You enter Alamexo with Mexican style tiling on the hostess stand and the bar.  Quickly after sitting the fun begins with a house margarita and  incomparably fresh guacamole made table-side and spiced to your liking.  We easily finished off our pestle of medium spiced guacamole and moved onto an appetizer of crispy taquitos filled with juicy chicken and topped with queso cojita and salsa verde.  At our table, we fought over who would get the last taquito.

For entrees, it was a hard decision. Everything sounded intriguing and I didn’t want to miss out on anything.  I ended up splitting two dishes with a friend: the Enchilada Suizas and the Salmon served over plantains and a pineapple salsa. Others at the table ordered more enchiladas and Carne Asada Tacos. Beans and Rice also came out to the table to enjoy family style. The Enchilada Suizas where swimming in a bold tomatillo sauce and topped with melted queso Chihuahua. My favorite taste of the evening was the salmon, cooked perfectly and paired perfectly, with plantains, pineapple pico de gallo, and mole monchmanteles.  All at our table were satisfied and content.

We’ll be coming back to Alamexo.

This is one of those secrets that we almost wanted to keep to ourselves its so good.  When you find a cheap and tasty taco place, you’re only hope is that it would stay just that. Our friend, Mike, first introduced us to El Rey de Oros and we’ve been taking double family dates to it ever since then.  Part of me wanted to keep it our special, secret place, but then I overcame the selfishness, brought the big camera in, and decided to share it with you (my special and secret friends)!!

This little joint on the West side of town may be popular among some but little chat is happening about it online. While it’s located west of town its really not that far west, only a few minutes from downtown, and a quick drive from the freeway.

As you walk in, don’t expect anything fancy. As any good Mexican food joint should be, it’s interior is quite simple, with a few additions taped to the menu board, a few quarter games for kids, and a dozen or so plastic tables (you know the ones with chairs fixed to them like in many old-school fast food joints).

When you go, our recommendations are simple, tacos & horchada.  All of the tacos are pretty stinkin’ good (and as cheap as the taco stands on the street!). The asada (beef) taco is a favorite as well as the pastor (aka barbecue pork). My very favorite thing that I’ve tried is their pollo sopes, which is basically a thick fried tortilla covered in ‘the-works': beans, lettuce, chicken, Mexican cheese and cream.

A few tips for newbies at El Rey de Oros – order extra picked carrots for only $1, and refills for horchada are a steal for just $.25.

Now, I’m entrusting this little secret to you. Go and enjoy!

El Rey de Oros
175 South 900 West

This article is written by Hannah Wright.  She’ll be writing a series called “Salt Lake City Date Night” for SLC Foodie.

One of my favorite things about food is its ability to bring people together.  Early in our marriage my husband and I decided to institute a weekly “date night” for intentionally spending time together.  This special time has become increasingly more important to us as we’ve gotten busier with our respective careers.  My husband, Phillip, and I share a mutual love of food so we take care in selecting a place to go for dinner.  This past week we chose Frida Bistro for our date night.

I love all of the colorful décor in Frida Bistro, and their creativity is also very apparent in their menu.  To start we both ordered margaritas and the ceviche de atún.  I really enjoyed Frida’s grilled pineapple, jalapeño and cilantro margarita and Phillip felt the same way about the “El Jefe” margarita with Vida Blanca and Grand Marnier.  Ceviche is a popular seafood dish that often features a raw fish flavored with citrus juices and spices. With its fresh taste, this particular ceviche provided a great appetizer while we browsed the menu and chatted.

For our entrees, I chose Callos al Tamarindo, which was a lovely seared scallop dish with tamarind sauce, leeks, and shitake mushrooms. My husband opted for the Puerco en Escabeche, citrus glazed pork carnitas and pork belly with chipotle mashed potatoes, and asparagus.  I love scallops and Frida did not disappoint: the scallops were just the right consistency.  Sometimes scallops and shrimp are so overcooked that they are just rubbery little seafood pods.  With just the right amount of flavor and texture, these scallops showed me that there is good seafood in Salt Lake City.  My husband was impressed by the flavor of his dish, particularly the chipotle mashed potatoes.

If you and your significant other are looking for a fun, creative restaurant to re-connect from a busy work week and enjoy some margaritas on the patio, please check out Frida Bistro at 545 West 700 South.  They have lunch and dinner hours and a Saturday brunch.  Frida’s food and service make it easy to enjoy some quality time with friends and family!

There’s a new taco restaurant in Salt Lake!!  You’re hearing it first from me, but I predict that many will be frequenting the convenient Taqueria 27 post ski day this winter.  The new taqueria is located on Foothill Drive and serves up inventive tacos with daily specials and great cocktails as well. Oh and did I mention they have gluten free and vegan options at Taqueria 27 too?!

As a native Texan, I’m always on the look out for good Mexican food in Salt Lake.  We’ve had a lot of ho-hum Mexican here but nothing that really brings us back to our Tex-Mex roots.  Although, Taqueria isn’t really Tex-Mex, what they are is really impressive, serving is brilliantly creative tacos in a simple fashion, and with great personality of the chef.

The chef, Todd Gardiner, doesn’t boast local ingredients (thought he does use much produce from his own home garden) but instead he boasts of tasty food for the whole family to enjoy. His background is also something to boast about. Only after we probed, he told us of his cooking lineage: from the New Yorker, to the Aerie at Snowbird, to Z ‘Tejas, and most recently Log Haven. For his own endeavor with Taqueria 27, he chose a style that he knew he could be creative with. And just an example of his innovative spirit, beef cheeck tacos are a weekly special, duck confit tacos are a regular  menu item and wild mushroom tacos are a unique favorite for meat eaters and vegetarians alike.

Although tacos are the house specialty at Taqueria 27, they have many other creative items on their menu.  With 6 varieties of guacamole, everyone is sure to find a favorite and to end your meal you must try their chocolate Tres Leches Cake, a spin on the traditional Mexican dessert. The flavors of each component of the meal stand out, with even the corn tortillas being made fresh in-house. Another great thing they have going for them is that there are lots of options for anyone with food restrictions: gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, and kid-friendly!  And if you’re into tequila, the selection is vast!

Skier and non-skiers, young and old, vegan or gluten free, kids or no kids… I really believe many folks in Salt Lake are going to enjoy the offerings at Taqueria 27!

Taqueria 27
1615 South Foothill Dr
Monday through Saturday 11AM-9PM

On a recent lunch rendezvous at Frida Bistro I discovered a new dish that I’m excited to share with you. Have you heard of a Sopecito? No? Allow me to enlighten you.

Sopecito, pronounced soap-eh-cito, are small blue corn rounds, like-toastadas, with a black bean puree and topped with a variety of flavors. I realize I am probably botching the description of this sophisticated Mexican dish but I hope you get the idea. At Frida Bistro for lunch you can select from several options to top your sopecita: carne asada, pork basted in citrus glaze, portabello chorizo, achiote marinated grilled wild salmon, honey–chipotle marinated gulf shrimp, or organic chicken breast marinated in lime. My friend and I both ordered sopecitos, so we tried the portabello chorizo, and the honey chipotle shrimp. After tasting both we agreed that the honey chipotle shrimp was the better of the two with a bit more kick to your taste buds.

For lunch they always start you out right with a couple of these little spiced, cheese-filled bites. And every bite after these is just as good as the first.

And I can’t forget to mention dessert. Frida is teaming up with a local favorite of mine, My Dough Girl, to deliver a decadent mole cookie with a molten chile d’arbol ganache center, topped with slow roasted cinnamon toasted pepitas. Doesn’t that sound amazing?!

Frida Bistro serves upscale Latin American Cuisine just west and south of downtown, a perfect spot for lunch, an after work cocktail and small plate, or an evening splurge.

More about Frida Bistro:
My full review
Saturday Brunch
Margarita Mondays
Partnership with Vida Tequila

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ cups cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chile de arbol or cayenne
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¾ cups sugar, plus 3 Tb to roll the cookie in
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Transfer the dough to a work surface, bring together into a ball, and cut into quarters. Form each portion into a ball and then flatten into a disc. Wrap each disc separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 15 minutes or freeze for up to 1 month. (Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator and let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.  Each disc makes 8 cookies)

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. With a knife, cut the disc of dough into 8 even squares.  Flatten out each square then place a few chocolate chips in the middle of each dough.  Form a ball around the chocolate then roll the ball in sugar.  Press one pumpkin seed on the top of each ball. Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool or eat while hot to get the full effect of the melted center.

Make more cookies with the remaining discs of dough in the same manner.

*Chile de arbol can be found at Mexican markets. If you can’t find it, cayenne pepper is a good substitute.

I have been charmed by the new local Frida Bistro. The restaurant is named after famed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and started by the well known Rico brand. Frida Kahlo was known for her self portraits. Much like the artist’s vibrant paintings, the bistro is illuminated with bright red hanging lamps and colorful paintings yet the mood is lively unlike the pain expressed in Frida’s art.

I was able to drop in for dinner at Frida’s and was especially allured by this cafe. We have French Bistros, Italian Cafes, American Fine Dining. But a Mexican Bistro? That is something noteworthy. At first you might think a Mexican Bistro is a contradiction of sorts but quite the contrary, this is in fact a fine dining establishment supplied with the best wines and foods of their culture.

I especially enjoyed the chile con crema, an appetizer of creamy green peppers served with chips and for dessert the chocolate tamale served with a raspberry sauce. There are so many other dishes I want to try, that I will have to return soon.

I recommend the lunch if you are on a budget like me. But if your pockets are full go for dinner!  Here are some photos of lunch at Frida.

Frida Bistro
545 West 700 South
lunch: weekdays for lunch 11 am – 3 pm
dinner: Monday -Thursday 5 pm – 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 5 pm – 10:30 pm

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