点评:It was back in 1983. I was working ops in the small town of San Dionisio del Mar in Oaxaca in southwestern Mexico. It is part of the Juchitán District in the east of the Istmo de Tehuantepec region. We were meeting with some Mexican policía friendlies, and we all went out to eat at a local restaurant. Our friends chose to eat inside due to the heat and because as they said, "You sit and feel at home". The walls were red, the floors were terracotta, the ceiling fans were spinning and the aromas were pure heaven. It was just what you would expect in Mexico. The food was terrific, the cervezas were ice cold and I will never forget the people, the food, and the hospitality there.
Fast forward 30 years---
Manahawkin, NJ-2023---It was Taco Tuesday, and My wife, and I both had a hankering for authentic Mexican food. Not that Taco Bell stuff, I mean like I ate 40 years ago in San Dionisio del Mar There are three Mexican ristorantes in Manahawkin, some better than others, but La Cabanita Authentic Mexican Cuisine restaurante we consider the very best.
The building La Cabanita now operates had been a small breakfast café for years and then went out of business during COVID. The present owners all apparently Mexican as far as I know purchased the building and gutted it and rebuilt a quaint small café with maybe 14-15 tables. As you walk in you are immediately greeted by one of the friendly beautiful waitresses with menus and seated. The specials are keenly placed so that you can see them and boy they looked good. The décor was purely Mexican, not gaudy, but very tasteful. I was immediately back in San Dionisio del Mar with my Team with cervezas in hand. Then the heavenly aromas of freshly grilled steak, and chicken wafted from the grille and my mouth started to water. Busy behind the counter were the chef and his crew cooking and creating some of the most authentic Mexican food in the area. When I go to ethnic restaurants I look at the clientele. Here we had everyone from landscapers to retirees and Police. That tells you something, it tells you you found a good one.
We were greeted by the lovely Anna and ordered the ice-cold Coca-Cola with complimentary chips and salsa. Sitting and relaxing sipping on my Coke I began looking through the extensive menu I spied numerous entrees that I wanted to taste. From the traditional taco ($2 on Taco Tuesdays) to the camarones al ajillo, sopes, steak Bistec a la Mexican, huarache and Chimichangas. Then it happened, Anna came by us with a sizzling platter of fajitas to serve the table behind us. Not only did the heavenly aroma permeate the dining room, but many patrons were looking at this presentation as well.
When Anna came back with that cute smile of her's she took our orders. My wife ordered the Pollo Chimichanga and I of course ordered a small bowl of the creamy guacamole, grilled jalapenos, and of course the fajitas. We sat there thoroughly enjoying the fresh guacamole and the tri-color chips with two sauces, a green fire sauce, and the traditional red sauce. After a short time, the food parade began to arrive. Did you ever order dinner and immediately realize you would never eat it all? Well, this is apparently what La Cabanita is known for.
My wife's Pollo Chimichanga was huge, a toasted burrito with a luscious creamy cheese sauce, chocked full of sauteed chicken that was seasoned just perfectly. A portion of yellow rice and black beans accented with a fresh salad. Boy did that look good. Then came my fajita lunch. It arrived at the table sizzling and smoking on a hot cast iron pan on a well-used burnt wood platter. The mound of steak, sautéed peppers, and onions all seasoned perfectly and was expertly presented beautifully. My side of three jalapenos with salsa came next along with the freshly steamed tortillas, the rice, and beans with salsa. I began digging into this beauty of a mound of steak. Placing tender steak strips, onions, and bell peppers with a slice of grilled jalapeno with the creamy white sauce and the fire sauce was my strategy. Then that bite, OMG! The flavors and the sensation of the spicy jalapeno coupled with the spices and that green fire sauce were heavenly. Not over seasoned at all. There was the right amount of cumin, pepper, and other spices. The rice and beans were scrumptious (I could have made a meal of the beans) and the ice-cold Mexican Coca-Cola accented everything.
We sat and ate until we were really full. Looking at both platters, it was surely enough for dinner later on. Anna came over and provided boxes for the leftovers and threw in a whole bag of fresh chips. The chef at La Cabanita apparently has a set of dishes and culinary techniques that are truly part of Mexican tradition. I can truly say that they serve you authentic and unique dishes with all the Mexican flavor that you would find if you had traveled to the Mexican countryside all coupled with a very reasonable price.
翻译:那是在 1983 年。我在墨西哥西南部瓦哈卡州的小镇 San Dionisio del Mar 工作。它是 Istmo de Tehuantepec 地区东部的 Juchitán 区的一部分。我们正在与一些墨西哥 policía 友谊赛会面,然后我们都出去在当地一家餐馆吃饭。由于天气炎热,我们的朋友选择在里面吃饭,因为正如他们所说,“你坐下来感觉就像在家里一样”。墙壁是红色的,地板是赤陶色的,吊扇在旋转,香气扑鼻。这正是您在墨西哥所期望的。食物很棒,啤酒是冰凉的,我永远不会忘记那里的人、食物和热情好客。
快进30年---
Manahawkin, NJ-2023 --- 星期二是炸玉米饼,我和我的妻子都渴望吃正宗的墨西哥食物。不是 Taco Bell 的东西,我的意思是就像我 40 年前在 San Dionisio del Mar 吃过的那样 Manahawkin 有三个墨西哥餐厅,有些比其他的好,但我们认为 La Cabanita 地道的墨西哥美食餐厅是最好的。
La Cabanita 现在经营的大楼多年来一直是一家小型早餐咖啡馆,然后在 COVID 期间倒闭了。据我所知,现在的业主显然都是墨西哥人,他们购买了这座建筑并将其拆毁并重建了一家古色古香的小咖啡馆,大概有 14-15 张桌子。当您走进去时,一位友好美丽的女服务员会立即向您打招呼,并提供菜单并就座。特价商品摆放得很整齐,这样您就可以看到它们,天哪,它们看起来不错。装饰是纯粹的墨西哥风格,不华丽,但非常有品位。我立即带着我的团队回到圣迪奥尼西奥德尔马,手里拿着啤酒。然后,新鲜烤牛排和鸡肉的香气从格栅中飘出,我开始流口水。厨师和他的工作人员在柜台后面忙着烹饪和制作该地区一些最正宗的墨西哥美食。当我去民族餐厅时,我会看客人。在这里,我们拥有从园艺师到退休人员和警察的所有人。这告诉你一些事情,它告诉你你找到了一个好人。
可爱的安娜迎接了我们,并点了冰镇可口可乐,配以免费薯条和莎莎酱。坐下来放松地喝着我的可乐,我开始浏览丰富的菜单,发现了许多我想品尝的主菜。从传统的炸玉米饼(每周二炸玉米饼 2 美元)到 camarones al ajillo、sopes、Bistec a la Mexican 牛排、huarache 和 Chimichangas。然后它发生了,安娜带着一盘滋滋作响的法吉塔来到我们身边,为我们身后的桌子服务。不仅天上的香气弥漫在餐厅里,许多顾客也都在看这个演示。
当安娜带着她那可爱的微笑回来时,她接受了我们的命令。我的妻子点了 Pollo Chimichanga,我当然点了一小碗奶油鳄梨酱、烤墨西哥辣椒,当然还有法加它。我们坐在那里尽情享用新鲜的鳄梨酱和带有两种酱汁的三色薯条,一种是绿色的火酱,另一种是传统的红酱。过了一会儿,美食游行开始了。你有没有点过晚餐,然后立刻意识到你永远吃不完?好吧,这显然是 La Cabanita 的知名之处。
我妻子点的 Pollo Chimichanga 很大,是烤卷饼配上美味的奶油芝士酱,里面塞满了调味恰到好处的炒鸡肉。一份黄米和黑豆配以新鲜沙拉。男孩看起来不错。然后是我的法加它午餐。它在用过的烧焦的木盘上的热铸铁锅上发出嘶嘶声并冒烟到达餐桌。一大堆牛排、炒辣椒和洋葱都经过完美调味,而且呈现得非常精美。接下来是我这边的三个墨西哥胡椒和莎莎酱,还有刚蒸好的玉米饼、米饭和豆子和莎莎酱。我开始挖掘这堆牛排的美丽。将嫩牛排条、洋葱和甜椒与一片烤墨西哥胡椒、奶油白酱和火辣酱放在一起是我的策略。然后那一口,天啊!辛辣的墨西哥胡椒加上香料和绿火酱的味道和感觉简直是天堂般的。完全没有经验丰富。有适量的孜然、胡椒和其他香料。米饭和豆子非常美味(我本可以用这些豆子做一顿饭),冰镇的墨西哥可口可乐让一切都显得格外重要。
我们坐下来吃,直到我们真的吃饱了。看看这两个拼盘,肯定够后面的晚餐吃的了。安娜过来把剩饭剩菜装箱,还扔了一整袋新鲜薯条。 La Cabanita 的厨师显然拥有一套真正属于墨西哥传统的菜肴和烹饪技术。 我可以真实地说,他们为您提供地道而独特的菜肴,具有所有墨西哥风味,如果您去墨西哥乡村旅行,您会发现所有这些菜肴,而且价格非常合理。