A TASTE FOR TACOS

                                           A TASTE FOR TACOS: PONCHOS TACOS

If you are in the mood for a quick and cheap, delicious bite, look no further than Ponchos Tacos, a small yet colorful Mexican restaurant located on White Street, outrageously close to the WCSU mid-town campus.

The restaurants simple design, tile floors and occasional colorful paper banner, do justice to its casual and friendly atmosphere. With a range of music from classical to raggaeton flowing energetically through the room, it is hard to deny the instant urge to guzzle down an ice cold margarita. In that case, there are plenty of flavors to choose from including mango, guava, strawberry and pomegranate as well as over 40 different types of tequila. If you thought all there was to tequila was Jose and Patron, you are soon to be proved wrong.  Though if you do choose to make it a night to forget, watch your wallet. Margaritas are marked at around $7.00 with hidden fees for flavors and frozen, bringing them up to $9.50.

So with frozen fruity beverage firmly stationed in one hand and menu in the other, there is nowhere to go really but forward. The menu is quite large, but true to what one would expect of a Mexican eatery. There are several traditionally prepared dishes to choose from, from Quesadillas to Chimichangas to Burritos, all $11.99, and there is no vacancy of savory, authentic sauces among them Mole and Tomatillo.
PHOTO BY:http://www.urbanspoon.com

Mole is one of those mysterious yet anticipated traditionally Mexican sauces boasting a rich history, which although is generalized here in the states, is made in a variety of styles down in Mexico. Mole as we know it is composed of several different types of chilies, nuts and only the finest of Mexican chocolate. It is said that Mole was created on the fly by a group of poor nuns who lacked coherent ingredients but had to come up with a delicious dish to impress the visiting archbishop. They succeeded and for that, we can enjoy the dish from the comfort of our local Mexican digs, such as Ponchos Tacos.

Moving on, I cannot deny that while sizzling fajitas, chilaquiles, $12.99, and enchiladas, $13.50 all sound equally delicious; it would be a devastating mistake to not try the one food endorsed by the restaurant’s name itself, the TACOS.  

There are several to choose from, and making up for higher prices elsewhere ($5.50 for a palm sized portion of guacamole,) most tacos are only $2.00. Among them are the Al Pastor, herb and spice marinated pork, or succulently seasoned Bistec, chicken, lamb, shrimp or even Tripe and Lengua (tongue and stomach.) Who can turn down a tongue taco? Each taco comes double wrapped in an authentic, soft corn tortilla topped with cilantro, chopped onion and radish slices (best with a dash of salt,) to cleanse the palate between each flavor.

The tacos are delicious and a great quick grab and go for lunch, or a sure option for an affordable night out, and for those early drinkers…I mean diners… they even offer an array of somewhat heavy yet certainly tasty breakfast dishes.

The authenticity of the food prepared by Ponchos Tacos is what sets it apart from other popular local joints which may make up for inadequacies in cuisine with flashy decorations and music that do little more than to create the illusion of a true Mexican culinary experience. Ponchos, the local hub for authentic Mexican flavor and atmosphere is one which shouldn’t be missed.

                                          PHOTO BY: http://www.urbanspoon.com

                           145 White Street Danbury, CT 06810

                                             #(203) 790-0900

El MILENIO

  

                                                Fresh at its best:
               COMIDA ECUATORIANA 

                                           

If you are a lover of seafood, grilled meats, homemade beans and fresh avocado salads, than Ecuadorian cuisine should be high on your "to-try" list.

El Milenio is humble restaurant and bar located to the side of C-Town in the heart of Danbury, just a jump and a skip away from both the Hospital and the Western Connecticut State University Mid Town campus. And although it is both affordable and convenient, I don't think many people know of all this little traditional restaurant has to offer.

You know you have come to the right place when you sit down at the table and you already have three types of hot sauce to choose from. There is nothing like the anticipation of smoky/spicy flavors and  a little Spanish soap-opera drama, appropriately playing on the corner TV, to get you in the mood for good, authentically prepared Latin American cuisine, in this case Ecuadorian.

  

Definitely come to this restaurant with an open mind and a good amount of time. For an outsider, the menu although mostly in English, both intriguing and mouthwatering, will take a while to run through. And the service, which was friendly and accomodating, runs by a much more relaxed standard, still entirely enjoyable and deserved of a great tip.

Though I do consider myself an adventurer of sorts, I decided to skip over the Lengua a la plancha, beef tongue sautéed with onions, peppers and tomatoes and served with a potato cake,$12.75, and head straight for the next best item, the Ceviche Jambeli,$14.75.

Ceviche is a dish extremely representative of South America, which is considered to have been originated in Peru. Typically Ceviche can consist of a variety of raw fish including shrimp, calamari, crab, or any other white fish, which is then cured in a citrus marinade along with several other fresh and vibrant ingredients such as onion, cilantro, coriander and avocado.

                                                       

PHOTO BY:http://www.goodiesfirst.com/ecuadorian/index.html

Other authentic dishes served at El Milenio are their large seafood sopas (soups,) and under their Especialidades Del Ecuador menu section(specialties of Ecuador,) the Encebollados, or fish stews decorated with cassava and pickled onions.

Though, in my opinion, no one should live in Danbury without trying the Ceviche prepared by El Milenio.

The dish was strikingly brothy at first, served in an actual soup bowl with a side of white rice, though by the end I could not get enough of that perfectly cool, silky juice. The shrimp and crab portions were generous and were so fresh they could not have been even a day old. I enjoyed every spoon full thoroughly.

BUT, if lite, fishy, soup-like dishes are not exactly up your alley, then there is much, much more to choose from. Throughout the night, I noticed the waitress carrying out skillets piled mile-high with fried rice, meat and vegetables, a traditional Ecuadorian dish called, Chaulafan. The regulars then would hungrily drizzle the mound with crema fresca or house-prepared salsa picante and eat up until all that was left on their plate were their surrendered napkins.

Other meat dishes include Bendeja Latina, a large platter of pan fried pork, a spare rib, fried eggs and beans and a green plantain all served over a heaping serving of white rice, a little fresh salad in the corner to mix in for that nice oniony crunch. The meat offerings do not stop there, the menu boasts a range of steak cuts, pork, chicken and seafood the most expensive being a combination platter of lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari for $22.75.

Wash it all down with an ice cold Corona and a shot of Jose for dessert, and one can call it the perfect culinary journey through the shores of Ecuador.

 

                         21 North Street Danbury, CT 06810
                                       #(203) 207-0156

If you are working on a budget (both financial and time wise) try Espinal Deli, directly across the street. They offer platters,(you WONT be able to eat the whole thing,) for a mere $6 dollars, of some of the most delicious, authentic Spanish cuisine, catering to carnivores and vegetarians alike, so GO HUNGRY!

A little Pho Goes a Long Way

                          A LITTLE PHO GOES A LONG WAY

Pho Vietnam, once the mysterious little restaurant tucked quietly in a Pandanaram shopping plaza next to the bait and tackle shop and liquor store, now a sensational, trendy eatery serving a menu that will not only take you on a culinary journey, but leaves you wanting more.

This once hole- in the wall spot, was sadly ignored for many years, having gotten a bad wrap early on, something the new owners quickly realized before opening. Now the new Pho is bright and inviting, colorful Asian arts adorns the walls, and large windows allow in the day light, so you won’t be left wondering if that was red lipstick on your chopsticks or chili sauce. The service is friendly and attentive and the food timed well, which can only be expected of a restaurant boasting such small a number of seating accommodations. This means reservations for diner service and weekends are a must. Though if you have to wait, the food is well worth it.

This brings me to the menu, one which certainly does not lack those fundamental key Vietnamese ingredients such as lemon grass, ginger, cilantro and chili. When you sit down with the menu, do not underestimate the difficulty of getting past the appetizers, among them red curry mussels and ginger dumplings, which practically sing your name. Though for anywhere between $6 and $8 you could sooner than later be sampling just a small portion of what Pho has to offer. Me, I decided to live on the edge and treat myself with a house salad. Now I know what you’re thinking, what kind of person can stare in a state of salvation at delicious fried shrimp spring rolls with a plum dipping sauce and got straight for the rabbit food? Well, hold the judgments please. Trust me when I tell you, composed of shredded cabbage, sprouts and fried shallots, tossed in sublime lime vinaigrette of mint and cilantro, this was no ordinary salad. A couple of pieces of fresh, jumbo grilled shrimp didn't hurt the cause either.

Next was the Pho. With its sensationally vibrant broth that travels like warm silk down the esophagus. Swimming within it are rice noodles and your choice of a variety of beef, chicken or seafood. Each bowl comes with the essential sides, bean sprouts, lime, cilantro and of course that delectably delicious plum sauce, which one learns quickly to squirt liberally upon each noodly bite. 

Pho was originally created in Northern Vietnam and utilized the techniques and flavors of China and even France. Interestingly enough, it is said to have been derived from a traditionally French soup. Now Pho has been adopted in a variety of ways ranging greatly throughout the country and the places to where it has travelled. Today in America we find the more traditionally Southern Variation of the beef soup which, lucky for us, contains almost a dozen of those amazingly flavorful ingredients.

Pho Vietnam does not stop there, for those most adventurous gastronomes, there are the options of tripe, tendon and fish balls, to be chased down with a bubble tea or creamy Thi iced tea. And for those who play it on the safer side, Pho serves up a variety of the more recognizable dishes, including a pillowy friend rice literally to die for, or even some of the entrees offered in the Chef's Selection section, including lemongrass chicken, $14.95, the Caramelized Tiger Prawns, $16.95 and the Vietnamese Pork Chop, $12.95.

PICTURE:MY HALF EATEN PHO

Any of these options I am sure would be amazing, but what I say is.....

........ If you're gonna go Pho, go Pho or go home.


                        56 Padanaram Road Danbury, CT 06811
                                               #(203) 743-6049

A taste of INDIA: Danbury

                       

                     A taste of INDIA: Danbury

    The deep red walls and low lantern lights provide the perfect setting in which to enjoy a few of the many warm and traditionally true Indian dishes served by Mysore of India the small, family-owned restaurant located on Rt. 37 in Danbury.  A quiet Tuesday evening, we were promptly greeted and sat with no need to fight for a table, though a few other guests did come and go throughout the course of the night. Quickly, our senses were enlivened by the cheerful music and rich aromas and soon there after humbled again into relaxation, once enjoying a Taj Mahal, one of the three traditional Indian beers offered there.

 With a bit of thin, crispy Chapati, accompanied by an array of sauce spreads to serve as the bread and butter of our meal, we dove into the menu headfirst, seeking the dishes most representative of the vast Indian cuisine.

The appetizers included Samosas and Naan as well as meat platters and finger foods, and ranged from $3 to $8 dollars. The entrees offered an extensive variety of seafood, lamb, chicken and goat. The most expensive item on the menu was a Prawn Curry,$18.95, jumbo shrimp cooked with almonds and fresh spices in gravy.

To decipher each spice from Masala to Korma to Saag would have taken a lifetime, so I immediately found the self- proclaimed specialty of the house, Goat Banjara,$15.95, goat cooked in a touch of coconut and fresh lemon juice, an interesting Southern Indian preparation. Though this was not the dish I ultimately chose, because sitting just beneath it was the Lamb Pasanda, a traditional Indian recipe including curries, chilli and yogurt, the perfect combination in my eyes. For 16.95,what I received was a perfectly balanced, creamy goat dish accompanied by a steaming bowl of basmati rice garnished with fresh steamed veggies. The Pasanda didn’t quite satisfy my taste for intense spice, but my partner’s Chicken Vindaloo, $14.95, did the trick. And so we shared, enjoying our dishes thoroughly until we could not eat anymore.

If we had, had any room for dessert, we would have had four reasonably priced yet hardly pronounceable sweets to choose from, though we were also glad to not break the bank. At two entrees and one beer the bill had climbed to $40.00, a reasonable yet substantial night out. Though if you would like to enjoy this authentic cusine, but on a budget, Mysore offers $10 weekeday buffets including all of their classic favorites.

In any event, we left fully satisfied with both the service and the quality of the cuisine.

Overall, Mysore was the perfect first stop on my journey to discovering all of the flavors Danbury has to offer.

PHOTOS BY:https://mysorerestaurant.com/gallery.php#

                        54 Pembroke Road Danbury, CT 06811
                                  #(203) 746-6425

Back Yard Melting Pot

Danbury Connecticut and all which comes to mind when we think of our great city. The fantastic concerts on the green, a thriving night life,Candle wood Lake(of course,) and the thousands of ethnically diverse citizens who reside here, bringing with them dozens of their rich and incredibly unique cultures. And you know what that means, right?

                                        FOOD

The key to any one's heart, and the far- from- forgotten link that connects the modern world of today with our ancient, cultural origins.


Grandma's recipes, passed down, that were  once enjoyed while sitting upon pillows on the floor, asado cooked to perfection over an open fire with a sip of corn whisky to chase it down, a warm lemongrass soup to take you away from the overwhelming bustle of a Vietnamese street market, all may seem like nostalgic events, unachievable in a more recent time. But looking no further than our back yard, we find restaurants that hold true to their traditions and bring us back in the best way possible; through our taste buds.


From Asian Indian to Ecuadorian to Peruvian there are a variety of eateries, many of them right around the corner, which serve up traditionally prepared delicacies. Within this blog we will strive to try them all shedding light on this all too hidden sector of our society, the Ethnic Eats of Danbury.