CJ reviews El Toro ... but is it "Tex-Mex"?

[Robin Garr]

I'm not entirely on board with Marty's use of "Tex-Mex" to define the style of Mexican restaurant cuisine represented by El Toro (and others in its genre). Other than chains (which I skipped), I haven't much encountered this somewhat simplified and Americanized Mexican restaurant cuisine on visits to the Lone Star State, where "Tex-Mex" has a more specific meaning. Save for this nitpick, though, he does a pretty good job of describing the dishes at this Hurstbourne spot. Word count is back down to a more normal-for-Gannett 527 words after last week's exceptionally long dissertation on Corbett's, and he ran into enough forgettable dishes to make 2 1/2 stars sound fair, although for the record, I would have thrown on the third star based on my somewhat better experience back on June 7, 2006. (Review here.)

El Toro Mexican Cantina and Restaurant
Tex-Mex sizzles at El Toro

El Toro Mexican Cantina and Restaurant
1850 S. Hurstbourne Parkway
Suite 118
(502) 491-7272

Chips 'n salsa, combination platters, fajitas . . . yep that's Tex-Mex alright.

Wikipedia, which is a questionable source, is cited to here only because it is quoting Diana Kennedy and Robb Walsh, both of whom are authoritative sources.

Diana Kennedy, an influential food authority, first delineated the differences between Mexican cuisine and Americanized Mexican food in her 1972 book The Cuisines of Mexico. The first use in print of "Tex-Mex" in reference to food occurred in the Mexico City News in 1973.

Award-winning Texas food writer Robb Walsh (of the Houston Press) updated Kennedy and put her comments regarding Tex-Mex cooking into historical and socio-political perspective in The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos (New York: Broadway Books, 2004).

Some ingredients used are common in Mexican cuisine, but ingredients unknown in Mexico are often added. Tex-Mex cuisine is characterized by its heavy use of melted cheese, meat (particularly beef), beans, and spices, in addition to Mexican-style tortillas (maize or flour), fried or baked (most traditional Mexican cuisine is not so heavily starch-based as Tex-Mex). Texas-style chili con carne, crispy chalupas, chili con queso, chili gravy, and fajitas are all Tex-Mex inventions.[citation needed] A common feature of Tex-Mex is the combination plate, with several of the above on one large platter. Serving tortilla chips and a hot sauce or salsa as an appetizer is also an original Tex-Mex invention.[citation needed] Moreover, Tex-Mex has imported flavors from other spicy cuisines, such as the use of cumin (common in Indian food, but used in only a few authentic Mexican recipes).

[Robin Garr]

Chips 'n salsa, combination platters, fajitas . . . yep that's Tex-Mex alright.

Sounds more like Tumbleweed than El Toro to me.

Wikipedia, which is a questionable source, is cited to here only because it is quoting Diana Kennedy and Robb Walsh, both of whom are authoritative sources.

Did you read Marty's review? He also cites Kennedy - perhaps actually he's citing Wikipedia, although he doesn't say that. Kennedy's book is part of the canon for sure, and she was into the regional cuisines of Mexico long before Rick Bayless was. Her riff on Tex-Mex is consciously pejorative, though, and I think she, too, is using "Tex-Mex" as a broad description for "Americanized Mexican restaurant fare" but not so accurately to describe the traditional cuisine of the Texas border country.

Chips 'n salsa, combination platters, fajitas . . . yep that's Tex-Mex alright.

Wikipedia, which is a questionable source, is cited to here only because it is quoting Diana Kennedy and Robb Walsh, both of whom are authoritative sources.

Diana Kennedy, an influential food authority, first delineated the differences between Mexican cuisine and Americanized Mexican food in her 1972 book The Cuisines of Mexico. The first use in print of "Tex-Mex" in reference to food occurred in the Mexico City News in 1973.

Award-winning Texas food writer Robb Walsh (of the Houston Press) updated Kennedy and put her comments regarding Tex-Mex cooking into historical and socio-political perspective in The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos (New York: Broadway Books, 2004).

Some ingredients used are common in Mexican cuisine, but ingredients unknown in Mexico are often added. Tex-Mex cuisine is characterized by its heavy use of melted cheese, meat (particularly beef), beans, and spices, in addition to Mexican-style tortillas (maize or flour), fried or baked (most traditional Mexican cuisine is not so heavily starch-based as Tex-Mex). Texas-style chili con carne, crispy chalupas, chili con queso, chili gravy, and fajitas are all Tex-Mex inventions.[citation needed] A common feature of Tex-Mex is the combination plate, with several of the above on one large platter. Serving tortilla chips and a hot sauce or salsa as an appetizer is also an original Tex-Mex invention.[citation needed] Moreover, Tex-Mex has imported flavors from other spicy cuisines, such as the use of cumin (common in Indian food, but used in only a few authentic Mexican recipes).

I'll leave the "is it Tex-Mex or not?" question to the academics (I loose that one every time), but I will say this: I have never had Tex-Mex/Mexican food here that even closely resembles (never mind tastes like) the food I had growing up in Texas. I'll take that back...Don Pablos and On the Border resemble Tex-Mex but it sure doesn't taste like it. The closest thing we have flavor wise, in my opinion, is Seviche. Good Tex-Mex/Mexican should say "BAM!" the second it hits the tongue...just like the food at Seviche.

I've had decent Tex-Mex/Mexican in Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, New York City, Oklahoma, London (!), Maryland, Washington, Indiana, and Oregon just to name a few so I don't want to hear any non-sense about how those nutty Texans think the only place that can put out a decent meal is Texas. In fact I'll go so far as to claim that about the only place you can't get it is Kentucky! Restaurant owners are standing around scratching their heads trying to figure out why their middle-eastern fusion fancy pants restaurant isn't catching on when there isn't a decent tortilla on the East-end (Robin, that was my obligatory nod to the taquerias on Preston Hwy)! I understand that many chefs open a restaurant because they have a passion for a particular type of cusine (perhaps relating to their own culture), but come-on there has to be someone in it for the $$$$...no? Or at least has a passion for tex-mex/mexican?....I guess if I grew up eating Tumbleweed I wouldn't be interested in tex-mex/mexican either.

.... updated Kennedy and put her comments regarding Tex-Mex cooking into historical and socio-political perspective......

I forgot to give this an "oh brother"! Hilarious! Who talks that way? About Margaritas and the like...the free internet encyclopedia never fails to deliver on pretentiousness.

We've had this debate before. Tortilla chips are tex-mex. fajitas are tex-mex. melted cheese on everything is tex-mex.

[Robin Garr]

We've had this debate before. Tortilla chips are tex-mex. fajitas are tex-mex. melted cheese on everything is tex-mex.

I really do think this definition misses the point of Tex-Mex, Ron. Better to call that stuff "Americanized Mexican" or even "Southwestern." The traditional cooking of the Texas-Mexico border country isn't a whole lot like Don Pablo's or Tumbleweed.

There is no doubt that Don Pablos and Tumbleweed make food that is so bad that it would offend a Texan, but that style of cuisine is Tex-Mex. It just is. Fajitas, etc. is all tex-mex. It might be bad at some of these chains, but that is the genre of cuisine. I guess it's like saying that the Olive Garden is not Italian because it does not make food that is the traditional cooking of Italy. It is crappy food, but it is still an "Italian" restaurant.

[Robin Garr]

There is no doubt that Don Pablos and Tumbleweed make food that is so bad that it would offend a Texan, but that style of cuisine is Tex-Mex. It just is. Fajitas, etc. is all tex-mex. It might be bad at some of these chains, but that is the genre of cuisine. I guess it's like saying that the Olive Garden is not Italian because it does not make food that is the traditional cooking of Italy. It is crappy food, but it is still an "Italian" restaurant.

I think we're on to something here. I don't consider Olive Garden "Italian." I'd call it upscale-casual Italian-American corporate.

Or maybe "Italian" for short, but don't forget the quotes.

Seriously: Go to Texas and tell somebody you consider Don Pablo's Tex-Mex ... but be prepared to fight. The broad overuse of those terms might be in circulation, particularly away from the regions that they sort of emulate. But that doesn't make them accurate, particularly not in food writing.

There is no doubt that Don Pablos and Tumbleweed make food that is so bad that it would offend a Texan, but that style of cuisine is Tex-Mex. It just is. Fajitas, etc. is all tex-mex. It might be bad at some of these chains, but that is the genre of cuisine. I guess it's like saying that the Olive Garden is not Italian because it does not make food that is the traditional cooking of Italy. It is crappy food, but it is still an "Italian" restaurant.

I think we're on to something here. I don't consider Olive Garden "Italian." I'd call it upscale-casual Italian-American corporate.

Or maybe "Italian" for short, but don't forget the quotes.

Seriously: Go to Texas and tell somebody you consider Don Pablo's Tex-Mex ... but be prepared to fight. The broad overuse of those terms might be in circulation, particularly away from the regions that they sort of emulate. But that doesn't make them accurate, particularly not in food writing.

I would say to a Texan that Don Pablos is really, really bad Tex-mex. Maybe I am missing something here, but every source I have ever found on this subject says that fajitas, fried tortilla "chips" served with salsa, combination plates, and melted cheese on everything is what makes Tex-mex different than "mexican" cuisine. Maybe Don Pablos and Tumbleweed make really bad Tex-Mex because they make crappy fajitas, but that's what they are trying to make.

I am not even sure why El Toro got lumped in with Don Pablo and Tumbleweed?

[Robin Garr]

I am not even sure why El Toro got lumped in with Don Pablo and Tumbleweed?

Well, that's kind of where this conversation started. I wouldn't call El Toro "Tex Mex," and it's not much like Tumbleweed. I'm pretty sure they do have fajitas, though ...

Isn't Tumbleweed now promoting themselves as a Southwest grill as opposed to Tex-Mex?

You are right...They went to that many months ago....

I agree on Don Pablo's, OTB, etc. being poor versions of Tex-Mex, however Tex-Mex none the less. The sad part is that both chains are originally from Texas (Lubbock and Dallas respectively). That said, my opinion (for what it's worth) of Tex-Mex excludes El Toro, as the flavors seem more natural at El Toro (good, but a little bland for my upbringing) and haven't been doctored up as much with spices and peppers.

Here's my useless tidbit of the day...it's next to impossible to find white cheese dip at a Tex-Mex or Mexican restaurant in Texas...Queso is typically yellow there. Imagine my surprise when we moved here.

So far, the best "Tex-Mex / Mexican" food I have had in Kentucky has been at "The Real Enchilada" in Florence. I say "Tex-Mex / Mexican" together because they seem to be a little bit of both, in that several of the dishes that I've tried there had nice, spicy (not necessarily hot) flavors, however they also served more traditional Mexican fare such as Lengua, Barbacoa, several Caldos, and a very nice Horchata.

All this thinking of Tex-Mex makes me wish I was in San Antonio right now, watching the Final Four and eating everything in sight at the Market Square restaurants (particularily at Mi Tierra and La Margarita).

Have a great rest of the weekend,
Ch

I am not even sure why El Toro got lumped in with Don Pablo and Tumbleweed?

Well, that's kind of where this conversation started. I wouldn't call El Toro "Tex Mex," and it's not much like Tumbleweed. I'm pretty sure they do have fajitas, though ...

I meant I wasn't sure why you were analogizing El Toro to Don Pablos and Tumbleweed. Are their menus similar? Tumbleweed is trying to be a steakhouse/BBQ restaurant now.

If they have fajitas, combination plates and the like, then the genre of cuisine is Tex-mex, and Marty was correct. Whether it is good or authentic Tex-Mex that would please a texan is something different altogether. I think Marty was on point.