Make a Trip to Mexiquense

Food Travel Discoveries

If you’re not up to traveling just now, (or your passport has expired, as mine has), but you still want a bit of adventure, you might consider an alternative. Read a travel book i.e., The Best Loved Villages of France. Cook a Mediterranean-based meal for family/friends. Or try an ethnic restaurant. (Sado and Deli Divine will soon be open.) Befriend a person from another country. Let your mind travel.

A Recent “Trip”

Last weekend I chose to travel to Overland to visit the El Mexiquense grocery and restaurant. (Pron: “Mex-ee-kin-sah”). My Latin American friends have been raving about it. What’s more, it has a special section devoted to Colombian food. And since my son-in-law, JC, is from Bogota, Colombia, he and Robin were on board for the trip, too.

The place is located in a strip shopping center on Lackland. At first, it’s not apparent which of the many entrances open into the store, but another customer pointed the way.

I had no idea Goya sold so many varieties of fresh and canned beans.

What Is It?

Chayole Dobla, a mild, crunchy squash that’s technically a fruit, but prepared like a vegetable.

Guaje, a thin, foot-long legume with edible seeds similar to pumpkin seed.

I only recognized several of these items. The rest would be an adventure.

Yuca (or Cassava). The sign refers to the items below the shelf.

Not sure what these are, but they look cute and cuddly.

Nopal (cactus) is edible either raw or cooked, but cooked seems to be preferred.

The Tourist in Me

After “sightseeing” along the many shelves, we purchases a few “food souvenirs.” JC recommended the plantain chips. Unlike most potato chips, Goya’s Original version has reduced sodium. While JC was checking out, Robin and I shared a warm tamale, that a nice woman was selling from a cooler.

Should you want to make your own tortilla shells, this device will do it.

Lunch at Maize & Wheat Colombian Restaurant

Still in “travel mode,” we stopped for lunch at Maize & Wheat, the Colombian restaurant on S. Brentwood across from the Whole Foods’ shopping mall. I’m especially fond of their Ajiaco. (Proun: “ah-ee-ah-koh). The soup/stew wreaks with flavor from its many ingredients: chicken, onion, bay leaves, garlic, potatoes, corn, cream, and guasca (a bitter-sweet herb)

But this time I went with the Pork Arepa, (proun: “ar-eh-puha”), which I like as well. Restaurant owner Claudia Niswonger happily showed us the architectural drawings for the indoor/outdoor renovation about to get underway. It’s great to see these new, small restaurants bouncing back in the wake of the epidemic.