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Saturday, October 09, 2004
Tequila
Craving for authentic Tex-Mex? Follow the worm! is J.A. Bacalso’s best piece of advice.
Tia Maria’s was where you could get a whole pitcher of sweet Piña Colada, a table next to some eye candy (those adorable Ateneans in head-to-toe Ralph Lauren), and an even sweeter deal to see a young Marvin Agustin shake his booty as a dancing waiter (every time you ordered a pitcher of their mixed drinks-oh how we drowned on them just for the sight of that). I don’t think it bade well for their chef that I could not remember a single food specialty at that joint, but still remember the taste of their grenadine-laced Zombie (in no small part thanks to Marvin).
Tex-Mex food always meant three things to me: beans, tortillas, and salsa! But after Tia Maria’s demise, where was one to get a nacho fix?
My friends and I came upon an early Tequila Joe’s in Alabang and debated whether the mascot was a worm or a hideously deformed crocodile, and also if Archie Rodriguez (who started the chain with a handful of friends) went for college sophomores. We ordered the Monte Nachos, quite literally a mountain of nacho chips with a tangy sauce of salsa, frijoles, refritos, olives, jalapeños, sour cream and cheddar cheese. I was happy to note, on a visit to the Ayala Cebu branch, that the mountain is unmoving and constant. At least in taste.
I love puns, and the best ones are on food. The Sloppy Cow is a great example: beef tenderloin tips sautéed in tons of roasted garlic cloves is a play on salpicao, the Spanish delight. The garlic is amazing, do not make the mistake of putting them aside. Biting into one is like eating a soft potato-flavored crouton with the unmistakable whiff of appetizing garlic.
There are those who come for the ribs…which the Tequila Joe’s people have christened My Baby’s Back. Drenched in rich bourbon agave (doesn’t that bring to mind the Mexican landscape?) barbeque sauce, it’s the perfect main dish. Corn and cayenne butter on the side, yum.
Instead of the requisite tequila, I opted for the frozen margarita to send everything down on their merry way. After three glasses (they are served in salt-rimmed water glasses, and not the shapely margarita ones…just a warning for the finicky), I was ready to pick up where the beat left off and dance the, er, salsa. By nine, the lights dimmed, the music is turned up, and a completely new crowd (we were the only ones left of the dinner set), Tequila Joe’s shifts to bar mode. The outdoor grill beckons to those who prefer al fresco dining and a bit of talk with the guacamole.
Way into my fifth glass of margarita, I mentally count how many Tequila Joe’s gift certificates I need to buy for burpy ho ho ho’s for the Yuletide season, and I still remember how the basil mayo tasted on my grilled chicken BLT. Good for the cook. Ole!
(October 9, 2004 issue)
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