| Foodie Fiesta |
| Written by Staff |
| Friday, 15 May 2009 20:12 |
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Guaca Maya 5002 S. 33rd St., 733.3440, guaca-maya.com The menu at this South Omaha gem looks like a really cool comic book, with vibrant colors, cartoon graphics and other drawings, and headings like “Viagra of the Sea” and “Manteniendote en Forma” (“to keep you in shape”). Fittingly, there are dishes at Guaca Maya that look like works of art, such as one April special, Parrillada Cielo Mar y Tierra (“Heaven, Sea and Land Grill”). Grilled chicken, steak, onions, chiles and cheese are terraced with breaded shrimp and Mayas Shrimp (shrimp wrapped in cheese, ham and bacon) and stacked with cilantro and fresh orange and lemon wedges producing a colorful and delectable entrée that arrives looking like something of a temple. While the restaurant specializes in Mexican seafood everything on the vast menu is perfectly prepared. The décor reflects the festive mission, with bright, multi-colored flags hanging above, intricate tiling and a fountain. The restaurant features mariachi on weekends, Xiotal and Nayare Ballets Folkloricos and other live entertainment regularly. Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m. the bar offers Mayas Margaritas accented with lemon and tamarind for just $1.49, they have the huevos to serve breakfast all day, and in addition to its stacked lunch buffet, Guaca Maya offers a taco and enchilada buffet Wednesdays, 5-8 p.m. — Sarah Wengert Rivera’s Mexican Food 12047 Blondo St., 932.1381 riverasmf.com It’s pretty slim pickings out west in the land of chain restaurants and strip malls, but Rivera’s, located in a strip on the south side of Blondo near 120th, is worth visiting. Owner and chef Jesus Rivera’s selection of dishes from Puebla, Mexico are varied, always satisfying and expertly prepared. The menu favors enchiladas of all kinds, including spinach, roasted pork, lobster and chicken variations as well as specialties like Enchiladas Veracruz, with rock shrimp, crabmeat and green onions finished with a roasted poblano pepper sauce. An eye for detail and from-scratch preparations are exemplified in dishes such as carne asada, Chiles en Nogada (a hand-battered poblano pepper stuffed with a blend of cheeses, then finished with creamy walnut and pomegranate reduction sauce), and chicken or fish pibil, a cooking method in which the protein is rubbed with achiote paste, wrapped in banana leaves and baked. Supplemented by one of the most extensive tequila collections in town, Rivera’s doesn’t disappoint. — Kyle Tonniges El Alamo 4917 S. 24th St., 731.8969 El Alamo has been a mainstay in the South Omaha restaurant culture for more than 15 years. Besides serving the best hand-poured margaritas in town, the restaurant offers a plethora of traditional Mexican dishes beyond the basic taco, burrito and fajita menu. And while El Alamo does all three of those dishes well, it is their specialty dishes like the Carnitas de Pollo and Chorizo con Huevos that incorporate family recipes allowing El Alamo to distance itself from the pack of Mexican restaurants in South Omaha. The food is always delicious and piping hot, the service is impeccable and the experience always a joy. Starting with a generous complimentary helping of the restaurant’s fresh chips and homemade salsas, a hungry patron has many options to choose from. For the simple taster, a large bean and cheese burrito may do the trick. However, if it is culinary adventure you seek, order any one of the items on the menu that cites “from grandma’s recipes” and you are in for something new and delectable. The menu is reasonably priced, the portions are gigantic and the large menu insures there is something interesting in store for everyone at your table. — Jesse D. Stanek Hector’s 3007 S. 83rd Plz., 391.2923; 1201 S. 157th St., 884.2272 hectorsomaha.com Boasting the only Baja-style Mexican in the city, Hector’s serves fresh food with flair from Baja, California and northwest Mexico. The margaritas aren’t too sweet, and fajitas come out of the kitchen still sizzling. The original Hector’s, near 83rd and Center, is so popular it’s sometimes impossible to get into for lunch. Proprietors expanded, opening an additional restaurant on 156th and Pacific several years ago. Homemade chips and salsa are brought to every table. The menu offers typical offerings of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chile rellenos and tamales. The venue’s signature sauce is savory but has a kick, with white cheese melted into it. My favorite part of the menu is the a la carte section, allowing you to order any combination of items. Hector’s has a long list of combination platters in addition to ala carte selections, with a heavy emphasis on seafood, including seafood enchiladas and the new lobster tacos. The fajitas are a restaurant favorite and can be ordered to share. For a lighter lunch item, try the chicken tortilla soup. — Lainey Seyler Los Girasoles 3223 Q St., 614.9706 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the new kid on the block’s house. A fresh contender serving authentic Mexican food, Los Girasoles (meaning “the sunflowers”) opened four months ago. Owner Victoria Ruiz’s menu is inspired by Puerto Vallarta cuisine and stands out from the many other “south of the border” menus in the area. Fresh seafood abounds on this coastal menu. Specialties of the house include Mojarra served three ways: with shrimp, Huachinango, (a whole fish) or fillet (a thin steak) with your choice of sauce; Caldo de Siete Mares (a soup of shrimp, fish, octopus, crab and mussels) and Menudo and Pozole served three ways. There are also numerous egg dishes if you’ve had too much cerveza the night before. Everything from the salsa, soups, burritos and desserts are made from scratch and made-to-order. If tequila is the only Mexican beverage you know, try Horchata, a cold and sweet concoction of rice water, cream and vanilla that’s refreshing yet almost sweet enough to be dessert. Or sample a pineapple or tamarind soda; both are equally thirst-quenching and distinctive. The menu is entirely in Spanish, but you can pretty much throw a dart at it and hit something out of this world. — Camille Kelly |