Monday, December 14, 2009

Ojeda's

Dear Ojeda's,
Maybe it was because we deviated from our normal Wednesday outing and went on a Thursday, maybe it was a full moon, or maybe your restaurant really was that bad.
Your margaritas were strong, but not very flavorful. Your queso was decent, but most of us added salsa to jazz it up a bit. Then there's your food. Someone ordered a spinach quesadilla...safe enough, or so we thought. The flour tortilla was FULL of chopped, previously frozen spinach and the cheese was on the OUTSIDE. I mean, how do you mess up a quesadilla? Even Napoleon Dynamite can make a quesadilla!
Your one saving grace is that your chips are hot and crisp AND you provide a small pitcher of delicious salsa on the table so the customer can refill as needed.
We did have some fascinating conversations that evening and, as always, the company was top notch, but overall, your restaurant just isn't very good.
Sincerely,
K-So

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Tupinamba. Days of Yore


"I apologize to all the people I've hurt and peed on."
-Dave Chappelle as the President

We've been out of the blogging business for too long. No excuses, but you still love us, right?

OK, Meltdown here. Tupinamba is up. I started with a distaste in my mouth for two reasons: 1) reviews online mentioned the joint is Aggie-centric. Barf. 2) I had to leave early for work reasons. I'll spare you the details. Let's just say, the 16th eosinophil is a biznitch.

Shelby Metcalf queso. Nice name. This queso was guud. It's like other Bob A in town, but the taco meat was seasoned. It was straight metal, as illustrated by the horns, & it being the exact opposite of Fred Durst covering and NKOTB song with New Bohemians. G Funk had her own shout out dish too: Grilled Chicken Breast topped with Sliced Avocados, Chopped Tomatoes and melted Jack Cheese, Grilled Vegetables and Rice. Niice.

We got famous that night. Deal with it.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/around-town/food-drink/Queso-and-Ritas-The-Experts-Weigh-In-65526432.html

Balls in your face. We still love you for following us, with patience, and for hating Nickelback.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08IrY1rFkV4

This joint is sweet, albeit not close to anything.
3+ out of 4 .

Come on you Red Devils!

Shebrzeera

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Uncle Julio's 9.16.09














We headed back to Uncle Julio's with the crew for a neighborhood selection evening. We expected a big turnout as all the excuses we could think of (boards, distance, girlfriend, working) were not applicable on this rainy Wednesday evening. I'll have to say that at the end of the evening, I was very proud of the turnout and performance of the QR crew.

We started out in the bar with the "use." Small bowl of queso for the early birds and a few margaritas. UJ's has a nice HH that is basically a few bucks off most of their drinks, so we went straight for the custom blended section. You see..... after doing this for almost a year not just any regular house margarita will do. We've turned into margarita connoisseurs/snobs. I went straight for the Patron Silver custom blended margarita and K-So had the Herradura custom blend. Each time I decide to be a "big baller" for the evening, I remember just how ugly the ol' Cuervo can be. Don't worry, I didn't pull a Kanye on anybody. Appealing to my upscale side, my margarita even came with a lightning bolt swizzle stick!

And now for the lowdown. The queso was great- rich, full of onions and peppers, and just the right consistency. We also sampled the queso with chorizo which was just average. Most of the guys loved it, but it was pretty heavy on the meat for the girls.

The margaritas were AWESOME- they've made the list in fact. They were the perfect combination of liquor and lime. Refreshing, clear, but not deadly.

To point out a few solid food choices: two thumbs up to the shrimp quesadillas, 4 thumbs up (Hi Reneesme!) to the veggie tamales, and a shout out to the chicken nachos.

Finally, if you haven't caught the show Three Sheets you should know that while it's not the ultimate goal for the QR project, a girl can dream. Check it out.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Avila's on Maple


We were all very excited to reunite over steamy bowls of queso and frosty margaritas today!!!

We headed to Avila's on Maple Avenue to do some investigative reporting. Someone heard a rumor that they added LIQUOR to their menu. After all, what would Quesorita be with out tequila? Answer: just queso.

Speaking of queso...we ordered the straight up queso and although it arrived hot, with a sprinkle of paprika on top, it wasn't very flavorful. There were no chunks of peppers or onions and it looked like the "cheese food" we have all grown to dread. The texture was okay, not gloopy like most "cheese food" products, but not good. We even ordered the "layered" queso with beef, guacamole and sour cream (a poor imitation of the Bob Armstrong) but there is only so much one can do when your base is "cheese food".
The drinks, on the other hand, were delicious! The Partido Margarita with agave nectar and fresh lime juice was the favorite at the table. A Paloma was also accidentally ordered and intentionally consumed. Grapefruit juice, silver tequila, lime and soda = refreshing goodness.
What stole the show, however, were the absolutely divine brisket tacos. They come with a choice of three different kinds of tortillas, pinto beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and a lime wedge. 
Beware!!! The salsa is HOT!!! We cooled it down with some chive-infused sour cream...DELICIOUS!
We will definitely go back to Avila's for the drinks and brisket tacos but will pass on the queso!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

QR Update

After a summer hiatus for swimsuit season, we will be returning in a few short weeks.  Get ready!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Sol's Nieto Mexican Grill 7/1/09

Hola pinches! After a long hiatus and many many hours of studying, the phoenix rises from the ashes. Although, maybe I should slept another week. Let's just say Sol did not write Creeping Death. Maybe he was busy writing the Season 4 debut episode of Psych?

I'm sensing he wasn't spending too much time perfecting the queso. It was que-so-so, at best. As per usual, I was scared of the mid-week liquid treats, so I report from my follow partners in lime Court Dog and Angelar (in my best Long Island accent). We all knew this, but it final came out in words... The fluorescence of the margarita is inversely proportional to the deliciousness. These were like John Frederick at Club Banana.

In sum:
Queso-1 out of 5 tastebuds.
Margs-(frozen, rocks, and swirl): solid 2 Glow sticks each

Glad to see we've got some dedicated followers who actually signed up to hang out with us (virtually). This one's a shout out for you!! YEAHHH! Any other random bad-asses reading this, welcome and we're glad to have you. Sign up!

Not sure where the next round of riting (rEE-ting) will be. But rest assured, there will be blog.

Peace in barbacoa grease.

Sherbs

Monday, May 18, 2009

Bandito's 5/6/09


The Quesorita Movement had been yearning for inspiration as of late... enter Senor Slap. Chris ran the LA Burger Tour and a few years ago on a LA study trip we followed his supreme burger guidance and had the best burger EVER, shout out to Father's Office! We were all geared up for a good time, and a good time was had INDEED.

From the outside, Bandito's looks like an old country western dance hall- inviting, humble, faux rustic (I even had a quick nostalgic A&M moment- whoop!). On the inside, it's a long narrow bar with tables down one side that seems to have a little something for everybody. There were at least two study groups, two couples, and then I found Court at the bar eating lunch. She had had a long day and was very ready for Quesorita so we moved to the big front table and began. House margs for the table and a large queso. They have a build your own section (nice!) so we had queso with sour cream, guac, and green chiles and immediately began to discuss if this could be queso #3??? After three bowls, an appetizer plate, and a dozen margaritas, we decided that it wasn't queso #3, but for the life of me I can't remember why. Did I mention this was a "wheels off" quesorita?

Highlight of the evening: somehow The DJ managed to have a cosmetic procedure done after marg #2, and came back for #3!

There were quite a few first timers around the table this time and thanks for coming out. Special shout out to Mary, Stacy, Jeremy, and Chris. We sincerely hope it was everything you imagined and so much more.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Casita Dominguez/Nueva Casita 4/15/09


There were many things hazy about this evening starting with the actual name of the restaurant. It was recommended by my awesome hairdresser, Jason (shout out!), so the quesorita crew headed out. This place is tiny and right behind the huge Half Price Books on NW Hwy if you ever go looking for it. Of note, I'm pretty sure Kelly's pre-mission was unsuccessful.

The second hazy event of the evening involved my discovery that NW Hwy does not hit Greenville, hence a twenty minute detour as I forgot my Gizmo.

The one thing not hazy about the evening was the queso, and was rated pretty highly by the quesorita crew. It won't make the leaderboard, but it's certainly above average and worth the journey of finding the place.

The ritas were also rated above average and were sucked down in the haze.

A quick confession... the haze was not what you are thinking.... and it was not swine flu.... I was sick with some awful kid fever/respiratory virus and proceeded to spike a fever at the table and left promptly thereafter- hence the haze. You'll have to ask the quesorita crew how it ended.

House Queso 3/4*
House Rita 3/4*

*Both of these ratings should be considered approximate ratings as I had to leave in a hurry (please see paragraph 5).

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Cuba Libre 3/25/09


We started to break down barriers this week, much like President Obama, and lifted sanctions against “other Latin American” queso and headed towards Cuba Libre. LE had googled best queso in Dallas (genius!) and discovered with our Tex-Mex only eyes we had been missing out. Who knew that across from our favorite bar (shout out Old Monk!) on Henderson, they were cooking up some delicious queso??

The queso con chorizo seemed a little daunting at first look. The quesorita movement tends to run away from queso heavy on the meat, but as soon as it hit the table we dove in. There were not big chunks of meat floating around, but rather hints of chorizo melding into the queso. It was one of the biggest surprises of the current Quesorita season. It was near perfection! A vote was taken and Quesorita, The Movement voted it #2 in town!

The DJ and I tackled the mango margarita (I really like this flavor combination), and it was "very good to excellent." House margaritas definitely "above average", and the micheladas had a big kick.

Queso con Chorizo- 3.9/4
House Margarita- 3.2/4
Mango Margarita- 3.4/4

PS- Don't miss the black bean dip and the salsa. Every dip we had there was spot on!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Matt's Ranchero Part II-3/26/09



First of all, a hearty thank you to the Quesorita team for moving this week's event to Thursday so a frozen Minnesotan with limited Queso experience could partake. For this special event, the group headed to Matt's in Lakewood. Although a little hard to find (look deeply into the strip mall), Matt's had a nice atmosphere and vibe...high ceilings, lots of tables, and a nice looking patio. We headed inside to avoid the coming cold, but maybe next time it will be patio time! The best part about our table was the 2-year-old next to us who liked to throw plates and knives. Fortunately, we were out of harms way (she could only throw about a foot) and it made us look sophisticated and accomplished by comparison.

So, on to the main event...when I got there queso had already been ordered so I had to sample it a little bit cooled, although it was delicious. The queso is a traditional Bob Armstrong variety, but with L.E.'s innovative ordering technique, we had it with no meat and it was great. Nice chunks of avodado, sour cream and lots of yellowy-almost velveeta style cheese. A few bites were almost too much like Velveeta, but other bites were just perfect. The chips were nice and crispy...maybe needed a little bit of salt.

I had a margarita on the rocks and it was almost perfect. A tad too salty, but otherwise one of the best I have had while touring the Dallas area over the past year. It is also nice that they come in three size: small (6 oz), medium (maybe about 10 oz.) and large (big!). John had the king variety of margarita and had no compliants although I didn't sample it myself.

Some in our group ordered the micheladas...they were inconsistent though. The first one out had almost no tomato or tabasco in it although it was spicy. Shelby still loved it. Others were not as in love, but sequential micheladas seemed to redeem.


Queso gets at 5 out of 4.  Remains the best in town and going to be hard to top.

Margaritas get 3.5 out of 4. A little less salt in the mix and it would be perfect! 

Micheladas get a 2.5 out of 4. Inconsistent quality.

Matt's is a solid quesorita spot, especially if you can hit the patio. I look forward to the next quesorita outing and sampling more regional fare!



Thursday, March 26, 2009

In Memory of Matt Martinez Jr. .....

Mariano's 3/11

See- we read your comments and take your suggestions!
This restaurant was not on our original list but due to the enthusiastic comments left on our blog we thought we should check it out ASAP. Again- a beautiful spring evening- we all gathered at the Lakewood location.  Courtney was especially excited since this was closest to her place. So- home of the frozen margarita.........the orignial frozen margaritas got props for actually tasting like tequila instead of margarita mix- it wasn't the best we have had but a solid drink. Lauren tried a swirl and found it way too sweet and could not finish it (whaaaaaaa?) The queso was great- most of us thought it resembled a home job with velveeta and rotel, which is not a bad thing at all- very comforting- a good temperature- easily scooped with chips. The micheladas were a little too hot for my taste- it was like liquid reflux.  I don't think we will be heading back here anytime soon but it was fun to check out! 
Queso- 3/4 
Margaritas (original frozen)- 2.5/4
Micheladas-  1/4- yikes! my esophagus!


Sunday, March 8, 2009

Cafe San Miguel 2/25/09, The First Quesolada

The chicken or the egg question surfaced this week with "Is it queso if you can't dip your chip in it?" That was the question we pondered on our weekly tour. The only queso at Cafe San Miguel is their queso fundido. Yes, it's real white cheese melted with vegetables served with homemade tortillas. We took this challenge on with a smile on our faces. My vote was no but keep in mind I don't like many creamy products including most cheeses. While the queso fundido was good, it wasn't quite the same yellowy orange runniness that we've become accustomed to dipping chips into. We called it a draw in the end.

But... the good news- this week was the first "Quesolada." Instead of margaritas we all had the michelada. For those of you unfamiliar, a michelada is a beer over ice with mixed some combination of lime juice, salt, worschtester, and clamato. It was fantastic- just spicy enough, just enough clamato, just enough fizzy. Yum, yum.

Also yum,yum was their guacamole. Holy guacamole! It is also served in warm homemade corn tortillas and the first bite of velvetly green goodness sends you straight up to avocado heaven.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Fernando's Feb 11th


Hey everybody! Sorry for the delay- We were here on the most lovely sunny afternoon which I think of now when I can't feel my toes.  This place was 
promising- close to Lauren's house, outdoor seating, delicious chips and salsa and maybe the best damn michelada in Dallas. 
But the queso was a HUGE failure- 
K-so said it best "chicken". I am not sure what some of theses places are doing but we suspect it might involve cream of chicken soup. NO BUENO.  The guacamole and fried jalapeno poppers were good and again the micheladas were outstanding. I don't
remember the margaritas- I kind of think everyone went with the aforementioned micheladas.
Anyhoo - great service, great chips, nice outdoor seating, GREAT MICHELADAS.
skip the queso- yucky. 


Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Blue Goose

For our 20th Quesorita outing we visited the Blue Goose.  Overall, it was quite a pleasant experience.  The atmosphere and decor were good.  There is a big patio to relax on in the summer months.  And Jamie, our enigmatic server, was attentive.

Upon arriving, LEBW, G-unit, K-so, and I immediately and recklessly devoured two bowls of queso.  The cheese seemed genuine and the accoutrement (pico and brisket) did not disappoint.  Of note, the queso comes in a thick chip, rather than porcelain, bowl.  This transforms what was always a sad Quesorita moment:  when the queso runs out...into a terrific one:  eating a soggy, cheesy, delicious last chip. 

There were a few queso problems however.  Most notably...every bowl of queso we had was cold!  After close scrutiny and much deduction fostered from Judy Blume novels, we soon realized that the dish is served with warm queso on the bottom and cold condiments on top (sour cream, pico, etc)...thus, when mixed, the aggregate temperature falls tremendously.  Cold queso just ain't that cool.  We'll stick the queso in at 2.75/4....slightly a shame, cause it did have some excellent potential.

On the margarita front...the margs were fairly well received.  They were slightly above average, garnering extra bonus points for tasting more like tequila than mix.  We'll stick em in at 2.75/4.

Some other notable edibles included:

A Queso Fundido was enjoyed by K-so, Angela, Eric, and Courtney.  This is a concoction of mushrooms, cheese, chicken, peppers, and onions served on a skillet with home-made flour tortillas.  And, while I personally did not try the dish, the broad smiles on their happy faces indicated that it was likely a 3.25/4.

Josh(ie) was served a sizzling hot set of mixed fajitas on a skillet.  They smelled delicious, and I can personally attest that the steak was divine.  Of note, the table was also educated on the subtle, but substantial, importance of occasionally stirring your served fajitas to prevent pepper burning.  My mind was blown.  Fajitas - 3.25/4.

As has become habit, I sampled the tortilla soup, which, I must say, was the best I've had on this Quesorita journey.  It was thick and spicy.  Good flavor and presentation.  I'll give it a rousing 3.45/4.

Overall, the Blue Goose is a good place to sit and drink and eat.  And it earned itself a fairly impressive cumulative score of 2.85/4.

And...to end...a loud shout out to all those Quesorita readers and commenters...keep it up...we dig it! :)

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Mi Cocina- HP 1.28.09




I never quite understood the allure of the Mi Cocina Highland Park location.  The tipsy housewives in tennis skirts and mobs of young children running between tables always made me dizzy and fearful.  But at a recent Quesorita event, A&E explained about the 3rd floor secret bar up the hidden staircase and through the stained glass doors.  Secret password not necessary! Maybe my opinion of this "family friendly" chain would change?  

And oh how it changed.  This is where all the tipsy singles go!!  As Dallas was recovering from the Icestorm of 09, the Quesorita crew headed to Mi Cocina HP for some frozen treats of our own.  As I entered this new found paradise, I started to see why D Magazine rated it best Tex-Mex (disputed by the Quesorita movement) in town.  I hope it wasn't for the food (see queso ratings below), but Mi Cocina HP is winning for "best atmosphere."

As you walk in those beautiful doors, there is a long bench seat along a completely windowed wall facing you and tiny wicker tables just large enough for your Mambo Taxi.  When it's warmer, all the windows are opened and a nice breeze comes in and all you can see are the tops of the trees.  You would have no idea that you're in the middle of Dallas, much less in the middle of a large shopping complex.  It's comfortable, casual, and inviting as it's more or less family style seating.  Service is good, but know they only serve drinks and apps up here.  I can't wait to return when it's warm out.

As for the queso... it was odd.  K-So nailed it when she said it tasted like chicken.  It really does! It wasn't that runny ball park style fake cheese, but it wasn't much better.  I'm convinced it was thickened with corn starch.  Colors disguised as vegetables were present, but there was a lot of salsa mixing going on to kick it up a notch.  Don't worry we finished the whole disappointing bowl.

As for the ritas.... they were yummy.  I feel like D Magazine should have instead listed the Mambo Taxi as one of "The 10 Best Things To Do in Dallas."  Much more appropriate.  I envision the article listing going something like this.......  

"A trip to Dallas is not complete without a stop at one of the many Mi Cocina restaurants scattered across the city and suburbs.  If you are looking for a happy hour spot, then a stop by the Mi Cocina 3rd floor rooftop bar is a must.  Order a Mambo Taxi (frozen lime margarita expertly swirled with some extreme proofed sangria) if you're up for an adventurous night.  About halfway through your rita, you will notice that your frustrating feeling left over from work is gone, and you're floating amongst the trees you see outside the windows.  If you start to chirp like the beautiful birds you see, then you know you should not have ordered that second Mambo Taxi.  They're deadly.  Quietly excuse yourself and hail a real cab."

The Quesorita Movement recommends Mi Cocina HP definitely for it's atmosphere, with confidence for it's Mambo Taxis, and not so much for it's queso.  Just saying.....

Queso                1.5/4
Ritas                  3.5/4 (extra points if you can handle that second)
Atmosphere     10/4


Thanks so much to everyone who follows the blog.  We definitely appreciate your comments and suggestions and will be reviewing some of these places in the coming weeks.  Spread the word- Quesorita, The Movement.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Matt's Rancho Martinez January 14th


I have to say, I am a little sad- I found ANOTHER DALLAS QUESO BLOG- it is called Blog Con Queso. But when I saw they have not posted since 2007- i felt a little better....
This week we decided to up the ante and hit Matt's in Lakewood.
history first....
The Matt's legend began more than 50 years ago in Austin, when Matt Martinez Sr. opened the original Matt's El Rancho. After a move to Dallas, Matt Jr. opened this spinoff in Lakewood, now managed by his son, Matt Martinez III. Contrary to popular myth Mattito's is no longer related to Matt's- it is now owned by someone named Jeff Frankel (shout out). Hence- the difference in their off the menu Bob Armstrong dip and what you will read about below.
Now- back to the quesorita...
The first arrivals got the original Bob Armstrong and top shelf margaritas on the rocks- the second wave opted for a vegetarian version of the Bob Armstrong and I think we might have stumbled on to the MOST PERFECT QUESO EVER!!!! Now, for those not familiar with this little piece of heaven- the Bob Armstrong dip has a scoop of sour cream and guacamole on top and usually ground beef which most people would be psyched about- but some times God rewards you for not eating animals- the Bob Armstrong Dip is beyond but the Bob Armstrong Dip without beef is even better (carnivores at the table agree!)
HEAVEN. plain and simple. Best queso, Best margaritas thus far, maybe ever. Not the cheapest ($8.50 per huge bowl of queso) but worth every penny.
Here are the scores-
Margaritas- 4/4 (swirls, top shelf)
Queso- 5/4

Shout outs to the friends we haven't met yet who have left comments, we can't believe you found our blog and liked it! If you have suggestions of places for us to check out- we would love to hear them!

Oh yeah, who is Bob Armstrong- thank you Blog con Queso friends- we are keeping your dream alive....


Monday, January 12, 2009

Herrera's on Maple






 
I must confess that I felt a little pressure when I volunteered to write the blog for quesorita this week. No, not THAT kind of pressure. THAT pressure was because I ate too many beans. Not only is this the first quesorita blog of 2009, it is our first quesorita WITHOUT margaritas. I will do my best.
When you look up “Hole-in-the-Wall” in the dictionary, Herrera’s on Maple is what you will find. Their service was speedy, chips hot, salsa spicy, queso lumpy (in a good way) and liquor license non-existent.
I will start with the queso…Upon arrival to our table, I have to admit that I gave it one look and thought, “Great, it’s that Sysco powdered, flavorless, orange/yellow *%#@!.” Then we tasted it. It was surprisingly good. The closer we got to the bottom, as only Shelby and I know because we were the only two still eating it, the better it got. The onions and peppers were all there waiting to be scooped up by only a truly devoted queso lover. L.E. thought it was “fluffy” and “too airy” but other than the way it looked, it tasted pretty darn good.
Queso: 2.5-2.65/4
Again, this place does NOT serve any kind of alcohol…have no fear, Herrera’s is situated along a street catering to the thristy B.Y.O.B.ers. We got a six pack of Tecate and a six pack of Pacifico with which we washed down several plates of yummy food. Lauren (that crazy girl) got the Crazy Nachos-loaded with tac0 meat, shredded chicken, beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos. Rich had the Huevos Rancheros, Shelby didn’t eat because he was bloated and begging Lauren to “pull his finger”. I had the “Number 10” which consisted of one chalupa smothered with guacamole, one cheese enchilada (I substitooted the meat sauce for a greener one) and one cheese soft taco. It was delicious. After several inappropriate wrestling jokes, The DJ (Angela) arrived to have her Quesorita cherry popped. She refused the hazing rituals even though we promised to go easy on her but she did agree to help us finish the leftovers. Unfortunately, L.E. had to leave before she could sample the food. I think she would have liked her options considering there were several vegetarian plates on the menu.
After paying at the cash register up front (the entire bill for ALL 6 of us was 33 dollars!!!) we realized that we still needed to discuss/recruit more peeps for Surf Camp, so we sat back down, cracked another beer and talked about stuff for an hour or so…
We would all like to go back to Herrera’s at some point, it would be kind of silly not to. The prices are UNBEATABLE!!!
Shelby’s Inappropriate Joke of the Day:
"My girlfriend isn’t very good at wrestling, but you should see her box!"
Looking forward to many more Quesoritas in 2009 when we go global!!!
PURA VIDA, QUESARITA!!!
Kelly (K-so) out!