Burritos are proof God loves us. ~ Blake Stratton
Have you noticed? There’s something about the colors of red, green, and white; good things happen nearly every time you see them together.
They’re Christmas colors. And the national colors of two countries with amazing food, Italy, and Mexico.
It was the latter case yesterday when they came together in a bowl of pico de gallo ~ the start of another great meal at ¡Ándele!
The restaurant has been a favorite since even before we moved to Las Cruces ~ we stayed in Mesilla during one of our pre-relocation trips ~ and pico is one of my all-time favorite salsas.
What’s at the ¡Ándele! Restaurante Salsa Bar?
Ándele’s salsa bar offers chipotle, traditional, chile de árbol, and a tomatillo & jalapeño salsa, too. I scooped up some chile de árbol along with the pico, went back to the booth to munch.
My order of a carne adovada burrito arrived not long after, smothered in green chile sauce and cheese.
Always with the green chile sauce, this girl.
Carne adovada with green sauce gives you the best of two worlds.
Your green chile sauce is on top & all around. And inside the tortilla, you’ve got shredded pork sautéed in red chile.
I had enchiladas the last time I was here. Enchiladas with green chile sauce.
¡Ándele! green chile sauce is a phenom.
Another thing I love is not everything is hot, hot. The focus is on the flavor and not the burn.
Even my tender-tongued husband, who dined with me that day, found his sweet spot with the Tacos al Carbon. The menu described MARINATED BEEF, FLAME-BROILED ON AN OPEN WOOD FIRE and delivered on the promise along with a side of bodacious pinto beans.
Small wonder this dish is the house specialty.
We both ordered from the “senior’s menu” which makes available smaller portions at smaller prices ~ whether you’re a senior or not.
Now, back to today ~
After I had packed up the leftover portion of my burrito to take home ~ that sucker was as big as it was beautiful~ I accepted the invitation of my excellent server ~
~ to pick up a complimentary package of fresh tortillas at the ¡Ándele! Tortilleria.
That’s where I heard the amazing story behind this amazing food. Where I learned the owners of this multi-generational family business are not of Mexican ancestry but Americans with roots in Germany who set their minds on making good Mexican food ~ and nailed it.
You never tire of the art that comes from this level of savvy and heart. It’s why I looking forward to visiting the ¡Ándele! Dog House for a Mexican-style hot dog.
In the meantime . . .
What condiment almost always finds its way to YOUR plate?
¡Ándele! Restaurante, 1950 Calle de Norte, Mesilla, NM ~ 575.526.9631 ~ Mon 8a-2:30, T-Sun 8a-9p
I'll take L's plate, please & thank you!
Oh how we wish we had a little corner place with excellent Mexican Food — love the back story about the owners — who would have thought? I don’t think there is anything better than fresh tortillas —
. . . fresh tortillas still fragrant with lime need only a little salt . . . and 🙂 !
That really cracked me up that a German family would become great cooks of a different ethnic food. How interesting that they didn’t try to merge German recipes with the local cuisine.
That’s an idea, Neva . . . perhaps the Ándele Dog House is their way of merging the German tradition of great frankfurters (and other sausages) with Mexican flavors.