated location: 77 Highland Park Village (Highland Park)

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214.521.6426

EL RINCON: The Gem on the Corner

This joint is a gem!

What makes it different than any other Tex Mex spot in Texas? The uniqueness comes from the owners, Rick and Susan. They’ve added touches here and there to give the space a modern yet comfortable feel.

The bar is absolutely gorgeous with eye-catching tiling and a large selection of alcohol displayed beautifully on open shelves. The best of the bottles, though, is theirs. The owners went to Mexico and bought a barrel and had their own tequila produced. (Because that’s a normal thing to do right?) A single barrel which only produces around  240 bottles to use, so, pro tip: get there ASAP to try theirs before it’s gone! Their goal was to have vanilla and citrus notes come through their tequila, and upon first sip of their blend, those notes rang true.

To start our meal … as with any Tex Mex joint worth its (tequila and) salt, their chips and salsa hit the table right when you sit down. They’re made fresh daily and the salsa has a bright charred flavor. Not to start off too strong, but my husband claims this is his favorite salsa … looks like we will be going back soon … ya know … for quality control purposes!

For an appetizer we indulged in the Brisket Empanadas that were filled with juicy meat and had a soft yet crunchy flaky crust. For the entrees we had Brisket Tacos and Seafood Ancho Relleno. Both dishes were stuffed with a generous portion of protein and really hit the spot. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients in the crunch of the vegetables.

To top off the meal we had the sopapillas. Did anyone else grow up “rais[ing] the flag”? No? Just me? Ok, well this dessert was the stuff dreams are made of. Show me a pastry covered in sugary goodness and you have my full attention (after I eat it  … because I’m not focusing on anything but that until it’s gone.) The whipped cream it came with had a subtle kick of heat, which was a delightful surprise.

The environment was light and airy. The bar filled up before the restaurant, obvi, and it had an energetic feel without being too loud to enjoy your dining companions. If you hit this place up, I recommend that you head to happy hour first and let the night go from there!

Just a couple of last tips:
– It gets busy right around 6pm, so get there early to get a good seat and start sipping a delicious marg.
– Their Carrollton location is super convenient but if this isn’t close enough to Highway 75 for you, they will be building a location in Frisco very soon!
– If you sit in the bar, be sure to chat with Danny! He’s pretty awesome!

EL RINCON
elrincontx.com
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1114 S Elm St #100 (Carrollton, Texas)
469-892-6429

Header and queso pictures courtesy of El Rincon, all others taken by Taylor Sutton.

I love Deep Ellum. Like.. I really really love it. I love all the quirkiness and the constantly changing bars, restaurants and local businesses. It’s not news that Deep Ellum has been the home to tons of new cocktail bars and restaurants in the past few years, and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The newest addition to Main Street is Vidorra, “Cocina de Mexico.” You can’t miss the bright yellow sign and the rooftop patio with killer views of the Dallas skyline.

Honestly, this place has so many insta-worthy backdrops, it’s unreal. I love sharing my experiences on social media with my friends, especially those that really take my breath away. I like getting inspiration from them too, I’ve recently heard about an app called storiesig that lets you save people’s stories, which would be perfect when I’m making mood boards for my next outing or trip. The décor here is Mexican-inspired with vibrant colors and unique textures throughout. There is a moss-covered wall, seating suspended on ropes to create swings, colorful couches perfect for all your group photos, and more.

(Oh, and it’s not just pretty … they also make some great food and drinks.) I’ll be the first to admit, I made a mistake right away when ordering my cocktail. I was so busy soaking in the atmosphere that I hardly had time to get through their extensive menu of margarita riffs. So, I panicked when it was time to order and went with “The Gold Digger”, their take on a frozen mango margarita. Don’t get me wrong … it was delicious, but I quickly discovered that they have an extensive cocktail list on the back of the menu that branches out beyond fabulous margaritas.

Their cocktail list plays around with recipes that feature a variety of mezcals and tequilas to make some seriously killer cocktails. After my margarita, I tried a cocktail called “Howl at the Moon” that has Lunazul Reposado tequila, Mandarin Napoleon liqueur, both orange and vanilla bitters, all barrel-aged for a week. It was so delicious that I had to have two. Whatever.

As far as food goes, you really can’t go wrong. For the appetizer, they sent out a massive bowl of their flaming fundito in a 400º Molajete dish. If it weren’t so hot, I probably would’ve drank the queso straight from the bowl. (No shame here … it was delicious.) For my meal, I got the pick two fajitas with steak and chicken and it was easily enough food for 2-3 people—especially because you need to save room to sample all of the delicious cocktails.

Speaking of cocktails, I ended my evening with a cocktail called “The Verdict” (tequila, Mezcal, agave, absinthe and bitters). The flavor was very intense but it was definitely the crowd favorite at our table.

So go for the drinks, the atmosphere, the food or the views. Whatever you do … just get there!

VIDORRA
vidorradallas.com
2642 Main Street (Deep Ellum)
972.215.0640

Viva la #PatioVida at OTB

I’m a queso fiend … I’m not ashamed to admit it. Add a patio, some nice weather, live music, and friends, and I’m one happy girl. Since I was meant to be leaving for a trip to Mexico next week that fell through, I needed a little tequila and sunshine to soften the blow.

Turns out, On The Border was the spot to get both, because OTB is helping us take our patio happy hour game to the next level this summer with amazing food and drink deals. What’s more, select locations will have live music every Thursday on their patios across the country this summer. (Dallasites: you can enjoy fantastic live music and a lively patio at their Knox location!)

I ventured out the last couple of Thursdays to enjoy the festivities with friends, and each was more bold than I when ordering. I’m a creature of habit–if I know I like something, I go with it. (Mostly because I’m too lazy to be bothered to order something else.) I took a bit of a chance on my last visit and used OTB’s #PatioVida Quiz that suggests food and drink pairings. (My result was their new Limeade Fresca and Empanadas … which I promptly enjoyed.)

Since I’m hugely into drinks, we’ll talk booze first. Starting in May (and ending September 4), OTBs across the country started offering a seasonal margarita, a Watermelon Margarita, made with watermelon purée! To make it more exciting, OTB is offering this fresher-than-fresh margarita for just $4 all day on Thursdays! (For $1 more, make it a grande, and for $2 more you can make it a Coronarita!)

Not into tequila? (I hear you, friends.) OTB is now offering four new non-tequila cocktails–the Limeade Fresca,  Cuba Libre, Padre Island Tea, and Poncho Punch–all unique, new options for OTB.

They didn’t stop at new drink options–they are also offering new food items on their bar menu that launched last month. If you want to try all of their new items, make sure you’re in for happy hour (4-7pm weekdays) where you can get snacks starting at just $2. (If you’re too cheap to shell out the $2 for queso, go ahead and sign up for Club Cantina and get a free queso or sopapillas!)

So, cheers to inexpensive happy hour snacks and booze at OTB this summer. And make sure to snap pictures of your visit and post them using #PatioVida!

 

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of On The Border . The opinions and text are all mine.

Salsa Limon – Fort Worth Centro

I’m pretty sure most Fort Worthians (I think that’s what we are called) will agree that Salsa Limon turns out some of the best tacos this side of Arlington. That said, I was really excited to hear that they opened a new location in downtown Fort Worth in the Tower building. This isn’t just a typical Salsa Limon … oh no … because this one serves liquor. Now you can get a margarita or a spiked agua fresca while enjoying the yummy tacos. Blessed be the taco gods.

Salsa Limon is trying to honor and preserve true Mexican taquerias–they use only the freshest ingredients. Their best selling taco is the El Capitan, which just happens to be my personal favorite. A buttery, toasted flour tortilla, Oaxaca-Jack cheese, pickled cabbage, onion, cilantro, and whatever filling you want. BRB I have to go wipe my drool real quick. I’ve always gone with my “safe” order of a Chicken El Capitan, but I got to experience some different meats that might have changed my order. I tried the Tripa for the first time last week, and to my surprise, I enjoyed this Mexican delicacy. If you want to just trust me that it’s really good, but not know what part of the animal it comes from … stop reading now. For those of you who are curious: cow intestine.

Now for the salsa. I may or may not be known to ordering large quantities of their amazing salsa and to keep it in my fridge … but let’s not spread that around. So the tomatillo (my favorite) and piquin are traditional taqueria salas, and the jalapeño and habanero are family recipes. Basically, if you haven’t tried all of their salsas, especially the jalapeño, you must. I personally believe that the range from mild to crazy hot goes a little like this: tomatillo > piquin > jalapeño > habanero. Salsa Limon says that piquin is spicer than the jalapeño, but try it at your own risk.

salsa-limon-2

The difference between this location and the others, as previously mentioned, is that they have booooooze to calm your fired-up taste buds. I would recommend the sour margarita as it’s as pure a margarita as you can get here. All the limes are squeezed by their fun orange juice machine regularly, so it’s fresh fresh fresh. Not into margraitas? You can also add rum, vodka, or gin to their agua frescas. I personally enjoy the hibiscus tea with gin.

 

Bonus- This location is perfect for late night. I have always felt that downtown Fort Worth was lacking in late night eats- problem solved. They are open till 3 am Friday and Saturday nights. Double bonus- they have a pretty great patio that looks onto the streets of downtown.

Salsa Limon- Centro
Website
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
550 Throckmorton Street (Fort Worth)
817-615-9760

Hours:
Monday- Thursday: 7am-10pm
Friday- Saturday: 7am-3am
Sunday: 7am-9pm

 

Mí Día From Scratch

DFW has some serious options for Mexican food, but we’re so accustomed to the watered down (yet still delicious in its own way) Tex Mex that we forget that there are authentic options out there–Javier’s, Meso Maya, Mí Día, and more.  Mí Día From Scratch recently opened its second location in Plano, and it features the food we’ve come to expect from Chef Gabriel DeLeon that blends authentic Mexican cuisine with tastes of Santa Fe and a bit of Tex Mex.

The food is incredible (and we’ll get to that in time), but the real winner here is those of us who enjoy a drink from time to time.  Their extensive Tequila Tower offers quite a few high end tequilas for their hand crafted drinks, and they’ve even  infused their own tequilas to use in their signature drinks like the Blueberry Habanero Margarita featuring their blueberry-infused Patrón Silver, Cointreau, habanero, lemon, and agave nectar and the Riviera Maya with Strawberry-Infused Dulce Vida Blanco tequila, St. Germain, Coiuntreau, lemon, and agave nectar.  The infusions are flavorful without being overpowering, and the Patron XO infused with dark cocoa and strawberry is not to be missed–rich yet strong and perfect to sip with dessert.

The food has been some of the most unique and authentic seen from a Mexican restaurant in the area since the opening of the original location in Grapevine.  Make sure to call over their fully stocked tableside guacamole cart and start with a giant Molcajete of fresh guac made with your instruction for $15 (enough for 4-6 people)–and don’t forget the bacon.  Their Sopes de Carnitas (corn masa boats with black beans, pork carnitas, queso fresco, pickled onions) were also a nice start to the meal with a nice tang from the roasted tomatillo salsa.

 

Their menu, as mentioned, offers traditional Mexican options along with some Sante Fe and Tex Mex options.  Everything ordered was incredible, but the biggest upset was that our stomachs weren’t large enough to put away more of it.  Standouts were:
Wood Grilled Banana Leaf Wrapped Salmon (rubbed with achiote, citrus, served with morita whipped potatoes, sautéed chayote & mango-lemongrass mojo): the fish was fresh and the citrus gave it a nice brightness.
Duck Carnitas (Maple Leaf Farms duck, pickled onion, roasted poblanos, micro cilantro, chile morita on flour tortillas): these little tacos served flat were delights thanks to the richness of the duck.
Codorniz (pecan-grilled Manchester Farms whole quail served with guajillo rice & charro beans): these little beauties were tender and exquisite … I may upgrade to the three-bird plate next time.

 

While the meal was amazing, I’m pissed I didn’t go for the Quesadillas de Huitlacoche (Sautéed Mexican truffle, queso asadero & roasted veggies between house made blue corn tortillas) because they sound ah-mazing.  Also a huge miss?  Not saving room for dessert.  (I mean … a Deconstructed Mexican Macaron?  How did I miss that?)

… a return trip must be planned.


MÍ DÍA FROM SCRATCH
midiafromscratch.com
PLANO: West Plano Village, 3310 Dallas Pkwy #105, (972)403-7474
GRAPEVINE: 1295 S Main Street, (817)421-4747