La Cocinita
4935 W 29th Avenue
Denver, CO 80212
(303) 458-0932
Rating = 2 1/2 tortillas
I've been going to La Cocinita for a little while now and have enjoyed everything I've tried there. They have good cheap Mexican food, decent Chili rellenos, delicious smothered burritos, and tasty chips. This is a place where you can have dinner and leave for $10 including tip. But until I took on my noble (stop lauging) quest for the ultimate Mexican taco, I hadn't actually given La Cocinita's tacos a try.
If you've been following my adventures, you've probably noticed that I typically try the carne asada and carnitas any time I try a new place. So you probalby won't be surprised to hear that I decided to try the carne asada and the carnitas along with chiles toreados (roasted jalepenos). As I've mentioned in previous posts, a good mexican restaurant does not necessarily mean a good taco. Unfortunately, La Cocinita is one of those places. While the tacos aren't awful they ARE essentially unremarkable. The tacos are served up on your standard corn tortillas with pico de gallo. Without green chile to help add flavor, the lack of seasoning in the meat was apparent in the first bite. Rather than dancing along my taste buds, the meat just sort of sat there. Both the carnitas and the carne asada were tender, but there seasonings just didn't pop the way they should.
All in all, there's not alot to say about the tacos at La Concinita because they don't leave any real lasting impression. If you're out craving tacos La Cocinita isn't the place to stop. Instead head down to Taco Mi Pueblo on 23rd and Federal for some delicous tacos. However, if you're looking for some tasty cheap Mexican grub, La Cocinita is your place.
It looks like the quest continues...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Good tacos vs. good Mexican food
Until I moved to Colorado, I had never really been exposed to green chile. However, with the prevalent Southwestern influence evident in much of the Mexican food in Denver it didn't take long for me to give it a try. And, honestly, I really like green chile. My favorite is at the City Grill on Colfax. Thin and soupy or thick and saucy a good green chile can add amazing flavor to almost any dish.
As much as I enjoy a good bowl of green chile or a generous helping covering a burrito or some other tasty dish, I'm also learning that a good helping can also disguise an otherwise lackluster dish. Several of the places that have been suggested to me have come along with "and they have really good green chile" as part of the recommendation. However, every one of those places has turned out to have tacos that are just okay because the meat isn't well seasoned. When it's covered with green chile, that less than spectacular meat is camouflaged. But in a taco there is nothing to hide behind. The meat IS the taco and if the meat isn't good neither is the taco.
About now you're probably wondering where I'm going with this whole thing. What I'm trying to say is that when I'm talking about tacos, I'm looking for something very specific. While I may not like the tacos at one of the places I try, there may still be some delicious food to be enjoyed. The additional ingredients in other dishes can help make up for shortcomings that are unavoidable in tacos.
There are a plethora of delicous Mexican restaurants in this town and there are plenty of restaurants that will never get a rave review for their tacos. There will also be plenty of places that have outstanding tacos while their other dishes are less than remarkable... especially when I start getting into the taco trucks that dot our urban landscape. So, if I don't like the tacos at one of your favorite Mexican places, it's not a reflection on the overall quality or tastiness of their food, it just means that they don't have what I'm looking for in my search for the best Mexican taco.
Now, back to the crusade...
As much as I enjoy a good bowl of green chile or a generous helping covering a burrito or some other tasty dish, I'm also learning that a good helping can also disguise an otherwise lackluster dish. Several of the places that have been suggested to me have come along with "and they have really good green chile" as part of the recommendation. However, every one of those places has turned out to have tacos that are just okay because the meat isn't well seasoned. When it's covered with green chile, that less than spectacular meat is camouflaged. But in a taco there is nothing to hide behind. The meat IS the taco and if the meat isn't good neither is the taco.
About now you're probably wondering where I'm going with this whole thing. What I'm trying to say is that when I'm talking about tacos, I'm looking for something very specific. While I may not like the tacos at one of the places I try, there may still be some delicious food to be enjoyed. The additional ingredients in other dishes can help make up for shortcomings that are unavoidable in tacos.
There are a plethora of delicous Mexican restaurants in this town and there are plenty of restaurants that will never get a rave review for their tacos. There will also be plenty of places that have outstanding tacos while their other dishes are less than remarkable... especially when I start getting into the taco trucks that dot our urban landscape. So, if I don't like the tacos at one of your favorite Mexican places, it's not a reflection on the overall quality or tastiness of their food, it just means that they don't have what I'm looking for in my search for the best Mexican taco.
Now, back to the crusade...
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