Dos Amigos, Mexican Fast Food, Kind Of.

Dos Amigos

861 South Main Street (Located inside Shell Station)
Blanding, Utah, 84511

Phone: (435) 678-2991 (Main Number for Shell Station)




Originally, Taco Time resided inside the Shell Station in Blanding and Monticello.  After being taken over by the 7-11 Corporation, Taco Time was to be replaced with Dos Amigos; Blanding opened, but Monticello did not.  It has now been one year, so it was time to try out this new Mexican restaurant which is basically Mexican "fast" food of sorts.



Chicken Taquitos
 

The shredded beef, sweet pork and chicken are cooked up fresh each morning; while the vegetables are chopped and diced fresh as well.  However, several of the items, such as Taquitos and French fries, are purchased frozen; tortillas are also purchased in bulk.  Each order is cooked up as needed, so no premade items are sitting under a heat lamp all day long.  The menus are written on chalk boards over the counter; read them well as there are several choices on how you want your food cooked...plain, smothered or loaded.





Chimi Plate

The Grande Burrito and Chimi Plate are bursting with your choice of filling; the Tacos have just enough to keep the tortilla from falling apart in your hand.  All come with shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes; sour cream, guacamole and dressings are considered extras.  Now while we're used to burritos and chimichangas being deep fried, these were rolled and put through a rolling heat unit.  Therefore, it's recommended you get the smothered version for added texture and flavor; plain just doesn't cut it.  However, if you want something really different, order the Rolled Taco Plate; three tacos that are stuffed, rolled, then deep fried; now this is good stuff!  The Spanish Rice has a slightly spicy flavoring and is moist, while the Refried Beans are firm and served with melted cheese on top.

Grande Burrito - Smothered



Crisp Taco Plate

Taco Salad

Booths line the window side of the building for dining in, but your orders can easily be boxed up for picnicking in the park.  The staff are friendly; smiling while taking your order, or helping you decide what would satisfy your appetite the best.  Do not be dismayed by the idea of Mexican food being served out of a gas station; you might just be pleasantly surprised.











Mary Cokenour

Say Si Senor when in Farmington, New Mexico.

Si Senor 4015 East 30th Farmington, New Mexico, 87402 (505) 324-9050 Website: http://sisenorrestaurants.com/ (Note: address is not listed on this website, but the menu is similiar with a few names changes) Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Si-Se%C3%B1or-Restaurant/375288312413 Only a short distance from the Animas Valley Mall is Si Senor, a superior Mexican cuisine restaurant where dress can be from your Sunday best to the most comfortable casual. The interior is beautifully done with hanging ristras (arrangements of dried chile pods) and awards for their fine wines. The hostess is quick to greet you with a smile and seat you at one of their beautiful tables. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a lovely white fountain surrounded by fine wooden tables and carved chairs. There is marble everywhere, including the restrooms, and you have the feeling of being in a fine hacienda. A waitress takes your drink order, giving you time to peruse their varied menu, and a listing of daily specials. After giving our food order, we received a basket of fried tortilla chips with two condiments, a salsa and a divine jalapeno cream cheese dip which I suspect has sour cream in it to obtain its creaminess. Now here is a hint on the spice index for Si Senor; medium to hot. If you are one who likes your spice slim to none, Si Senor is not your type of place; then again, how can one eat Mexican without a little heat? There were five of us dining together, so you'll get a good glimpse of what is available. The Si Senor salad - Marinated chicken or beef, grilled with fresh onion, bell peppers and tomatoes, placed on a bed of fresh green lettuce, served with cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Taco Platter - three tacos made with corn tortillas, chicken, shredded or ground beef; served with rice and refried beans. While the rice is spicy, the refried beans are creamy and absolutely delicious; both are basically served with every entree. Many dishes are served with a choice of red or green chili sauce; tender chunks of pork are in the sauce; the green sauce is slightly sweeter than the red. Combination #1 - chile rellano, taco and cheese enchilada. Combination #2 - tamale, taco and cheese enchilada. Combination #3 - flauta, taco and cheese enchilada. For dessert we had Sopapillas (deep fried flatbread) with honey; a perfect light finish to one of Si Senor's meals. So when in Farmington, New Mexico and you're craving Mexican food, just say "Si Senor!" Mary Cokenour

Fusion Cuisine is not a novel idea.

When a fancy restaurant advertises fusion cuisine, you’re paying an exorbitant price for a current fad.  Guess what?  This type of cuisine has been around for centuries.  Fusion cuisine is not just the merging of food from different cultures, but the cooking techniques as well.  As different countries and cultures, visited or invaded elsewhere, food items were either brought along, or discovered; not unusual to also discover that many went well together.  Cooking techniques were also shared, so where a culture had only baked bread over open coals, now they learned about the clay oven.

If you go into a restaurant that offers different cuisines, that is not necessarily fusion.  The dishes may be Greek, Korean and Mexican, but each dish is prepared and served in its traditional form.  An example of fusion would be to take the ingredients of a Greek Gyro (roasted lamb, taztziki sauce, vegetables), but preparing them as a Mexican Enchilada; adding some of the ingredients usually found in a traditional Enchilada, and/or taking away some of the Gyro ingredients.  While this might sound simple, care must be taken to ensure that the tastes meld together successfully.

The recipe I’m giving to you today is my attempt at fusion cuisine; a mixture of Irish with Mexican.  The O’Brien potatoes are cubed potatoes that are fried with diced onions, pimientos (roasted red bell pepper), or diced red and green bell peppers; this is the Irish part.  The other part will be ingredients that would typically go into tacos; the Mexican part.  The technique will include some frying, but finish off baking in an oven.

Taco Beef and Potato Bake

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion, divided in half

1 envelope taco seasoning, medium

1 (14 ½ oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, medium

1 (16 oz) can light kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28 oz) bag frozen O’Brien potatoes, thawed

1 (10 ½ oz) can cheddar cheese soup

¾ cup 2% milk

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a skillet, over high heat, brown the beef; add ½ cup of onion halfway through cooking; drain.  Reduce heat to low; add taco seasoning and tomatoes; mix well.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Spray a 3qt baking dish with non-stick spray; spread meat mixture in dish.  Spread on top of meat mixture the beans and potatoes.  In a large bowl, mix together the soup, milk, bell pepper, remaining ½ cup onion and Worcestershire; pour mixture over the potatoes, spreading evenly to edges of dish.

Sprinkle the paprika and black pepper over the sauce.  Bake for 1 hour covered with foil; bake uncovered for 15 minutes.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour