Piñata Cantina: Tacos de Milpa
Piñata Cantina: Sikil Pak
La Mordida: Queso con Huitlacoche
La Mordida
La Hacienda: Enchiladas de Pollo
La Adelita: Ceviche
Piñata Cantina: Degustación Chocolates Beans to Bar
Gonzalez & Co.
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By Ed Avis
Publisher’s Note: Editor Kathleen Furore and I recently spent a month in Spain and visited several Mexican restaurants during our visit — all in the name of editorial research, of course! Below are the findings of our “research.”
There is rarely a week that goes by that we don’t visit one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Chicago — so when we arrived in Spain, we knew we would eventually be craving favorites like Cochinita Pibil, Chicken Enchiladas, Pozole and, of course, great Margaritas.
Our first impression was that the only Mexican spots we would ever find were small taco shops — I’m happy to report that was not the case! In Barcelona and Madrid, we discovered restaurants that served high-quality, authentic Mexican cuisine. The supply of quality ingredients appeared solid — avocadoes for guacamole, achiote for Cochinita Pibil, and good tortillas were readily available. We even had huitlacoche at one restaurant.
The strength of the supply chain — whether ingredients are coming from Mexico or closer locales — was confirmed in conversations with restaurant employees and local restaurant reviews. Knowledge of Mexican cooking techniques also was evident. The fact that there is no language barrier means that Mexicans, and other Latin Americans, can immediately dive into the local food scene if they migrate to Spain.
Here is a snapshot of the food scene we found.
Piñata Cantina, Barcelona
This first Mexican restaurant we tried provided evidence that there are Mexican restaurants in Spain that go beyond the basics. The menu included a variety of ceviches, panuchos, tostadas and innovative tacos, with ingredients ranging from cochinita pibil to pulpo to pumpkin and corn.
We started with Sikil Pak, the traditional pumpkin seed salsa, that was spicier than the version we’ve had in the States. Next came Tacos de Milpa — high-quality blue corn tortillas topped with refried black beans, pumpkin and slow-cooked corn kernels. The highlight of the meal was the Degustación Chocolates Beans to Bar— four squares of chocolates “de distintos origenes” accompanied by two types of roasted almonds and a shot of tequila. Delicious, light and innovative.
La Mordida, Madrid
This comfortable, casual restaurant, with nine locations in Madrid, offered elevated basics, including several varieties of sopas, enchiladas and fajitas.
We started with Margaritas (mine made “up,” which I prefer). It was the best Margarita I had the entire trip — strong, delicious, fresh. Kathy ordered Pozole (we would have called it “pozole rojo,” but our server wasn’t aware that pozole could be verde, too); I opted for Queso Fundido with Huitlacoche. The queso largely overwhelmed the mild huitlachoche, but I enjoyed the unusual dish. Chicken Fajitas and Cochinita Pibil completed our meal.
La Hacienda, Barcelona
This restaurant has three locations in Barcelona, one near the apartment we rented. My large serving of saucy, shredded Cochinita Pibil —spicier than I am accustomed to — was served solely with pickled onions and tortillas. Kathy’s Enchiladas de Pollo in red sauce came with rice and beans.
“It was very good and very similar to enchiladas I order at some of our favorite, family-style Mexican restaurants in Chicago,” she said when I asked how she would describe the dish. “It felt really good to have something that tasted so authentic and familiar after almost a month abroad.”
La Adelita Botanero, Barcelona
At this small spot near our apartment, we started with a generous portion of Ceviche, presented with slices of avocado and tortilla rounds. This could have been a meal in itself. That was followed by Alambre de Pastor, a fajita-style skillet filled with a mixture of pastor, ham, peppers, onion and cheese, accompanied by flour tortillas. It was delicious and filling and also came in chicken, shrimp and beef varieties. Kathy again opted for Enchiladas de Pollo (this time the verdes version). The presentation of every dish here was exceptional.
Gonzalez & Co., Barcelona
This was the closest to American fast-casual TexMex that we tried in Spain. This multi-unit has six locations in Barcelona and one each in Madrid and Valencia. Guests order at the counter and specify the form (burrito, tacos, bowl, etc.), the protein, the salsa and extras, such as guac or cheese. The experience was similar to Chipotle, and the food was fresh, delicious and inexpensive. When we were there the customer traffic was steady, including a lot of to-go orders.
While we only scratched the surface of Mexican cuisine in Spain, we left knowing that visitors and locals alike can find delicious, authentic dishes that represent the best of Mexican fare.