Here we are still deep into the pandemic. Today is July 16, 2020. We have been basically hermits since March, staying home as we are supposed to. I have to admit, we haven’t had too much of a challenge. We have been making great food, laying by the pool and binge watching shows I have never had a chance to watch. We have ordered takeout on occasion, mostly taking advantage of DoorDash, which in my opinion is a lifesaver. Once restaurants opened back up, we were not the first ones in line.
Today was a work from home day. I have been scheduling my delightful allergy shots on my lunch hour since they are so close to my house. I am tired of sandwiches and scraping up lunches. Today I wanted something different and something delicious. Doing a simple google search I saw a place called Oaxaca (pronounced “wa ha ka”) at 17 & John R. How intriguing! I have lived here for a long time and simply could not picture the place.
Oaxaca is a Mexican street food kind of place. The online menu looked very limited but interesting. There were items that I have never heard of, like Tortas, that looked like sandwiches, Tlayudus and Molotes which I still don’t have any idea what those are.
I called in my order and asked what the COVID protocol was. Some places are making you wait in your car, some call when approaching, they just said “come on in”. I headed over to pick up my order. It was a bit difficult to find. The address is 17 mile, but that is just the driveway. The restaurant faces John R, but the sign is hidden by trees. I pulled in where I thought it was and was glad to see I was right. No wonder I never noticed this place, it was covered by trees!
The restaurant was very small, with limited area for eating in. Since we are in the midst of the pandemic, the eating area was empty and cordoned off. It was simply decorated, with black and white walls. The patrons picking up orders all were wearing masks, myself included. The young girl taking money and delivering food wore a mask, but that is where it ended. All other employees were not wearing masks. Cooks, dishwashers, all sans masks. For all you “this is fake and masks are dangerous people” this won’t be an issue, but those who feel better when people wear masks you will be disappointed.
I have to tell you though, after seeing and tasting this food I just didn’t care. I ordered extra food so I could have ample leftovers for tomorrows lunch. It all looked so good I wanted to taste as much as I could. I started with 2 shredded beef tacos, spinach and cheese quesadillas, side of rice and guacamole. I also saw they had iced cold Mexican Coke in a glass bottle. I could not resist. I saw one cook with a huge bowl of guac and he was transferring to another container and I just wanted to dive in headfirst.
The tacos were very authentic. Well-seasoned and slightly spicy beef, extremely tender, atop homemade corn shells, in its distinctive double stack as you expect with street food. Homemade salsa and fresh cilantro. They were delicious. Very filling. I was starving and couldn’t even finish two! The rice was rich with flavor. A bite of acid with the tomato, and a richness with cumin and chili powder. Cooked perfectly, with just a hint of an al dente bite. The guacamole was flavorful, with a rich avocado flavor not overpowered with garlic or lime. A perfect balance. The spinach and cheese quesadilla looked amazing, and I will have to confirm that tomorrow. The biggest treat was the Coke. I have not had a Coke in a bottle in so long. Mexican Coke is still made with cane sugar and rich Coke flavor. So delicious. Something about drinking from a bottle makes pop so much better. Well beer too for that matter.
I stumbled across a real gem today. I am sad I just learned about this place but happy I have a go to place for elevated Mexican food. I highly recommend you try this restaurant, you won’t be disappointed. Even if it does sound like the place that Black Panther lives.