Mexican Food Standards

There are a ton of Mexican food restaurants in our area. In fact, Alex is ever fearful that someone is going to tear down our house to build a new one! All of these establishments are owned and operated by hardworking Mexicans who have moved here from Central Mexico. Most of them ( the restaurants) are tolerable. One of them, Papas and Beer, is abominable, yet everyone in and around Hendersonville thinks it’s just the best stuff ever.

Let’s get something straight: Mexican food involves CHEDDAR CHEESE. SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE. On everything. It also involves HOT RED SAUCE. Never, under any circumstances should there be any form of white cheese on a plate of Mexican food. Especially melted goat cheese.

Now, please allow me to define “HOT”. HOT = anything that will break a sweat on the forehead of a Mexican man. If it won’t do that, then calling it ‘hot’ is false advertising.

Now, who am I, that I should claim to be such an expert on Mexican Food? I grew up in Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. ‘Nuff said. The stuff they are serving east of the Mississippi does not qualify as Mexican Food. Not even the stuff down in Florida, no matter how many Hispanics claim it’s authentic. If it ain’t TexMex, don’t try to tell me that it’s real. And, before I conclude with this regularly scheduled edition of ‘Valarie’s Soapbox’, let me add that Taco Salad, (or any salad, for that matter) does not qualify as having eaten anything, let alone Mexican Food.