Mole in Dallas?

[victornet]

I'm visiting Dallas for a few days next month and would like to know if anyone can recommend a place to purchase a kilo of some good mole poblano?

Other Mex, tex-mex, and bbq suggestions appreciated as well.

[Richard Kilgore]

I am not sure about the mole poblano, but someone here may know.

So for the Tex-Mex, Mex and bbq -- are you looking for places to eat, or more food to take home?

[theabroma]

The mole pastes I have seen in Dallas are the Dona Maria brand in glass jars in the supermarket. I'll be out tomorrow looking for some other items, so I will check in a couple of my more traditional markets to see whether the situation has improved any. Basically, I'd say don't hold your breath. There are a couple of restaurants here that serve a good mole - perhaps they'd be willing to sell you a quart of the sauce? Do you have any interest in making it yourself? I ask because you can purchase all of the chiles and other ingredients here in Dallas - plus a I have a stash of some of the more regionally particular chiles that are harder to find. Be happy to give you some.

As for TxMx, MxTx, or BBQ - I'll follow Richard's comment: Will that be for here, or to go?

Enjoy your visit.

Regards,

Theabroma

[victornet]

The mex/tex-mex/bbq was a request for places I might enjoyably eat alone (not take out and not formal).

As for Mole, I have Mexican friends who occaisionally bring extra back from Mexico City (pushing it with customs), and I know a place in the downtown food market in LA where I can buy mole by the pound when I visit there. So I was hoping I might find something of this nature in Dallas (which I must admit, I'm visiting more to look at the great art museums and see a Mavericks game than for the food).

[theabroma]

I know what you're talking about witht he mole paste, and I have never seen it for sale here.

For Tx/Mx, El Ranchito on Jefferson and Llewellyn in Oak Cliff, Herrera's on Maple Avenue, Cuquita's on Henderson (MxTx), Las Cazuelas on Main Street, La Acapulquena on Columbia, Los Huaraches and Los Alebrijes on Northwest Highway (MxTx).

For BBQ - everyone has paroxysms over Sonny Bryan's - several locations, but the classic one is on Inwood Road just east of Harry Hines Blvd. Their ribs and brisket are good, but I personally also like Peggy Sue's in Snider Plaza on Daniel and Hillcrest across from SMU. They have good pork ribs. Also, close to downtown, at the edge of the State Thomas district is a place called Sammy's. It will be in the directory. It is very good. Problem is, when I get the ganas for bbq, I head for Central Texas and Austin, so I don't know a lot about bbq in Dallas.

Bon Appetit!

Theabroma

[victornet]

Thanks, Sharon

My friends who used to live in Houston also suggested Joe T Garcia in Ft Worth (for the day I do the museums there). Between that and your suggestions I expect to be a happy camper.

[Richard Kilgore]

If you are going to do all the Ft. Worth Museums in one day, I definitely suggest jogging shoes. And you may want to try Benitos, a Mex-Tex place near the museums. They serve a huge tamale and great carne guisada.

[Scott -- DFW]

Theabroma,

You wrote: "For Tx/Mx, El Ranchito on Jefferson and Llewellyn in Oak Cliff, Herrera's on Maple Avenue, Cuquita's on Henderson (MxTx), Las Cazuelas on Main Street, La Acapulquena on Columbia, Los Huaraches and Los Alebrijes on Northwest Highway (MxTx)."

If you wouldn't mind, could you (a) give us a rough ranking of those establishments (so that someone who would only have time to try one or two of them would hit the best) and (b) tell us the strengths and weaknesses of each place (i.e., what to order and what to avoid)?

I, and others, would appreciate it.

Scott

[victornet]

Scott,

do you have any favorites?

And Richard, as a reformed art historian I am indeed in posession of comfy sneakers and an ability to cruise swiftly through those parts of Museums that are just interesting to me, and to focus intensely where it matters. (A quality I find useful in markets as well, though restaurants are like movies - you are not in control of the pace and can only stay or go).

Although it's problematic on brief visits to cities like the one I have planned, I much prefer multiple visits to a given picture over staring at it for an hour. Probably it is the result of too much TV as a child.

[ExtraMSG]

Sharon, I'd really be interested in the answers to Scott's questions. I'm thinking about coming down there soon, hopefully in May, and will be focusing almost exclusively on low end foods this time (Luling/Lockart and Mexico, puffy tacos in San Antonio -- Woohoo!). So far my results in DFW for taquerias has been underwhelming. I've liked my Portland options better. Seemed too Tex-Mex influenced down there to me. But I had little direction in my choices and I know that taquerias have a tendency to have specialities they're good at.

[victornet]

Well, I'm back and want to thank those who suggested places. Special thanks to Sharon, as El Ranchito was definitely my favorite. I downloaded a review from the Morning News which loved it, but suggested the reviewer was too squeamish to try the Cabrito So of course I had the Cabrito. Very tasty, quite similar to lamb shank. The only problem was squeezing the leftovers into the hotel minibar :). (Here in NYC I get a very refined and more Italian cabrito at L'Impero). But the single purest flavor of the trip was the beans that came as one of the side dishes to it - definitely 4 star beans.

In Ft Worth I did lunch at Joe T Garcias, enjoyable but definitely not very Mexican. The bbq at Bryans was tasty, though I only made it to the one near the airport - as soon as I arrived and to pick up plane food on the way home. I had the baby back ribs at Peggy Sues - great meat, but with a coating that was a touch on the sweet side. I was tempted to go for the regular ribs, which are dry rub, but the waiter said the baby backs were the way to go.

So, no mole, but a great trip.

[Richard Kilgore]

Glad you had a good time here. But if anyone told you Joe T.'s was "Mexican" rather than Tex-Mex, they were leading you astray. Benitos near the Ft. Worth museums is more Mexican plus Tex-Mex. And you did eat at the historic, original Sonny Bryan's if it was a weather worn shack near Love Field.