Mexican Food Rediscovered.

Located in Gallup, New Mexico - where the Dad currently lives, Grandma's is a very small authentic northern New Mexico Mexican restaurant tucked away in a residential area south of downtown. Definitely stop if you are ever in the area.

What was ordered:

The brother thought one quesadilla wouldn't be enough so he ordered two. Silly mistake - they were huge, cheesy and cooked just perfectly. To drink he had the aguas del dia (water of the day), which was horchata. It's delicious! They were out of my Dad's favorite variety, agua de sandia or watermelon water.

I ordered the adovada burrito and it was beyond great. Seriously the most tender pork I've ever had and the flavors and heat of the red chile sauce was spot on. Certainly the best Mexican dish I've ever eaten. The entree was served with rice & refried beans.

The Dad ordered a combination of Mexican favorites, including the tastiest looking chile rellenos. Smothered in shredded cheese and green chili sauce, it was served with rice and refried beans. His dish was also delicious and cooked perfectly. He also had horchata to drink.

No pictures of the sister's equally delicious steak & eggs, served with hasbrowns and toast - I was too busy eating.

Will Travel for Food.

The ocean, sunshine, lounge chair, strawberry daiquiri, and a freshly made taco - life doesn't get much better than this! One of my favorite things about traveling is indulging in the local foods, and my favorite place in Puerto Penasco was the taco stand on the beach outside our hotel. These weren't your typical bogged down American style taco's - just simple, fresh & delicious. Once someone gets this teleportation thing all worked out, I'm going back once a week - they were that good.

So good, I didn't even get a picture - just one of my brother eating his burrito.

Love the old Coke bottles, I've heard they're making a comeback?

Mantecadas

Spanish for small sponge cakes or muffins, I tried Tia Rosa's brand of pan dulce (sweet bread) while in Mexico. The muffin was nicely sweet, though had that processed taste and feel to it. I would eat one again if I was hungry, though I'd like to try a real one from a bakery next time. I think I'll see if I can find any available around here.

Alien Beer.

Getting stuff for dinner one night, we came across a smiling green alien staring out from the beer case. For sure the Roswell Alien logo is catchy & touristy, which is exactly why we picked up a six pack. Brewed by Sierra Blanca Brewing Company in New Mexico and described on their website as, "we have blended eight different styles of barley with a variety of domestic hops to create this medium bodied amber ale with a mild hop finish. The taste is out of this world!"

Personally, I think this is a beer you'd buy for the label/bottle only. Taste wise, I thought it was an ok beer. Something about the flavor wasn't doing it for me, and at times I thought it tasted pretty flat. I haven't seen this beer in our area, so I'm not sure if it's available for sale outside of the southwest.

Navajo Fry Bread

Fry bread plays a significant role in Native American cuisine & culture, and is found throughout the southwest. Though now considered a traditional food, fry bread didn't appear in Native American diets until the mid-19th century. From 1863 - 1868, more than 8,000 Navajo's were detained at Fort Summer in New Mexico and given very little in terms of rations. Flour and lard were two of the commodities given to the Navajo's and with these ingredients they created fry bread. For more information about the history of fry bread & a recipe, click here Navajo fry bread.

Fry bread can be served plain or with a variety of toppings: butter, cheese, honey, cinnamon, powdered sugar, chili beans, or as an Indian/Navajo taco. Fry bread is similar to the American carnival staple the elephant ear.