Los Sanchez Taqueria

Los Sanchez Taqueria in 

St. Paul's Hazel Park

Well, well, well...we seem to be experiencing a great run of food.   Mr. Large...Crazy Mary's, Willard's...I thought we were pressing our luck trying out another new place today.   But, boy was I wrong.

The food was great!

We drove to east St. Paul...maybe a mile or so north of my old neighborhood...to try out Los Sanchez Taqueria.

This used to be a bar...can't remember the name.   Located on Stillwater Ave near Hazel St (my old street), the old building is now 'dressed up' with brightly colored painted panels on the outside, plus pictures of some of the menu items.  There's even a panel for the $5.99 breakfast choices...that includes coffee.

Los Sanchez Taqueria was recommended by both Anne and a local guide to good tacos.

Los Sanchez Taqueria did NOT disappoint.

John's eating  a heavily vegetarian diet right now, so Mexican food may not always be the best place to find veggies amid the array of proteins...pastor, carnitas, barbacoa, etc etc etc.  But, there it was on the menu hanging over the counter....a list of 3 different veggie options instead of the long list of proteins.   John chose the burrito bowl with the mixed veggie option..with grilled jalapenos and onions, tomato, grilled corn (still in the big chunks that they had taken off the fresh ears), pico, avocado, plus black beans, rice, and melted cheese.

I chose the huarache with carnitas.

When the food arrived, we both stared at it, taking in the attractiveness and sheer visual appeal of the  veggie bowl.  We've had bowls at Chipotle, Pancheros, Old Southern BBQ, and many other places (the tidiest and most appealing of those so far was at Pancheros, where the staff tried to carefully place the ingredients so that it didn't all just turn into a big sloppy mess).   Here, the bowl was a work of art---absolutely gorgeous to view....and, we were hoping, just as good to eat.

Wonderful Veggie Burrito Bowl

We were not wrong.   The bowl was wonderful.   Maybe some of the tastiest avocado ever (we had some really creamy avocado slices at the Standish...they were really high quality)....this was so fresh tasting we thought we were sitting outside enjoying a summer day with fresh delights to enjoy.   The grilled veggies were so approachable....the jalapeno was not hot for the sake of heat....it was grilled to a nice texture and subtle flavor.  

The veggies were so much superior to the soggy ones we recently received at Nico's....the contrast was day and night.   These were perfect.   The portion was generous...so much so that I even had 4 or 5 bites of John's lunch.

 Flavorful Huarache at Los Sanchez Taqueria

My huarache was great, too.   The carnitas was moist and flavorful (not dry and stringy as we've had at other places).   The portion of meat was huge...more than I could possibly consume.  The masa base for the dish was so delicious...grilled on the bottom to a bit crispy, with great flavor and a tender top that made you want to try to eat the whole thing (a task I couldn't complete...even with help).  The crema and cheese were delightful and in just the right proportions to balance the flavors.   I'd highly recommend this, too.

Los Sanchez Taqueria Service...

The service at Los Sanchez was friendly (the cashier had a great, warm smile) and efficient.  Drink choices are in bottles...John went for the pineapple Jarritos and I grabbed a sparkling water.  The decor was brightly colored (green and orange) with tons of traditional flags (lots of dancers and people)  and one wall with wonderful scenes enshrined on large ceramic plates.

Los Sanchez was spotlessly clean and the service was quick.

Yet another fantastic meal...and we're delighted that the old bar from my childhood neighborhood has found a new and better life. 

Funny, the rules of retail are location, location, location.   Most people wouldn't put this little piece of geography in the category fulfilling that mantra.  But as I thought about it for a few minutes, I realized it actually is a location, location, location, genius idea.   

Having lived in the area for a decade or so, I knew/know most of the 'dining establishments' in the area.   From this location, you have to go around a mile or more to reach:  The 5-8, The Little Oven (which used to be great and cheap but was HORRIBLE the last time we were there), Paddy's, Red's Savoy, the

seasonal Dari-ette...then drive even farther to get to Sunray or the Suburban Avenue strip or getting to Oakdale for Catrina's.   There are a large number of apartments clustered just south of that intersection, and the housing density is pretty high...with fairly small city lots.  The neighborhood is multi-cultural...and many, many cultures were present today at Los Sanchez.  Clearly everyone in the neighborhood frequents this place.

So, Los Sanchez made a great decision to offer terrific food within walking distance for many people...and well worth the drive for others.  Location here, coupled with great food, will equal long term success in our opinions.

 
Details:
Website:     www.lossancheztaqueria.com
Menu:        PDF
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lossancheztaqueria/
Location:   Google Map  

Willard's in Cambridge

What a great way to cap off a day--Willard's!!

Cambridge, MN

• Okay, so our first suggestion was:  spend the late morning and early afternoon at the Audubon Center of the North Woods at Maple Syrup Day (Saturday 3/23/19).  Have the pancake brunch with real maple syrup and then spend the rest of the day observing making of maple syrup...maybe carry some firewood...and enjoy the fresh air on beautiful Grindstone Lake.

• Our other suggestion was to grab dinner at the end of the day at Crazy Mary's Cafe in Finlayson...just a few miles away.   We enjoyed a great pulled pork and a breakfast salad that they created for us today.  

• But, there's another great idea...and we tested out the 'light' version of it on the way home.

After you spend the day outside in all that fresh air, drive back through Cambridge (downtown Cambridge...not 'suburban Cambridge') and stop at the fairly new Willard's - attached to the Leader store (there's an entrance to Willard's in the front and in the back and through the Leader store when they're open).  

An outstanding idea!

We arrived around 7 PM and the place was packed!   We came in through the Leader store, so I could scope out the shopping and then we could check out the seating options.   There were one or two tables open, but we asked if we could grab 2 seats at the counter, so we could watch the action in the open kitchen.  Yes!!!

Grabbing the seats overlooking both the grill and the Chef de Cuisine working his magic with saute pans was perfect.  And, because the place was so busy, it was an action-packed hour in the kitchen.

Since we'd chowed down on a huge lunch at Crazy Mary's, we just couldn't grab another meal.   So we selected a salad and a dessert, plus a glass of malbec from wine list. Then we settled in for the 'open kitchen' show.

I haven't had such an entertaining time since John and I waited (a long, long time) for a table at the Fig Cafe in Glenn Ellen (wine country), California.   We shortened our wait there by saying, 'yes, we'd love to sit at the counter overlooking the kitchen.'  Otherwise, the wait would have been another hour.

Willard's has a brand-spanking new, shiny open kitchen.  Giant grease hood over a flat top, a giant gas range, a grill for grilling veggies and other goodies...plus a giant commercial mixer (they have a pastry chef on staff)...and the final prep station and chilled drawers were right in front of us.   These were our version of the 50 yard line seats for taking in the kitchen action.

What a fun way to spend an evening---and John was able to learn what 'sous vide' means...so an educational opportunity as well (they had ribeyes in the sous vide 'hot tub').  The guy making the burgers was friendly (we tried to only chat when he was between orders) and had recently moved to Cambridge from the Mpls 'burbs.'   He said he was really enjoying Cambridge life.   Before we left we gave him a few tips on things to do with his Grandma when she comes to visit in Cambridge!!

Willard's kitchen was art in motion...

The chef de cuisine cranked out a huge number of plates in our time at the counter.   Saute pans were filled, flew on the burners, some into the oven, others off the burners and onto sturdy stoneware plates or bowls...a thrill a minute.   There were

brussel sprouts and other veggies heated and tossed and then carefully, very carefully arranged in giant stoneware bowls...many sprinkled with fresh herbs growing right there on the counter.  Pieces of salmon  nestled into the bowls shortly.   A nice piece of pork, more salmon...then meatballs...lots and lots of meatballs...carefully placed on' serving plates and then the 'grill guy' would smother them in a warm, creamy gush of sauce.

Serious Burgers at Willard's

This grill guy cranked out burgers (80% ground beef, 20% bacon) with bacon and cheese...burger after burger, grilling the buns, making a great swirl of sauce on the bottom bun, carefully placing the

burger on top, then adding a stack of house-made pickles, the top grilled bun and a toothpick to try to make the thing stand up.  At one point, we told him a double burger was about to 'take a fall'...but he straightened it out without a disaster.

Dishes were 'grounded' on their plates with smears of sauces or puddles of purees...each plate made into a work of art and then carefully checked for any drop of food that was out of place.   Burgers served on wooden planks...like 2x6s...with a big tall burger at one end, like the tower at the end of a street.

Our 'light' snack at Willard's in Cambridge

John enjoyed his little gem lettuce salad (he did

share a bite with me--little gem is soooo tasty) and I saved some of my apple tart with delicious whip and a dollop of caramel for him.  I enjoyed the tartness of the apple filling and the creamy whip---a perfect melt in your mouth combo.  John was a fan of the caramel.  A nice, light way to end the evening....and the entertainment was fantastic!!!

One of the chefs created a bain marie which he dutifully stirred every few minutes until the contents were ready.  A young man in training was grilling thin carrots...turning them with a giant kitchen tweezers.   Everyone managed to communicate in a place where I thought it might have been hard to hear each other.   But it all worked like clockwork (if you ever watch a Gordon Ramsey kitchen show...this was the OPPOSITE of what usually happens in any Gordon Ramsey made for TV kitchen).  

Willard's Reminded Us of the Fig Cafe

This was so much fun.  A reminder of a great experience at the Fig Cafe (there, the kitchen was about the size of one sandwich station at Marianne's Kitchen...with 3 people  working elbow to elbow---one sauteing things on a burner over her head!!) plus great banter with the 'burger guy' here (this was the third position he had held in this particular kitchen).

An interesting menu...little plates, 3 salad options, then entrees...the salmon, pork, meatballs, etc...and some dessert options including...yes, RICE PUDDING (and you thought we weren't hip with our many Marianne's Kitchen rice pudding mixes....including the one that REQUIRES wine!!).  BAM!

When to visit Willard's in Cambridge

One of the servers clued us in that Friday and Saturday are hoppin'....so plan accordingly or make a reservation.   She said it ramps up Thursday night...hence the crowd tonight.  She also suggested that the chef offers a tasting menu at $75 per person including 5 items of his choice.   Served at the counter, this would be a fab evening experience, too.

Willard's in Cambridge Pastry

Finally, their pastry chef cranks out some great

looking desserts and morning coffee items.  Near the rear entrance, they have an espresso bar and dessert case...there was an enormous gluten free brownie, a couple of French pastries...everything looked wonderful.

Final Thoughts on Willard's

Willard's...a place to enjoy a great meal....and maybe have that window into the kitchen experience...in beautiful downtown Cambridge.   And, you can shop while waiting for a table or after you've enjoyed your oh so tasty dinner....perfect!

Details:

Website:                        https://www.willardsmn.com/

Facebook:                     https://www.facebook.com/willardsmn/
Instagram:                    Images

Google Map:                Directions

Minnesota Monthly:  Review

P.S. on Willard's in Cambridge, MN

The restrooms are shared with the Leader Department Store.  Leader has been in continuous operation by the Johnson family for 100 years, and has now been upgraded to a very complimentary and contemporary experience adjacent to Willard's...a good place to browse while waiting.

The restroom decorations reflect the long history.

Mr. Large Burrito Mr. Large Burger Mr. Large Gyros

Okay, it's been there awhile and we keep driving by...time to take the roundabouts until we're dizzy and get to Mr. Large..!

That's Mr Large Burrito, Mr Large Burger & Mr Large Gyros.....

Located in a somewhat awkward mall (doesn't really follow the location, location, location mantra), next to a bank branch and placed well-back from Hwy 61 in Forest Lake, Mr. Large catches your attention with signs spelling out Mr Large Burrito $7 and Mr Large Hamburger $5.    With this location, you have to grab attention anyway you can.

So, we've wandered through today's Parade of Homes models...we scoped out the various models at Adelaide's Landing...nice of them to name the place after our new granddaughter...we've reached the end of that development. 

And, checking out new wall decor and kitchen layouts can work up an appetite....maybe a 'Large' appetite.  So I took all the roundabouts (maybe a few extra because John REALLY dislikes roundabouts) and wound our way into the parking lot at Mr Large...(fill in the blank).

Ordering at Mr. Large

There are 2 lines here...directed by large hanging arrows.    The first arrow points to the Large Burrito line...and it's a look and point line like Chipotle or Pancheros.   Protein options included ground beef, grilled chicken, steak, and shredded beef.   Cilantro rice or plain rice, tater tots (not your usual inclusion, but it would help make a LARGE burrito), pinto or black beans....jalapenos (pickled or raw), hot pepper rings, sweet corn, cilantro, green or black olives, pico....heavy on the red onion!, medium or hot salsa (similar in appearance to my favorite 'orange sauce'

at El Pariente), another sauce in a squeeze bottle, herbed feta, Mexican cheese, onion, tomatoes, limes, lettuce, and sour cream.   So, not quite your typical burrito bar.  You can also get your meal in the form of a bowl or salad.

So, we went with salad and burrito.   John leaned toward the veggie...lettuce, sweet corn, pico, pinto beans, Mexican cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, green olives and a light squeeze from the bottled sauce...slightly spicy.   I went for the grilled chicken burrito with pintos, cilantro rice, pickled jalapenos (they even out the heat and add an acidic note), cilantro, sweet corn, cheese, sour cream, and the medium 'orange' salsa.    

Mr. Large Burrito

What I liked best about my burrito was that the cilantro was incredibly fresh and flavorful.   The beans and cheese and sauces can be heavy, but the fresh cilantro brightened each and every bite.  There was plenty of meat and it was well-grilled, and each of the ingredients was tasty and well-prepared.  I like the slightly chewy tortilla, and it held up well.  They offered to grill the entire burrito at the end...that would be an interesting texture option, too.

Mr. Large Salad

John is not a big fan of iceberg, but he really wanted a salad.  He said the ingredients were fresh and crunchy, and the person preparing the salad kept asking what else he wanted when he thought he had selected everything....I think the salad doubled in size by the time he was done (hence the Mr. Large!).   So as she added, he ended up with a layered salad that was

interesting to see and a very satisfying quantity.  His only regret...he wished he's asked for more pinto beans...they were delicious.

Mr Large (you name it) has an great assortment of bottled beverages and both Coke & Pepsi fountains...so you can find everything from Jarritos to Cherry Coke.

Decor and ambience at Mr. Large

The decor is eclectic....everything from antique-look Coca Cola trays to a purple Prince symbol to bucks on the trash cans to old cars stenciled on the walls.  This was Burrito King before...and I think a lot of the decor is a carryover.

The staff was pleasant, helpful, and willing to make your choice 'Large'.   They changed their gloves as required and the foods were at correct temperatures.  Everything was fresh and the assortment was somewhat different than at other burrito places (I'll have to take my cousin to lunch...as she would say, she 'loves the tots'....so this would be a 'happy place' to choose lunch ingredients). 

Even at an odd time on Sunday afternoon, customers were coming and going with regularity---many taking big bags of 'large' items to go.   So, a good time to try it out....I would think traditional meal times might be quite busy.

We were very satisfied with this visit.  While we were there, people ordered many gyros sandwiches, waffle fries, burgers, etc.  Next time we'll follow the other arrow and see what the gyros line yields...in that line, the food is made in the kitchen and brought out to be picked up at the counter.

Our opinion on Mr. Large: Yes!

 Take the roundabouts on Hwy 61 until you make yourself dizzy and end up at Mr. Large...it's locally-owned with friendly service and good quality, tasty food.   We plan to make future visits.

Details:

Website:  https://mrlargeburrito.com/

Directions:  Click for Google Map  

At Home: Canadian Christmas Nanaimo Bar

Canadian Christmas Nanaimo Bar

Who wants to go outside in the evening in this weather?

It’s not Christmas & I’m not in Canada....but a Nanaimo bar sounds good anyway.

....and here’s this container of Bird’s custard powder just chirping out a call to MAKE SOMETHING!!

No baking involved—just a little melting and whipping and chilling between steps.

A bottom layer of butter, cocoa, sugar, egg, graham crackers, coconut, & chopped pecans.

The Bird’s custard powder enters the picture for the

middle layer. Whip up some milk, butter, powdered sugar, & Bird’s custard powder to make the creamy filling. Spread this over the bottom layer & chill for at least 20 minutes.

Finally, melt 1/2 stick of butter with 8 oz of semi sweet chocolate and blend until smooth. Pour it over the chilled bars and smooth with a spatula (or give it an artful swirl here & there!).

Chill 20 more minutes & then cut into squares and refrigerate (the rest) overnight. Cutting them now keeps the chocolate from cracking...and lets you sneak the corner bar out of the pan.... almost unnoticed

Nico's Taco Bar on Como

Highpoints: Attractive tacos; good tomatillo salsa and chips

Lowpoints: Accuracy of order, execution in kitchen, service

We've driven by Nico's Taco Bar in the old Muffeletta on Como several times.  Today's the day!

Lots of places have Taco Tuesday (mostly fast food), so we were pleasantly surprised that a higher end taco place offered Taco Tuesday, too.

The Taco Tuesday deal is buy 2, get 1 free.  The tacos range in price from $3.50 to around $6...which is a bit spendy for a traditional taco with onion, cilantro & lime plus choice of salsa and protein.

Nico's offers 7 kinds of salsa--and you can get a specific kind of salsa with each taco that you order.  The range is from mild at the bottom of the 'salsa column' to hot at the top.

The Taco's at Nico's

We ordered 6 tacos so that we could try a wide

variety of tacos and salsas.   These included carnitas, pastor, chorizo, pork verde, barbacoa and veggie.   We ordered 6 different salsas, too.   You could add a variety of cheeses to your tacos, crema, jalapenos, guacamole or nopales for an additional charge of 65 cents, according to the menu.  

Here's where things started to break down.   I told the server that I would like to add nopal to one of the tacos and asked for his suggestion as to which of my 3 tacos would be the best choice.  He immediately said "You can't do that."   After pointing it out on the menu, he responded "Oh, I didn't even know that," recovered, and suggested adding it to the veggie taco.  So far, so good.

Then, since there was one more salsa option on the menu, we ordered chips and salsa...with the tomatillo salsa.

The chips arrived quickly with the salsa in an attractive square bowl.  The chips were warm and tasty...light and crunchy...perhaps a bit over-salted.   The tomatillo salsa had great texture/consistency with the citrus note derived from the tomatillos---not hot, not too tart...a nice complement to the chips.

Shortly, our order arrived.  Both plates looked great.   The server pointed out which salsa was which and identified the tacos.   It became clear shortly that there was either a mixup, or they were out of the pork verde that I really wanted to try or pastor (we're not sure--so that's a problem).   Since the server wasn't anywhere close by, we decided to just go with what was delivered.

The nopales was piled high on my veggie taco...almost too much.  So, I moved half of it onto the plate to see which other taco it might pair with, creating another flavor harmony.  

Unfortunately, that left me with a veggie taco that, while not as bad as a roasted veggie sandwich ordered at the Exchange (which they removed from their menu shortly after our visit), but this was nearly as bad.    

The veggies were so far gone that there was no texture or taste left.   Really, the nopales ended up being what was in the taco...a big pile of cactus covering up a tiny pile or mushy veggies.   I was hoping to have a blend of the veggie textures and flavors contrasted with the slightly salty cactus.   The veggie taco was a disappointment.

John and I both ended up with the same taco...but frankly, we don't know what it was.   The pork verde was supposed to be cooked in green sauce with potato...what we received was meat (maybe pork) that was distinctly orange, but contained the potatoes that were supposed to be in the pork verde.   We thought it was the pastor, but that should have contained pineapple and had an ancho flavor...but it didn't.   Whatever it was, it was unpleasant in texture.   When you roast meat, it's typical to let it rest so that the juices redistribute and it becomes tender and juicy.   This meat was stiff as a board - all I can think of is meat where rigor had set in.....just stiff, I mean really stiff,  and quite dry.    The potatoes mixed with the meat were actually quite tasty and well cooked--far superior to the meat.

Similarly, John has a chorizo taco...which was supposed to be composed of spicy sausage and potato.   It seemed like more potato than sausage, but did have a pleasing chorizo flavor, but not enough flavor.   The potatoes were nicely cooked but there just needed to be a higher ratio of sausage to potato.

I think the best flavor among the 5 (not 6) tacos that we received was the barbacoa.   The meat itself was quite stringy and dry, but the guajillo, cinnamon and spice flavor came through as quite savory...almost fruity...and very pleasing.   If the meat had been less stringy, this would have been a good taco.   Strangely, while the beef was dry, the taco exploded when I tried to take a bite...dousing me, the table, and the napkin with an extraordinary amount of 'juice'.   

This seems to support the idea that the meat was cooked in such a way that the juices all left the meat and, in this case, must have ended up as a puddle in the bottom of my taco.  In terms of flavor,  I tried a bite with the cactus on this taco and that turned out to be quite pleasing.  The slightly salty cactus with the savory spicing on the beef were a great pair.  If I was ordering again, I'd order this combo on my taco...hoping that perhaps the beef would be more texturally pleasing.

The Salsas at Nico's Taco Bar

Now let's address the salsas.   The tastiest and most creative salsas we've had have been at Catrina's Oakdale location.   We regret that as that chain expanded, the quality has been up and down and all over the board.   They clearly have a creative spark.   

At Nico's, other than the tomatillo salsa served with our chips, we disliked or were uninspired by all of the other salsas.   I tasted one and asked John what he thought (I was thinking...hmm...flavor of tomato soup).  John said..."Oh, it tastes like tomato soup."  So, we were consistent in our opinions.

We recently dined several times at Pancheros, and I've found the salsa verde on the line there quite tasty...a little hot with great flavor.   Nico's  verde serrano didn't have the serrano flavor I expected and really was not as good as the stuff at the Pancheros fast food chain.   The other salsas were unremarkable...and we did not get one of the salsas we ordered---if you asked us what we had and what was missing, it would have been hard to identify which one was missing.  Other than the tomatillo, none of these stood out as something we definitely would order in the future.

Service At Nico's Taco Bar

Our server returned later and inquired about our lunch.  I pointed out that the veggie taco had veggies that were way beyond overcooked.   He said, "OK, I'll tell the kitchen."   So much for that.....

When we received our check, we found that the 65 cent 'option' was $1.25.  Not a big deal...but just another 'miss' in their ability to convey what they're trying to deliver to their customers.

Overall impression from Nico's Taco Bar Visit #1: 

• The menu is somewhat confusing  (apparently even the server was unclear on the options)
•  
• While there was a good quantity of protein on several of the tacos, that meat wasn't particularly appealing--and at a minimum price of $3.50 per taco, we expected a higher quality experience
•  
• The veggie taco should not have been served; the veggies were way beyond consumable.  If you offer a veggie taco, it should be able to compete on appeal with the meat/fish tacos beside it on the menu
•  
• Other than the tomatillo salsa, the other 6 salsas were unremarkable.  Perhaps a smaller selection of really good salsa would be a better offering
•  
• Getting the order right is a priority; here they missed on the tacos (we received 5 kinds when we ordered 6) and we also had duplicate salsas, even though we ordered each unique kind
•  
• The price on the menu should be the price you're charged

If we were going to try Nico's again, we might venture to their Mpls location to compare service and food flavor and texture.

Details

Address:    2260 Como Avenue, St. Paul

Phone:       651.450.8848

Website:    https://www.nicostacobar.com/ 

Facebook:  www.facebook.com

Google:     Map for Nico's