Acting on a tip from someone over at the Trib's food forum, I stopped in to Los Cuates today to try their tamales. Then I saw the "6 Tacos, 8 Dollars" option and forgot why I'd even come. Listed were azada, adovada, carnitas, cueritos, pollo, barbacoa and a couple of other choices. I'd never heard of cueritos before, but my waitress said they're like chicharrones (yes, some Spanish ability and prior exposure to authentic Mexican food would help at Los Cuates). Me? I just knew chicharrones had something to do with pork skins. Anyway, I ordered one of each of the options listed above and most were outstanding. Only the dried out pollo was truly lackluster. The side of refried beans were above average (not saying much, but still); rice, the pointless standard around here.
The tortillas seemed homemade, so I asked the waitress about it. In broken English and Spanish I determined (I think) that they are made in town but not actually at the restaurant.
The space seems designed to become a nightclub after dinner service, an awkward arrangement I've encountered in Mexican places as far flung as Birmingham, Alabama and northern Virginia before. It's also a meat market of sorts. Steaks, pork chops, etc. There was some thin-sliced pork (looked like prosciutto, actually) and lots of pig odds and ends marinating in vinegar. A guy was working the slicer while I ate, breaking down steaks into retailable portions. Nothing's labeled or priced, so they're not banking on the English-mostly-gringo crowd keeping them afloat. Oh well, something - along with the tamales I forgot about - to explore on a future visit (or maybe with my friend from Mexico).
Los Cuates
2908 Paris Road (beside Gerbes)
(573) 814-1545
Second location:
2517 Bernadette Dr.
(573-445-4364
2 comments:
I thought the Bernadette location closed last year.
Very possible. I live in that general area and had never come by it. I'm taking the rec of someone online and the Yahoo Yellow Books listing as gospel. I would never accept this paucity of evidence with regards to food, why do I do it when it comes to telephone and address listings? No one knows.
I'll check it out.
Post a Comment