So, I found myself looking at the El Jimador menu again the other night. Been going there off and on, you know? At first, I gotta admit, I mostly stuck to what I knew. You see “Mexican Cuisine” and you think, okay, tacos, maybe some fajitas, nachos piled high. That’s kinda the usual picture, right?
My first couple of times, that’s pretty much what I did. Ordered some chicken fajitas. They were good, don’t get me wrong. Sizzling hot, lots of peppers and onions. Exactly what you’d expect. Felt safe. But then I saw other folks getting stuff that looked… different. Darker sauces, things wrapped in corn husks maybe. Made me curious.
Trying Something New
So next time, I actually read the menu, like properly looked through it. Skipped past the stuff I recognized immediately. Saw names I couldn’t quite pronounce. That’s usually a good sign, I figure. Means it’s maybe less of the standard Tex-Mex stuff.
I decided to try one of the pork dishes, carnitas I think it was called. Sounded simple enough. When it came out, man, it smelled amazing. Not just spicy, but rich. You could really taste the spices, different from just chili powder. Maybe that oregano stuff, or cumin? Whatever it was, it was complex.
- The pork was super tender.
- It came with simple sides, rice and beans, but they tasted homemade.
- Definitely not like the fast-food Mexican chains.
It kinda opened my eyes a bit. Realized there was this whole other side to their menu I hadn’t even touched. It wasn’t just about cheese and sour cream on everything. These other dishes had deeper flavors, maybe more traditional?
More Explorations
Since then, I’ve been trying to work my way through some other sections. Tried some enchiladas with different sauces. One had this really dark, slightly sweet sauce – mole, maybe? Totally unexpected but really good. It’s become a bit of a habit now, going back and picking something I haven’t had before.
It’s funny, I started going just ’cause it was convenient, but now I actually look forward to seeing what else they’ve got hidden on that menu. Still haven’t tried everything, but it’s been a tasty process figuring it out. Makes eating out a bit more of an adventure than just getting the usual.
