margaritas

Margarita’s Restaurant on Marco Island, Florida

Dining Outside the Home: Margarita’s Restaurant on Marco Island, Florida! For authentic Mexican food, you sometimes have to rely on a navigation system to find the place, especially the first time. After that, trust me, you’ll remember exactly where they’re located. Seating inside is available, but tables outside are nice without feeling crowded. It’s convenient enough for attentive servers to come and go, but specious enough for private conversations. The decor reflects the Mexican connection with carved chairs, vibrant artwork, and colorful tiles. Immerse yourself in the cultural experience with tasteful dinners, icy margaritas, and salsa that is just-right spicy. The Beef Rice Bowl is loaded with savory shredded beef, Mexican black beans, roasted corn salsa, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. Chopped cilantro can be sprinkled across the top, by request. Enjoy every bite down to the crispy flour tortilla bowl. Muy Bueno.

Nacho Mama’s on Marco Island, Florida

Dining Outside the Home: Nacho Mama’s on Marco Island, Florida. Whether you live in Florida or make it a vacation destination, outdoor dining transforms every meal into a special occasion. Nacho Mama’s is perfectly located on the edge of bubbling fountains in Marco Walk Plaza. Bask in the sunshine while sipping on an afternoon margarita with a lightly salted rim. Feeling festive for dinner? Indulge in a sizzling platter of Mexican fajitas, pico de gallo, grilled meats, and smoky beans. Flour or corn tortillas are the perfect wrapping for handheld bites. Too spicy? No worries. Cool things down with a dollop of tangy crema. After a leisurely meal, carry on with a short walk to the beach for a sensational sunset.

El Toreo Mexican Restaurant in Valdosta, Georgia

Dining Outside the Home: El Toreo Mexican Restaurant in Valdosta, Georgia! You know you’ve hit the jackpot when it’s BOGO on a Saturday night. That translates to buy one margarita, get one free, no matter what brand of tequila you choose. A nice Mexican tequila that is 100% pure de agave goes down smooth and perfect. The cocktail was crisp and citrusy from a squeeze of fresh lime, rather than green and sugar-laden. Perhaps that’s their secret. Being in the mood for a salad did not disappoint. The Grilled Shrimp Salad was, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had. There must have been at least a dozen perfectly-seasoned grilled shrimp served in a crispy flour tortilla shell. Refried beans, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced avocado, cheese and sour cream turned this simple salad into a meal-in-a-bowl. Our waitress, Jasmin, was very accommodating in meeting our needs. Great food is a must, but customer service makes it memorable.

Mexi-Wing Restaurant in Athens, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Mexi-Wing Restaurant in Athens, Tennessee! When you’re passing through town and the parking lot of an authentic Mexican grill is lined with vehicles, it’s usually a good sign. As we slid into a cozy booth, a basket of freshly-baked tortilla chips, accompanied by a carafe of chunky salsa, was dropped off at our table. A few minutes later, two margaritas on-the-rocks were going down easy. If you’ve never tried a sugar-rimmed lime margarita, you should. It’s amazing. The extensive menu boasted the biggest and best hot wings around, hence the name. House Specials and Combination platters were too numerous to count. It was beginning to look as though deciding what to eat was going to be tough. In a situation like this, try something a little different. Ubaldo, the waiter, was very helpful. He explained things like tostaquac, molcajete, and carne asada. For incredible Mexican food with an unforgettable name, bookmark Mexi-Wing Restaurant.

The Three Amigos in Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Dining Outside the Home: The Three Amigos in Downtown Edmonton, Alberta, Canada! Authentic Mexican food is as festive as Mexican blankets, wide-rimmed sombreros, and multicolored piñatas. The “Daily Special” boasted Fajitas Al Pastor—crispy chunks of marinated pork cooked with onions and green pepper strips served on a sizzling skillet. Homemade corn tortillas accompanied sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. We ordered a side of refried beans to use as a binding agent once the shells were filled. The finishing touch of habanero sauce sealed the deal with a nice kick of spice. An agave nectar margarita cocktail culminated the entire meal. Bueno!

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champaigne, Illinois 

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champaigne, Illinois! Everyone loves a rustic cantina where the salsa is spicy and the margaritas are chilled. Add a platter of sizzling marinated meats and sautéed veggies to stuff into a steamed corn tortilla for combination fajitas. Don’t forget the crispy tortilla bowl of lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and Pico de Gallo. Now this is authentic Mexican cuisine. Indulge your taste buds with scrumptious offerings from south of the border without the cost of airfare. An outdoor patio is favorable among locals. Try it. As you sit under the shade of an umbrella, enjoy the company you’re in. Well done, Pedro! 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Nacho Macho Supreme! Get ready for the most amazing loaded nacho platter for those warm summer nights on the back porch. The music is playing, the conversation is flowing, and the margaritas are going down real slow. These are the nights that are made for us.  
NACHO MACHO SUPREME 
Ingredients:

1 large bag of corn tortilla chips, café style

1 pound ground Mexican chorizo 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed

1/2 cup black beans, drained

1/4 cup sliced jalapeño peppers 

4 green onions, sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup salsa

1 cup sour cream
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a pizza pan with nonstick oil. Lightly salt. Set aside. 

In a shallow skillet, cook chorizo, garlic, and cumin until meat is brown. Drain on paper towels. Assemble nachos by dividing into three or more layers to form a pyramid—chips, chorizo, corn, beans, jalapeños, green onion, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Watch! Serve with salsa, sour cream, and cilantro garnish. 

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champagne, Illinois

Dining Outside the Home: Dos Reales Mexican Restaurant in Champagne, Illinois! Whether you choose to dine al fresco on the rustic patio or slide into a comfortable booth next to the cantina, the margaritas deliver a tasty tequila cocktail in a frosted salt-rimmed glass. And that’s just the beginning. Alternate between the chunky tomato salsa and the classic chili hot sauce as you crunch on tortilla chips before the main course arrives. The extensive menu selections leave your head spinning from corn-wrapped tamales, cheesy chile rellenos, and grilled steak fajitas to spicy pork carnitas. But the menu doesn’t stop there. No worries. The waiter, Pedro, is patient beyond measure. He’ll explain the specials of the house and walk you through a tour of Mexico that invites you back again…and again. Muchas Gracias!