5/22/13

And the winner is: Queretaro barbacoa named “Best Taco in the World” at London gala


Oprime aqui ara leer Este artículo en español 
“The envelope please…”
On a crisp, cool evening in London recently ‘The World’s Seven Tastiest Fast Feasts Awards’ were revealed at a gala event. Chowzter, a web site and app dedicated to promoting ‘traditional fast food’ was the proud sponsor. The occasion was held as a provocative flipside to the glitzy World’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony being held the next night, to highlight ‘low-end’ culinary treasures. Leading global food bloggers, top chefs and food connoisseurs gathered for the first-ever awards ceremony at a trendy London club, the Village Underground. British comedian Alexander Armstrong buoyantly hosted the casual awards gala celebrating the tastiest dishes in seven categories: sandwich, sausage, pizza, curry, burger, fried chicken and taco. Chowzter’s rankings were based on the nominations of a team of more than fifty street food experts from around the world.
English pizza wins over Italian!
A local English pizza, the
 margherita from Story Deli, won first prize as ‘world’s tastiest fast feast’, provoking many Italians in attendance.
“Nobody can beat the Italians for making amazing pizzas that build on, and respect, centuries of tradition,” Chowzter founder Jeffrey Merrihue said in an interview. “But Story has taken that tradition and turned it on its head, creating a pizza that combines great flavors with an unusual texture.”
Fezes off…
While the evening focused on highlighting delicious dishes from across the globe, the gala also recognized one individual passionate about her work and eager to contribute to the food-blogging industry.  Istanbul’s food storyteller and photographer Tuba Satan was honored with the Chief Chowzter Outstanding Contribution Award.  She told us: “Food is not always eaten in the best places, but this is real food, for real people; it’s accessible and local and it’s important to get the word out.”

Chef Martín Morales, Nicholas Gilman and comedian Alexander Armstrong
A taco takes it
And out of five nominations for best taco in the world (three of them non-Mexican!) the prize went to Barbacoa Santiago in Querétaro. The tacos at Santiago are beyond legendary with folks who make the pilgrimage just for the experience. Wrapped in maguey leaves and pit-cooked overnight over wood, the fragrant meat is served on freshly made corn tortillas augmented with hand-ground roast chile salsa that would bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened charro.

Keep cool and collect

The award was presented by Martín Morales of London’s Ceviche Restaurant and accepted by Good Food in Mexico City’s own Nicholas Gilman, who flew in for the occasion to represent his adopted country. And when the trophy arrives a ceremony will be held and the deserving winners will be lauded. ¡Que Viva México! 
Barbacoa Santiago, Carretera Mexico-Querétaro 152.1, Palmillas, San Juan del Río, Querétaro

5/3/13

Close to home: Maximo Bistrot Local



Note: The fine folks at Maximo have been recently caught in the vortex of a socioeconomic media fest, shedding light on ugly aspects of Mexican society: corruption and classism. See: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/world/americas/restaurant-http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/world/americas/restaurant-patrons-behavior-is-panned.html?ref=restaurantspatrons-behavior-is-panned.html?ref=restaurants
Here, I pay homage to this fine venue by republishing my review of last year.-
I love to criticize. I was raised in New York after all, where criticism is an art form. But Máximo Bistrot Local, a fine new venue for creative cuisine in the constantly up-and-coming Colonia Roma, defies even me to find fault.

Cool and chic Máximo replaces a dowdy medical supply store; where wheelchairs and artificial limbs were once sold you can find the best brandade de morue this side of the Seine. The space, airy and sunny during the day, warm and cozy at night, has been smartly and discreetly given new life. Windows and rooms, once blocked up, were opened, those lovely old tile floors, until not so long ago routinely torn out by tasteless renovators, have been replaced. Simple but comfortable wooden bistro chairs and tables are given room to breathe, both inside and out on the street. Adornment is minimal. Ambient music is mercifully turned low. It’s a space you’re happy to spend some time in. The kitchen is open to view—and the food coming out of that kitchen is worthy of hyperbole.



Chef Eduardo García, formerly of the esteemed Pujol, also worked at Manhattan’s star-strewn Le Bernardín, that high-falutin´temple of good fish. He has brought all of his gastronomic skills to his own place, along with his wife, the affable Gabriela. The only thing they left behind is pretension. The restaurant’s publicity claims that ‘materia prima’ is local and organic, if possible. The chef visits our spectacular markets daily, choosing what looks best,
then adroitly improvising a new menu each day.


The dishes are French and Italian in theory, Spanish in their simple elaboration, all with soulful respect for Mexican tradition. Food looks like food, not art.
The menu wisely sticks to five or six appetizers and the same number of ‘platos fuertes’.

A recent starter was so simply labeled it almost escaped my notice. ‘Sopa de raiz de apio y chicharro’ makes use of that divine root so common in France and so elusive here: celerie rave (celeriac in English). A simple, light cream of fresh pea, green as a Provençal field in spring, is perfumed with a refined essence of celery. The color and fragrance would have pleased Mme. Chanel. Esparragos y holandesa are not toyed with, just done correctly. They looked like the end result of an episode of The French Chef.

Another example: perfectly grilled octopus, tender as a baby’s thigh (must be) is complimented by a drizzle of ‘guajillo emulsion’. A couple of days later this combination had morphed into a brick-red creamy reduced chili sauce and a generous puddle of sautéed huitlacoche – essentially Mexican.
The tuna arrived seared on the top and sushi-pink in the middle, cloaked in a robe of red Mediterranean peperonata. Likewise, ‘filete de cerdo’ is left blushing and juicy in the center, as pork should be unless you’re doing carnitas. Smart.

Desserts are safely relegated to such Parisian bistro classics as a crackly crème bruleé or a rich pot de crème de chocolate. Richer still was a cheesecake of goat cheese, the likes of which I’ve seen neither in Paris, New York nor el DF.

The wine list is carefully chosen, featuring some unusual Mexican vintages—and there’s a good range of prices. Dinner with a glass of wine hovers around $300 pesos per person. A prix fixe comida is offered on weekdays for $150 pesos (ask if you don't see it on the menu).
After an excellent repast on a recent sun-drenched Sunday, my astute dining companion, The French Lady, recalled her favorite bistro in Paris, L’Ebauchoir. Wrinkling her nose in typical Parisian fashion, she agreed to be quoted. “This place reminds me of it.” she said. “It is very, very good!”

She needn’t say more. Nor will I.

Maximo Bistrot Local
Tonalá 133, corner of Zacatecas, (3 blocks south of
Av. Alvaro Obregón) Colonia Roma
Tel. 5264 4291
Open Tuesday – Saturday : 1 -11:00 pm,
Sunday, 11:00 am-7:00 pm
closed Monday


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