EL AGUILA MEXICAN CUISINE

The journey to find the ultimate plate of Chileverde had a wonderful encounter at El Aguila Mexican Cuisine. Some of our best discoveries are by word of mouth and this discovery was by a fellow certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Master Judge Aaron. He mentioned this restaurant a while back and I recently saw an article about their cheesecake. Say no more. Mexican food and cheesecake are two of my favorite food groups. We ventured to El Aguila on a rainy day to discover parking Karma was in full gear evident by a parking spot right in front.

The inside of El Aguila was packed at the noon hour which hopefully was a good sign. You place your order at the counter to receive a number for serving. The tables were small and placed close to each other. In fact I had to move from our original table because I was feeling claustrophobic and really did not want to hear about nearby Grandma’s sweet children.  We now settled in to our small table and promptly our drinks, chips and salsa were delivered. These chips were not complimentary but always a necessary indicator of the meal to come. These were not traditional tortilla chips but potato chips. Thin potato slices deep fried and lightly salted. They were hit and miss. Some chips were greasy and limp and some were crisp and addicting. The salsa was a pepper and oil emulsion that was a touch over mild and pleasant. I have my fingers crossed for better things to come.

We were not disappointed with our entrees. The Chileverde came to the table looking like it had jumped straight out a food magazine photo shoot. At first I did not really know what to expect. There was a mound of something with strands of something else all sitting in a pool of green sauce. The mound was a generous chunk of braised all natural Homestead Farms pork. It was tender and full of porky goodness. It was covered with strands of squash, ribbons of nopalitos (cactus) and grilled tomatoes. The green sauce was fresh and tart with mild chili love. This was a study in textures, flavors and scrumptiousness. Did I mention they were accompanied by house made tortillas and a plate of black beans with rice? Wow.

Ms. Goofy had a sandwich (torta). This was breaded chicken covered with melted cheese. Lettuce and lots of tomatos were also layered on this meat and all of it was served between two halves of a very fresh Mexican style bread. Ms. Goofy really enjoyed it. We then shared, well Ms. Goofy had a bite and I devoured some very decadent cheesecake covered with a caramel sauce.

This was a wonderful stop on our journey to find the ultimate plate of Chileverde. It will be put near the top of all-time favorites. El Aguila Mexican Cuisine serves a high end rendition of some traditional Mexican dishes. Today we award El Aguila bonus points for house made tortillas and decadent cheesecake. Our dishes were fantastic and will be worthy of return visits. The house made chips and seating arrangements were our only agitations to a wonderful meal. El Aguila is a keeper.

CINCO DE MAYO

Sunny California has been gifted with a much needed soaking of rain these last several days. This was the perfect opportunity to continue our search for the best Chile Verde. Our journey brings us to Martinez California to sample the Chile Verde offered by the small chain of Cinco de Mayo. Parking karma did not apply today because they do have a small lot right in front. Once inside there is a counter with a signboard menu offering many food combinations.  The prices are very reasonable. An order is placed and you are directed to a small self-service salsa bar.

A good indicator of the food to come is the salsa bar. Does the restaurant take the time to make quality salsas? This salsa bar will receive only a passing grade. It was the standard fair of canned pickled carrots and jalapenos, verde & red salsa and a fair rendition of pico de gallo. This salsa bar did not pop with excitement. Our orders were delivered to our table very quickly. We did time our dinning perfectly. We arrived seconds before a big lunch rush.

Both of our plates looked great. The proportions were generous. My Chile Verde was seasoned nicely. The green sauce did have pepper flavor. The cubes of pork were leaning to the chewy side. The beans and rice were filling. This rendition of Chile Verde was decent but just did not sing out with pizzazz and vibrancy. Ms. Goofy was not enamored with her “Wet” Super Carnitas Burrito.

Cinco de Mayo is an inexpensive place to grab a decent meal. It is popular with the local residents. My Chile Verde was decent, the salsa okay and Ms. Goofy’s burrito not memorable. With so many other Mexican restaurants to try our journey will continue.
Cinco de Mayo.
2250 Pacheco Blvd
 Martinez, CA 94553

OTAEZ (Original)

Every couple of weeks a whistle sounds in the chileverde craving section of the ‘Mad Meat Genius’ mind. This itch needs to be scratched and Otaez in Oakland California will provide the meal to whet my appetite. Previously we visited Otaez’s sister restaurant located in Alameda. If memory serves me right this meal was very satisfying. Let’s pull up a tortilla chip and dip into the salsa of our noon time nosh.

We are no strangers to this establishment. I have been gong to this restaurant as far back as the eighties. It is located in a colorful urban neighborhood with many choices of Mexican restaurants nearby. Otaez is a poplar choice for many of the members of the ‘Men in Blue’. The outside walls are peppered with colorful murals depicting Mexican folk scenes. Through the doors reveal a huge dining area with plenty of booths and tables. More folk art murals decorate the walls. We receive chips and salsa immediately. Ms. Goofy and I are like a broken record when it comes to ordering. Chile Colorado burrito for Ms. Goofy and Chileverde for the meat freak goes the tune.

This is comfort food that we crave. The chileverde is the same recipe as the Alameda branch. The house made tortillas are a wonderful treat in my book. Ms. Goofy’s burrito was slathered in a red mole sauce that was spectacular. It had a hint of chocolate in its chile splendor. There is a reason we have been returning to this restaurant and may I suggest that you come visit Otaez and find out for yourself.

Otaez
3872 International Blvd
 Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 536-0909

EL TAZUMAL

Chileverde with a Salvadorian twist is on the menu today. We venture to San Pablo, California to El Tazumal. The sign outside advertises Salvadorian and Mexican food. We are on our never ending quest to find the ultimate plate of Chileverde.  We hope that El Tazumal fills the bill. It is the noon hour and the parking lot is full. This is a good sign at our new dinning destination.. We walk through the door to a full house. The television is loudly broadcasting a soccer match watched by men in work clothes.. I survey the room and notice that most diners are having soup or papusas. This should be fun.

The menu is large with colorful pictures depicting various dishes. It is not your typical Mexican faire. I survey the section on ‘Carne’ offerings and only see a chileverde burrito. There is only one waiter working the floor so we watch the soccer match hoping a team scores a goal to hear the animated announcer shout: “Goooaaaalll”. It is now our turn to order. Our waiter patiently explains several unfamiliar dishes to us. He says it is no problem to have a plate of chileverde. He asks if I want Mexican or Salvadorian style tortillas. The latter tortillas are thicker.  Salvadorian tortillas and a meat and cheese papusa would accompany my chileverde plate.

The waiter returned with our drinks, chips and salsa. The salsa was a thin tomato base vinegar sauce with not a lot of heat. Each table had a plastic jug that was filled with a cabbage mixture that was salty, slightly fermented type of coleslaw/sauerkraut. I looked at the other tables and noticed that everybody used this to accompany their papusas. Our dishes arrived promptly.

The waiter arrived with two huge platters of food. The chileverde meat was shredded not cubed as I am familiar with. It looked scrumptious so I did not hesitate to eat. The meat was on the salty side. The texture teetered on the side of overcooked. The green sauce/gravy that accompanied this pork did not have a pronounced pepper flavor. In spite of this criticism I devoured this meaty offering. The papusas and tortillas were freshly made. This was masa nirvana. This is comfort food that is filling and satisfying. I could see why customers were having lunch of only papusas. The cabbage mixture, a little to salty for my taste, was a good accompaniment. Ms. Goofy loved her burrito.

El Tazumal is a very decent lunch destination. Papusas and Salvadorian tortillas are a must have item. The prices are more than reasonable for a huge platter of food. Our quest for the ultimate Chileverde will continue but we shall return to El Tazumal.

El Tazumal
14261 San Pablo Av.
San Pablo, Ca. 94806
510 215 7593

OTAEZ

Otaez is the name of a small town in Durango, Mexico. Otaez is also the name of a popular Mexican restaurant in Oakland. The original location in the Fruitvale district has been a popular hangout for locals and the “5-0” police officers. Otaez opened this sister restaurant in Alameda to expand their popularity. Sleek and modern is the new location. A full bar and spacious dining area awaits a new crowd of Otaez diners. The original Otaez was always crowded and it was nice to get a seat immediately at this new location.

We were here to continue our search for the Ultimate Chile Verde. We placed our orders and sampled the two complimentary salsas. Pico de Gallo and a tomato and chile mix were the offerings. Both were mediocre and under seasoned. A splash of salt and possibly some heat was needed. A nice salad accompanied our lunch. It was topped with tortilla strips and our dressing came on the side as requested. Our entrees arrived very quickly even though we were dining at the peak of the lunch hour.

My large plate of chile verde arrived to the table steaming. This plate of green gold was accompanied by a basket of house made corn tortillas. Fresh tortillas are a plus in my book and they hit the mark. I dove into my plate of cubed pork and green chile gravy with gusto. The gravy/sauce was delicious. It had a little kick of heat from the fresh peppers. I want to venture that the heat was from Serrano peppers. This sauce was a good balance of tomatillas, peppers, cumin and cilantro. The cubed pork was a little chewy and not overly flavorful. The sauce made up for the extra gnawing and was sopped up with my yummy tortillas. Ms. Goofy had enchiladas and claimed mediocrity.

Otaez is a clean, modern, fast and inexpensive sister restaurant of the original. We enjoyed our lunch. The sauce of the chile verde was extraordinary. The fresh tortillas are comfort food that I crave. A bowl of sauce and tortillas would make me happy. Otaez is a nice restaurant but our quest for the Ultimate Chile Verde will continue.

Otaez

1619 Webster St.

Alameda, California 9459

510 521-9090

LOS PINOS

The quest for the ultimate plate of Chile Verde brings us to a small taqueria located in Concord, California called ‘Los Pinos’. Walking through the doors of ‘Los Pinos’, a feeling of déjà vu occurred. The brightly colored Mexican themed mural, the large menu board, the open griddle and the salsa bar could place us at almost any tacqueria in Northern California. Like preprogrammed robots we marched to the counter and went through the motions of the quest that we are committed to.

A trip to the salsa bar is always a ritual that must be completed. This salsa bar was clean and tidy. Verde/tomatilla, pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, sliced radish, crushed tomato salsa, and roasted peppers & tomato salsa were scooped into small plastic cups. These were all sampled at our table with complimentary tortilla chips. The roasted peppers & tomato salsa was our favorite. The only heat at this salsa bar was the pickled jalapenos.


Our meal was prepared promptly and delivered to our table. We received two nice looking plates of our two favorite Mexican dishes. The Chile Verde had a generous pile of cubed pork. This pork was tender and flavorful. The green gravy was thick with vegetables and satisfying. This plate was devoured with the help of two warm corn tortillas. Ms. Goofy’s enchiladas were warm and comforting. A dollop of avocado and crema was like the topping of a cake.


This is a routine that we love to repeat. The quest will continue. While we thoroughly enjoyed our meal today it was not the ‘Ultimate Chile Verde’ plate. This green sauce did not have the fire and warmth that could of ended our journey. ‘Los Pinos’ is a very satisfying and comforting Mexican restaurant. We would be happy to return if it was not for our quest.

Los Pinos

3375 Port Chicago Highway

Concord, Ca. 94520

925 825-2085

TOM’S CHILE VERDE

Tom a friend, Mad Meat Genius reader, and certified barbeque judge wearing his KCBS shirt and badge, approached us at our last BBQ competition and asked us if we had found the ultimate plate of chile verde ? He proclaimed; “Search no further, I have brought you the ultimate chile verde.” He gave ua a small sample of his home made chile verde. Needless to say it was very delicious. Tom was gracious enough to share his recipe and I would like to pass it on to you delicous tasty readers. We were able to purchase all our ingredients at Las Montanas. We bought pre-cubed pork shoulder. It is a nice convenience. How about breaking out a large pot and join us in the kitchen.

Tom’s Chile Verde

3 pounds pork butt roast cut into ¾ inch chunks
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 quarts of chicken broth
3 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped fine
1 yellow bell pepper
2 Serrano peppers
3 poblano peppers seeded and chopped
2 pounds tomatillos husk removed
1 bunch cilantro leaves coarsely chopped

1 In a large stock pot, over high heat, sear the pork in vegetable oil until golden brown; Remove the pork from the pot, reserve 2 tablespoons oil in the pan. Cook the chopped onion and garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper n the reserved oil until onions are tender. Season with cumin, then stir in the pork and chicken stock. Simmer for 1/ 2 hour or until the pork is tender.
2 Stir in the poblanos, jalapeno and bell peppers. Puree the tomatillos in a blender and add them to the pot with chopped cilantro. Cook an additional 30 to 45 minutes. For a thicker texture add cornstarch slurry as needed. Season to taste.

Tom Judge Extraordinare

This is an easy recipe to make. I would like to let you in on a Chilebrown secret. I have a difficult time following recipes. I stuck to Tom’s recipe with the only addition of a little oregano and a pinch of sugar.. We did use a slurry of cornstarch to thicken this pot of green gold. What a fun and delicious recipe. I might crank up the heat next time and use a little less chicken stock and more hot peppers. We served this over a bed of rice with salsa. Yummy Noodles! What a great recipe. Thanks Tom!!!

TAQUERIA DONA MARIA

There is a new taqueria in town and I feel obligated to try their Chile Verde. It is a never ending quest to find the ultimate plate of cubed pork in green chile gravy. ‘Taqueria Dona Maria’ has been open for several months and I have passed by wondering and dreaming that this could be the place. A quick call to my friend and south of the border interpreter, Ray, and we were on a mission to sample their culinary offerings.

Dona Maria is a small, clean and tidy establishment. You order at the counter and your food will be brought to your table. Like a lot of our Mexican restaurants in the area it is always nice to have somebody that speaks the language. I placed my order with Ray and he relayed it to our hostess. There is a small salsa bar that you can help yourself to three different salsas. A salty green tomatilla salsa, a fruity hot habanero and a dried red chile puree were offered for your pleasure. While we were sampling the salsa our server came to our table and informed us that we they were out of Chile Verde. I substituted carnitas. Our server told us the carnitas had just came out of the oven. Our food arrived and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had covered the carnitas in green chile gravy. Steam was rising from the plate.


The carnitas were hot and flavorful. The green gravy that covered and surrounded the meat was lacking in peppers and flavor. It did not have the pizzazz and wow factor that I crave. The whole plate was comforting with the fresh beans and tasty rice. I enjoyed this plate but it was not the ultimate dish of Chile Verde. I would like to mention the dessert case full of home made treats. I bought a cheesecake covered in dulce leche and brought it home. I needed to be near a couch to imbibe in this sweet snack. Overall we enjoyed our meal. I will give it a second chance and see if they have Chile Verde available. I would return just to have another piece of cake.

Taqueria Doan Maria

3550 San Pablo Dam Rd

El Sobrante, CA 94803(

510) 222-5779

XOLO

Downtown Oakland once was a dark, dreary and not so very safe place to visit. It has slowly gone through a neighborhood transformation. Restaurants, Art galleries, night clubs and a restoration of the Fox Theater have brought back life to this renamed destination, ‘Uptown Oakland’. Xolo is a taqueria that is located across the street from the Fox. The Fox is a venue that has been showcasing some big name performers. Xolo is the perfect place to grab a bite before or after the show. We came for the ‘Danger Dog’ but stayed for the burritos.

Xolo is an offshoot of the popular Dona Tomas restaurant that is located several miles down the street. Xolo is a causal taqueria whose specialties are burritos. We walked into Xolo’s and were greeted by two friendly servers that would take our order at the counter. Three menu items, two cerveza’s and non complimentary chips & salsa set us back forty five dollars. We received a number and looked for a place to sit. In the back is a warm cozy outdoor patio which became our choice of seats. Our food was brought promptly.

Chile Verde was not a menu item. Our server suggested that I order the chile verde bowl. This bowl consists of the filling for the burrito minus the tortilla. The menu describes the chile verde burrito as; “pork stewed in tomatillos & chiles, black beans, diced red onions and cilantro’. That is what I got in a nice glass bowl. This chile verde bowl contained only three or four cubes of meat with a tiny amount of shredded pork. It was very tender. In fact it was so tender; I would say it had a mushy texture. The tomatillo/chili sauce was very mild and bland. Overall this dish of chile verde was very disappointing. Ms. Goofy had a ‘Machaca’ shredded beef burrito which she enjoyed. The chips were freshly fried, crisp, salty and tasty. It is too bad they were accompanied by bland and nondescript Pico de Gallo and tomatillo salsas.

Xolo is a convenient and inviting place to grab a bite before the show. They have a reputation to live up to being an offshoot of Dona Tomas. The ‘Danger Dog’ was a fun and messy menu item. Ms. Goofy liked her shredded beef burrito. The servers were friendly and prompt. I would not recommend the Chili Verde. Come to ‘Uptown Oakland’, watch a show at the Fox, have a burrito at Xolo’s but be prepared to leave with an empty wallet.

XOLO
1916 Telegraph Av.
Oakland Ca. 94612
510 986-0151

EL SOL

‘El Sol’, “Authentic Mexican Cuisine, Family Owned Since 1982”, is our latest stop in our journey to find the ‘Ultimate Chile Verde’ dish. We did not travel far on this culinary excursion. In fact we could have walked from the Mad Meat Genius meat cavern. We have visited EL Sol in the distant past when we first moved into the lovely town of Rodeo. Our experience left us with a feeling of blandness. Many years have passed and it was time to re-visit our local Mexican food dispensary.

El Sol is operated and owned by the Orozco family. They are very involved in community activities. The Orozco’s are one of the sponsors of little league and host a ‘Cinco de Mayo’ block party. The restaurant has a good lunch crowd of regulars from the community and surrounding businesses. Let’s order some chile verde.

Dr. Biggles and I agree that a good indicator of the food to come is the chips and salsa that are provided before the meal. The chips were fresh, crisp and just salty enough to keep your doctor in business. The salsa was bland and disappointing. This salsa came straight from a can. The heat was just not invited to this party. Little plastic containers of a habanero sauce were offered for the asking. This sauce did have some heat and flavor once you got past the over seasoning of salt.

You place your order at the counter and your food will be brought to your table. The employees were very friendly and made us feel welcome. Our food was brought promptly. This large plate of pork and chile looked wonderful. The meat was tender. The beans and rice were filling. The beer was icy cold. These are the only positive things about this plate. Bland and blander was the verdict. All of the salt must have ended up in the habanero salsa. The chile taste and flavor that I crave missed this bus. Ms. Goofy enjoyed her enchiladas.

El Sol is a popular local restaurant. The Orozco family is very involved in the community. The employees are very friendly to make your dining experience pleasant. We wanted to love this establishment so very much. The verdict of Bland will stand. The journey to find the “Ultimate Chile Verde’ will continue.

El Sol
224 Pacific Av.
Rodeo, Ca. 94572
510 260-0163

NEW MECCA CAFE

Let’s all jump in Ms. Goofy’s ‘Formula One Racing Honda” and speed on over to Pittsburg California’s ‘New Mecca Cafe’ to continue our journey to find the ultimate chile verde. The New Mecca is an East Bay institution. Guillermo Muniz opened this Mexican café in the mid sixties and it has become a destination restaurant ever since. The New Mecca has deep ties to the Bay Area. They are caterers to the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. This restaurant is a good and maybe the only reason to ever visit Pittsburg. The City of Pittsburg has awarded the New Mecca 2.34 million dollars of redevelopment money to enlarge and modernize the restaurant. They are open while the construction progresses.

We almost did not recognize downtown Pittsburg. The redevelopment has transformed a once scary neighborhood into an inviting warm shopping, dining and entertainment district. We had to maneuver around some construction to enter the New Mecca. Once inside it was like meeting an old friend. The interior looks like an old fashion soda shop with its small booths and round stools surrounding the counter. The one thing that was missing was the crowds. This is the first time ever that we have not had to wait for a booth. It is a good thing because Ms. Goofy was beginning to drool from the wonderful aroma of Mexican food wafting from the kitchen.

Chile Verde

The waitress immediately brings over menus, chips, bean dip, and two different types of salsa. (Ask for the optional hot sauce). Be careful that you do not fill up on the bean dip because the plates to come are generous. Chile verde is always our quest but Ms. Goofy wanted carnitas. Two huge plates of pork were delivered to our table of swine morsel anticipation. The chile verde was moist, juicy and tender. The chile was mild and not a big taste factor in this plate of comfort. Your choice of tortillas was available to sop up the juices of green pork stew. Oh wow! This was tasty, filling and a prescription to rush to the couch.

Carnitas

Ms. Goofy’s plate of carnitas was full of crisp and chewy pork love. The chile verde was very decent. The pepper flavor that I crave and search for was lacking. The dish was still comforting and satisfying. ‘New Mecca Cafe’ has all the comfort Mexican dishes we all love. There is local history at New Mecca that will be preserved and carried on to new generations. If you are in the neighborhood give it a try.

New Mecca Café
324 Railroad Ave
Pittsburg, CA 94565
(925) 432-7433

CINCO DE MAYO

Today's journey in search of the killer Chile Verde brings us to 'Cinco De Mayo' restaurant located in Concord California. I received a hot tip from a fellow co-worker. He claimed that I would not be disappointed. 'Cinco De Mayo is located in a small strip mall. When you walk through the door you will be greeted by huge colorful murals on the wall. You place your order at the counter and your meal will be brought to your table.

An impressive salsa bar is located next to the counter. There are numerous chile concoctions. Pico de gallo, roasted peppers, tomatilla sauce, pickled peppers and several dried pepper salsa are there for consumption. I could of just ordered some chips and grazed this salsa bar. It was tasty and ended up being the highlight of the meal.

This chile verde looked very tasty. It was accompanied by home made corn tortillas. Unfortunately the taste did not deliver. The flavor was just flat. The meat was tough. It lacked pizazz. Maybe it needed some salt or lime to spritz it up. Luckily the salsa bar rescued this dish. I know it is a tough job, but I am looking and searching for the next dish of chile verde.

Cinco de Mayo

4115 Concord Blvd

Concord, CA 94519

(925) 691-8855

CELIA'S

It is a never ending quest to find the ultimate Chile Verde dish. We have traveled near and far to quench our desire of the green chile stew of porky goodness. Today's travel brings us to Celia's located in Antioch California. Celia's is a chain restaurant that has about a dozen locations throughout the Bay Area. This location in Antioch is very popular among the local population. On the weekends the bar is packed with margarita and tequila enthusiasts. They usually have a Mariachi band to entertain the restaurant patrons. Our visit brought us on a Saturday afternoon. The place was pretty quiet. The interior still looks festive with all the murals on the wall. We were promptly seated and the complimentary chips and salsa were brought.

The chips were fair and the salsa mediocre. The salsa was made from canned vegetables and was fairly mild. The chips had probably seen better times. I ordered the Chile verde and Ms. Goofy ordered some type of combination. We did not tell the waiter our quest. I think he could tell by the saliva dripping from my mouth. The food was brought faster than we could sing 'Cielto Lindo'. This Chile Verde looked delicious.

Looks can be deceiving. The pork cubes were tough like shoe leather. The meat was dry and tasteless. The green sauce was flat. No heat, no seasoning, and no Love. Ms. Goofy was also sad with her dish. This dish had just received a shot of nuclear blasting. The sawdust filling of her enchilada was hotter than the sun, temperature wise. The beans had shriveled from this atomic blast. There is one bright note to this disaster, The beer was ice cold!

Celia's is a fun, bright and cheery place. The bar has a local following that is entertained with Mariachi music. Come for the margaritas but leave for dinner.

Celias

523 W 10th

Antioch Ca.

925-724-1355