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The Best Tamale’s in Town: Chiapas Mexican Grill

January 18, 2017 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Chiapas Mexican Grill

With the wacky weather lately, the saying, “Chilly today, Hot Tamale” applies here. Of all of the Mexican eateries in town, only a handful can claim to be “authentic” to the Mexican people’s tastes. These menus are not Americanized, but are true to the way people dine in Mexico City or Chiapas, Mexico. Simple, fresh ingredients and simple, homemade recipes. Authentic is the case of Chiapas Mexican Grill in Centerville on State Route 48. The small diner is a perfect atmosphere for an authentic, Mexican Food Adventure.

As you know, what makes our food blog different, is that we visit a restaurant many times before we write a thorough article. If a place shows promise, we revisit, and go on different hours, and different days and try almost every dish on the menu. That way, one can

Chorizo Soft Taco – note the corn tortilla and lime

REALLY get the feel of the place. Not just a one or two plates and a forkful of a friend’s dish, we are talking full Food Adventure experiences. That is our philosophy to share with you reliable feedback on the very best spots in the Miami Valley. After at least a half dozen visits to Chiapas Mexican Grill, we are here to give you the full scoop and some incredible photos.

From Horchata cinnamon like milk drinks with our friend Elsa, to Chimichangas and Enchiladas during Sunday football, we ate it all and are ready to share the goods.

Chicken Chimichangas

HERE’S THE SKINNY on CHIAPAS MEXICAN GRILL:

—Located in the heart of Centerville at 298 N Main St. The quaint dining room seats about 50 people.

—Locally owned operation by a family from Chiapas, Mexico. One of the owners used to work at Las Piramides restaurant in Centerville. He finally convinced family members to get in on his plan to own their own authentic restaurant.

—Menu features family recipes and dishes from their town of Chiapas, which is at the most southeastern part of Mexico, near Guatemala.

—They are open 7 days a week with special prices on Margaritas on Mondays and Fridays. All tacos

The Best Tamales we have ever eaten

are just $1.99 on Mondays.

This place is definitely one for your Food Adventure hit list. Each meal starts out right, with warm tortilla chips and some excellent salsa, packed with fresh cilantro. Now that your tastebuds are warmed up… We present to you the best of the best of their menu… our patented feature ………… MUST EATS !

Half of the dining area

MUST EATS at CHIAPAS MEXICAN GRILL:

—TAMALE’S:
The best tamales we have ever had, hands down, Chico. We know their secret. They use banana leaves instead of corn leaves. The bbq sauce, the corn mush and the pulled pork combine for a taste we have never experienced before. Our mouths are watering for more.

—IN HOUSE HOT SAUCES: IMPORTANT! Take advantage of the 2 homemade in house hot sauces, one red one green. They are great to add to your salsa to thicken things up, or squirt across your dinner of choice. Also dive into the bottled sauces on the table called El YucatecoXXX and Cholula

A spicy shrimp dish called Camarones ala Diabla

—TACO’S – SOFT and CRUNCHY:
The soft tacos are incredibly authentic, and are made with soft CORN tortillas which is, of course, the difference. No cheese on the soft ones, just meat, onions and cilantro. All tacos are served with lime quarters. Grab these quarters, and squeeze every bit of lime juice onto your taco meat. It makes the whole thing. All the taco meats are good, but our top 4 soft taco meat choices you “must eat” are : a) Chorizo, b) Shepard Style (rotisserie pulled pork), c) Chicken and d) Carnitas (steak). Don’t forget to add some salsa or house hot sauce.

Behold the Chicken Fajitas, still steaming and sizzling

The crunchy ground beef taco is delicious and loaded with lettuce and shredded, white, Mexican cheese. Don’t forget to order one of those.

Get your butt in here on Mondays, when all tacos are $1.99, for a feast you will not soon forget.

—CAMARONES ALA DIABLA (Spicy shrimp): Large, perfectly pan seared shrimp, in a plate with hot sauce, rice and beans. We got lost for a moment in our plate. What woke us up was the powerful flavor and HEAT! This is definitely a MUST EAT. Good dish, make sure a soft drink, water or beer is near, Gringo. Wow, was this dish something to write home about.

Under these mounds are two of the best chile rellenos in town

—CHICKEN FAJITAS: Served sizzling from the kitchen, the result is a nicely seared collection of chicken, green peppers, onions and tomatoes. Served with lettuce and tortillas on the side, along with sour cream and guacamole, you have the building blocks for an epic fajita creation.

—CHILE RELLENOS CHIAPANECOS:
Oh man, this dish is the best of both worlds. It is two, large stuffed peppers on a plate. One is filled

The huge Torta Milanese. a lightly breaded Chicken Sandwich

with cheese, and the other is filled with ground beef and potatoes. The results are one of the best chile rellenos plates we have ever eaten. It has plenty of cheese sauce, salsa and rice so you can use the extra tortilla chips to make your own nacho scooping end to this dinner.

—TORTA DE MILANESE (chicken):
A huge sandwich, with a lightly deep fried chicken breast inside. This is a big, delicious sesame seed roll, with all the fixins. Each half could be a lunch sandwich on its own. Eating this will have you yelling “Arrriba.”

—FLAN:

Flan, an incredible dessert

A delicate little dessert. Like carmalized vanilla pudding with whip cream and cherry, the caramel drizzle sauce is naughty too. We are not going to lie, we each could have eaten four of these, they were that good.

Honorable Mention:

—POZOLE:
The owner’s favorite. It is a spicy soup filled with chicken and hominy. The warm, red broth will soothe your soul. The recipe is a family tradition from Mexico and like almost all of the menu items, a recipe from their Grandmother.

Cheese Quesadilla with fries (kids plate)

—THE GOLD MARGARITA:
A family favorite. Try it frozen, walk out smiling. No shortness of tequila here.

**Note: We learned something on our trip to Chiapas. Every table has a ketchup bottle from a company called “Tip Top Ketchup.” We read the label and realized it was a local condiment company from Tipp City. It went perfect with the fries on the Torta plates and kids cheese quesadilla plate. We have found ourselves a new ketchup alternative.

The deep, rich color of the salsa, packed with cilantro

That does it for our rundown of what you gotta try at this new hot spot.

The small sign in the window says Taqueria, which means a place where tacos, burritos, and other Mexican dishes are made and sold. That is an understatement. This place is a treasure. The building has housed eateries from Poor Richards and the Hungry Elk to Wrapsody, Roc-a-Fellas, and House of Kabab. We look to see this one stay a while. Chiapas Mexican Grill, you’ve come a long way, baby!

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Feel free to browse more photos below from our multiple visits to CHIAPAS MEXICAN GRILL.

Ohhh those warm chips.. endless baskets

Carne Asada (steak)

Tip Top and fries

Grab a tortilla and turn the spicy shrimp into a shrimp burrito

Tostada – old school right there….

Spanish rice

In House Hot Sauce – the key to a good meal

The other half of the dining room

Chorizo, chicken and Pork tacos

Tamales !!

Salsa – a dip and a dance

Rollin up that fajita like a boss

Tacos and Tacos and Tacos (pork and steak)

Gettin corny with a steak taco

Since 1924 out of Tipp City

Crunchy Taco – ground beef

Pork Soft Taco

Chicken Soft Taco

Up close – Shepards Taco – (Pork)

Another Food Adventure begins

El Herradura Restaurant: Great Mexican Seafood Dishes & More

October 9, 2014 By The Food Adventures Crew 1 Comment

Seafood Dishes like “Mariscos Acapulco” are ‘Must Eats’ at El Herradura Restaurant

Whether you like the authentic Taqueira style Mexican food, or the somewhat Americanized Tex-Mex food found around town, you can find both options at El Herradura Restaurant.

Food Adventures with Big Ragu and the Crew have visited this spot on Upper Valley Pike in Springfield a couple of times. We have been there when it is packed, been there when they had Mariachi Bands, and been there on a quiet Sunday afternoon. One night Dayton Most Metro’s own Lisa Grigsby from Dayton Dining even joined us! So this article takes all angles into account.

The menu is extensive, and we’ve tried many dishes. Sure, we can give honorable mention to their delicious queso and salsa, but let’s dig deeper. We discovered some secret offerings that you can take advantage of everyday. But, in our opinion, when it comes to this menu, seafood is king !

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Located at 1236 Upper Valley Pike in Springfield and open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

— They have a large outdoor patio deck with decorative umbrella tables, and a fun atmosphere

If you get a Taco, get it “Paul’s Way”

— Mom and Pop Restaurant owned by husband and wife Paul and Yadira DePuy. Yadira is a native of Mexico, while Paul grew up in Springfield. The menu reflects some of Yadira’s family recipes and some of Paul’s food loves.

— Large Bar area that is perfect for happy hour or “just drinks” nights.

— HD TV’s throughout the Dining Room for Sporting Events !

We made our way through the literally hundred options on the El Herradura menu and now we point you toward the best stuff on the menu ..

Get ready Dayton foodies, here is your “Must Eats!”

MUST EATS:

— BLUE CADILLAC MARGARITA: This is actually a “must drink,” that packs a powerful punch. We found this to be our favorite margarita. In fact “The King” loved it. His expertise in Margaritas goes back to his Air Force days in Texas! The berry flavor is delicious. Beware: this potent potion is a served in a big margarita glass. Make sure if you order it, that you eat something, or you will be run over by the Blue Cadillac !

“Tilapia Cancun” at El Herradura Restaurant: You gotta try it !

—CANCUN TILAPIA: Grilled, Whole Tilapia served with rice, beans. One of the Big Ragu’s favorite’s. Exotic, delicious and the fish is very tender and delicate. The filet meat slides right off the bone. Sure, you have a whole fish on your plate, but are you a Food Adventurer or not ? Impress your amigos, by ordering this eye catching plate. The taste will have you hooked, pun intended.

— MARISCOS ACAPULCO: Grilled scallops, grilled shrimp, and pan seared imitation crab served on a hot fajita plate with mango, Mexican rice, lettuce, pico de gallo and guacamole. It is creamy and delicious. One of those meals you can’t stop eating, even when you are full.

— TACO’ S PAUL’S WAY: This is a little known secret that is not on the menu. It is how many of the employees and owners eat their tacos.. the authentic way. Paul’s Way Taco’s are served on soft corn tortillas, with your choice of meat, chopped onions, cilantro and fresh limes. There is no cheese on this one. Listen Gringo, these tacos are the real deal, and it is how they serve ’em up South of the border. We suggest the chorizo meat or chicken meat in the tacos. Get an authentic taste of Mexico City, and you don’t need a passport.

— SEAFOOD CHIMICHANGA: Pan seared scallops, shrimp, and a cheese sauce, rolled inside a tortilla. The Chimichanga is not huge, we could have ordered two of them. Your friends will have a fork in your plate looking for a taste, but tell them to scram, Vamoose ! They can get their own. This seafood chimichanga ranks among the top of all time.

Owners Yadira and Paul, DePuy, a true “Mom and Pop” Restaurant !

— SEAFOOD MOLCAJETE: Fish, Scallops, and shrimp served in a bowl with red, yellow and green bell peppers. onions, cheese, rice, tomato, lettuce and sour cream. The pile of seafood is delicious and they’re tagline is “more shrimp than you can eat.” This is a Food Adventure dish for sure !

— FRIED BANANA BURRITO: Banana lovers will crave this sweet dessert. It is like bananas foster in a blanket. Pan seared bananas, wrapped in a tortilla then fried. It is finished with drizzles of chocolate, caramel and cinnamon. Not a large burrito, the size is just perfect for a delicious end to your meal, muchacho.

Springfield has a new El Hefe (boss) in town. Take our lead, hit up the seafood dishes and the Paul’s way Taco’s. Our list of Must Eat’s won’t disappoint. Whether you live in the Springfield area, or are passing through, make El Herradura your destination for a meal, soon. Have a cold Dos Equis on tap for us!

As we leave Springfield and get back on the road, we say to you .. ADIOS AMIGOS, see you next week…

Want more food photos and insight on Dayton’s best Food Adventures?? Then shake your maracas, and “like” Food Adventures with Big Ragu and the Crew HERE !

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Six Pack: Top 6 DRUNK DINING SPOTS in the Dayton Area

July 25, 2013 By The Food Adventures Crew 9 Comments

Intoxicated royalty: The “Awful Waffle”

Here is another original food story that you won’t see anywhere else. However, it is a part of Miami Valley eating that is worth mentioning. Behold the dreaded DRUNK DINING.

We have all been there, or at least helped a friend through a night of inebriation. What’s the best fix? Answer: Soak up that alcohol up with a full blown Food Adventure. We are here to help you, not unlike Betty Ford, but our expertise is more on the caloric end. The Big Ragu, Chef House and Hungry Jax have compiled Dayton’s first ever TOP 6 DRUNK DINING SPOTS. These are just our six pack. We would love your comments below on who made your list.

1) THE WAFFLE HOUSE – The greasy spoon, the unruly crowd. Simply put, the ‘awful waffle.’ The only time that the Waffle House sounds good is when you are too drunk to know what you are getting yourself into. Go in this place at 2:30 a.m. and not a sober person is to be found. It is a land where diets are blown and the key words are smothered and covered. We are talking about hash browns, covered with cheese and another assortment of ingredients. The rest of the food isn’t worth mentioning and the good thing is that you won’t remember anyhow. We also recommend not going into the bathrooms after 3 a.m, it looks like a war zone in there. This restaurant gets extra points for the sheer entertainment factor of other drunks in the dining room. It is like a 3D movie, but without those annoying glasses.

The sign is like a beacon, calling all buzzed

2) PERKINS – Pound for pound, their waitresses are the biggest bad asses. Some have even been seen chasing drunk patrons in the parking lot. But alas, the wonderful, green neon sign is a beacon. It calls to inebriated souls to come in and sober up with some pancakes. In fact, they have some of our the pancakes around. But don’t mess around with the Sugar Free Syrup, we learned the hard way that it screws up a perfectly done pancake. Perkins also offers many fried foods such as cheese sticks, green beans, chicken tenders. If that won’t sober you up, at the front counter is a bakery display with muffins the size of your head. Those should surely soak up the booze. A full breakfast and dinner menu offers plenty of choices that will act as a sponge in your stomach, sucking you back into sobriety.

3) TACO BELL – If your vision is blurry then a ‘run for the border’ is in order. The late night drive thru makes life simple. This might be everyone’s “Go To” drunk dining place. The food is cheap, the meat and tastes so damn good when you are a bit hammered. The worst part of Taco ‘Hell’ is that the drive thru that takes forever. That would be because every other drunk person has the same idea as you. What do we recommend here? Does it really matter? It is all the same. Flour Tortilla, Melted Cheese, & that questionable ‘meat product’ loaded with fillers. For you healthy drunks out there, there is the Cantina Collection of lower calorie options. Like it matters at this point! Drawbacks like ‘early morning gas’ kept this restaurant out of the number 2 spot.

Mexican Pizza – because red sauce & bean paste is a good idea to mix into a volatile stomach

4) WHITE CASTLE – Oh, how we love our White Castle! It is one of greatest dining experiences a person can have either drunk or sober. First, the strong smell of the onions will start to sober you up immediately. Secondly, the first one tastes so damn good, you just keep stuffing yourself until you don’t know any better. Want a side dish? Splurge on a get a large sack of onion chips and go to town on these. When your friends are drunky pants, White Castle will make them dance. Get a crave case, that way you won’t crave em for a while. We particularly love when our friends launch into philosophical drunk conversations about why there are 5 hole punches in the meat patty. The bad news is the 24hour White Castle Restaurants are only in Cincinnati these days. You’re buzzed and happy and then all of a sudden it happens. A belch and then the stomach cramps. It is pretty much all over from here. Our advice: Roll the windows down on the way home so you don’t create a “Rolling Dutch Oven” (you might have to google that term). It is the gift that keeps on giving because the next morning, you can be assured that you will be doing a lot of sitting. You know why they call them sliders? Because they slide in and slide out. Unfortunately, only 2 White Castles are nearby. One is on Salem Ave and the other is in Franklin off I-75.

Onion chips soak up the alcohol

5) STEAK N SHAKE – This restaurant is the only late night choice for drive thru OR dining alongside other corralled patrons. The slick floors offer an obstacle course like dining room for some of the more drunk guests. It is like Russian roulette to see who gets squeezed into a booth next to the Big Ragu for an elbow filled eating experience. Great prices and decent drunk food make this a stellar choice, probably one of the greatest drunk dining spots in America! The burgers and shakes are incredible. The staff are used to drunk bastards, and they will even give your drunk ass one of those little white Steak n Shake paper hats to wear while dining. This place has food that mixes well with alcohol like chili cheese dogs, steak burgers & milk shakes. Plus it is open 24 hours and serves breakfast.

6) DENNY’S – This is one of the more interesting places that you can visit after 3am. There is only one remaining in Dayton, on S. Main St. near the fairgrounds. The food isn’t the greatest but does the trick. We actually love the onion rings. The choices from dinner to breakfast give you a good variety, if you can read the menu at this point. Denny’s is the best spot to see an unusual variety of people from all walks of life. Nothing says drunk dining like eating a Grand Slam Breakfast next to a drag queen.

The Steakburger : a dream on a bun if you’re drunk

Honorable mention, we give a tipsy nod to the following:

SMOKIN’ BAR-B-QUE – The place to stumble after a night of drinking at the Oregon District

AL’S SMOKEHOUSE – Ribs downtown at 4am? Yes !

BILLS DONUTS – It is fascinating to watch people with bloodshot-eyes trying to concentrate and pick out donuts from a glass case at 3am.

COUSIN VINNY’S – Open til 4am, these guys will deliver to trashed patrons. Don’t pass out while waiting for your pie.

**Remember Food Adventure fans, always drink responsibly and get a designated driver***

For more fun from these “foodies in their forties,” like FOOD ADVENTURES on Facebook HERE.

What are your favorite spots for a late night drunk bite??? Please comment below !

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Taco Loco: The Best Tasting Cinco de Mayo You Will Ever Have

May 2, 2013 By The Food Adventures Crew 4 Comments

Beef Shoulder Taco, Squeeze that lime on it

Food Adventures Crew knows there are only a couple of truly authentic Mexican Restaurants in the Miami Valley, and we have found a favorite. It is a humble place called Taco Loco located at 5392 Burkhardt Road. It is clean, it is cheap, it is authentic. But most of all, it has some of the most delicious Mexican food we have ever eaten. We have some close friends from Mexico, and upon their recommendation we stopped in. The experts were right, every trip to Taco Loco is a new Food Adventure.

Why the name Taco Loco? The owners, a mom and pop duo from Mexico, had to renovate before they could open. They were fixing the old vacant building, putting in many hours painting, putting down flooring etc. The long days caused them to sometimes sleep in their van in the parking lot overnight, since they lived in Cincinnati. When a neighboring resident visited the construction she told the owners, “You are working too hard, and sleeping in your van, what are you CRAZY?” Since ‘Loco’ means crazy in Spanish, they decided the name fit.

Here’s the Skinny:
1) This place is very authentic, so don’t expect the typical queso sauces, cheese and tomatoes like you see on some Tex-Mex dishes at other Mexican restaurants.
2) The prices are low, so you can explore many types of food and have your own Food Adventure.
3) The staff is friendly, the place is a hole in the wall, the dining area is small, and the environment is clean.
4) You know the food is good, when most of the patrons in the dining area are people from Mexico.
5) Not only is the food delicious, but they have a variety of rare, non-alcoholic drinks made from scratch using fresh herbs and other ingredients.
6) Locally owned by Lola and her husband Octavio. It’s a true mom and pop establishment!

The Chicken Torta – Big and Delicious

Must Eats:

Horchata: Start off your meal with one of these milky beverage specialties. It literally tastes like rice pudding in a glass. We were blown away by the taste of this unique drink.

The Beef Shoulder Taco – Tasty meat on a corn tortilla. These are authentic style tacos, like they eat in Mexico City. We will tell you it is one on the best tacos on the planet. Ingredients are cilantro, onion and meat choice. No cheese, but you may order ‘Tacos Locos’ which means add tomatoes and sour cream.

The Chicken Torta – A sandwich that would give any sub shop a run for its money. Diced grilled chicken, and the perfect complimentary toppings on homemade telera (Mexican sandwich bread). An incredibly filling sandwich for $5 and one of The Big Ragu’s favorites.

Whole Fish – Do you want to kick it authentic old school? Then try this whole, fried tilapia on for size. You have to deal with a little bit of bones and the fish staring at you, but the taste is worth it. At the price of $7.50 this is a steal.

The Food Adventures Crew have eaten so many menu items in our trips to Taco Loco, that some deserve an honorable mention:

Whole Fish – Food Adventure on a Plate

The Large Quesadilla’s are fantastic. Filled with rice, beans, cheese and your choice of meat, this giant menu item will dwarf your plate.

Carne Asada, a skirt steak dish, is a specialty here. If authentic means anything, we noticed that besides us, a lot of Latinos were eating this dish too.
Have you eaten Sopes before? Sopes are made with a circular foundation fried masa dough (ground hominy) topped with refried beans, lettuce, and crumbled cheese. We think of it as an authentic taste version of a tostada. Ragu loves this unique menu item. Taco Loco serves similar menu items called Huaraches which are bigger, oval versions of Sopes. We love them as well, especially the thick base, which almost tastes like potato dough.

The Burritos are delicious. They come wrapped in foil and are so big, we can usually only eat half of them.

Want authentic fajitas? The steak ones here are fantastic, and the flavor of the grilled green peppers make the dish.

The Tamales were good too. Filled with shredded pork and topped with crumbled cheese, they are one of the few items covered with a queso sauce.

Enchiladas Verdes – Fresh Ingredients, Freshly made

A filling meal is the Enchiladas Verdes, stuffed with green chiles and your choice of meat, and covered in lettuce and avocado.

Besides our favorite Horchata, other specialty drinks include a “Tamarindo”, which is made with tamarind fruit. When Lola brought the fruit out to show us, we made a mustache with it. Yeah, that’s us. We take our own pictures, too.
We also drank a “Jamaica” drink (pronounced hamica). This beverage was a tea made with fresh hibiscus flowers, some of which Lola showed us as well. We told you this was a great place for a Food Adventure.

For dessert, we suggest the creamy, homemade Flan. For those of you not familiar with flan, think of an upside down, firmer version of creme brulee. Lola made us proud with this dessert!

Finally, we have to mention the complimentary table salsas. Served in two squirt bottles, one is a mild Verdes Salsa made with tomatillos. The other is a red chile salsa, made with chili peppers. Careful, the red one has a kick! Both of these salsas are made in house, and kick up any menu item. Experiment to your taste with a dash or a squirt on the free basket of extra thick corn tortilla chips.

With Cinco De Mayo coming up, it is good timing for you to try some really authentic Mexican fare at Taco Loco. Not many people know about this little secret, but now you know the scoop. Celebrate with good food and cheap prices. If you do not check out Taco Loco soon, then you my friend, are CRAZY !

Give us your take on TACO LOCO by commenting below. Make sure you browse through the photo album for some AMAZING food photos from this little known secret.

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