Omnivore Atlanta

I’ve suffered longterm withdrawal from this quesadilla, “la gringa,” that  Zocalo sold at its closed Grant Park taqueria. It’s al pastor meat with onions, pineapple and cilantro between two flour tortillas.

Now, Lucero Martinez-Obregon has moved the al pastor rotisserie into the kitchen of the Midtown restaurant (187 10th St.) and  la gringa is available at lunchtime with all the other taqueria-style items from the Grant Park location. That means  you can feast on $2.25 tacos filled with everything from carnitas to a chile relleno.

Zocalo’s evening menu remains the same, featuring more complex dishes. Lucero, incidentally, recently visited Puebla in her native Mexico as a participant in a Slow Food event devoted to mole.  She says she is “playing” in the kitchen with some new dishes inspired by her trip.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

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I made my usual bee-line for Zocalo in Grant Park Tuesday night and found it closed — permanently closed, judging by the disarray visible through the windows.

This follows the closing of the Zocalo in Decatur, leaving only the original 10th Street location open.

I am going to have major withdrawal from the taqueria’s al pastor quesadillas and the chile relleno tacos.

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I ran into chef Eddie Hernandez at Taqueria del Sol (Cheshire Bridge) today and lamented that the restaurant’s lunchtime specials seem to have recently taken a decided turn toward Tex-Mex. (This week is an exception.) He agreed, saying that efficiency and public tastes have mandated the change, although evening specials still remain more creative, in the vein of the defunct Sundown Cafe, the original full-service restaurant from which the taquerias were birthed.

Coincidentally, I recently ran into Lucero Martinez-Obregon at Zocalo Taqueria (Grant Park), which she owns with her brothers Marco and Luis. They closed their full-service Zocalo in Decatur recently, although the original 10th Street location remains open. I wondered if they too are headed toward a taqueria-only style.

“I would love it,” Lucero replied.

I don’t understand why creative Mexican food in the Diana Kennedy tradition doesn’t do well in Atlanta. Yes, we have Rosa Mexicano, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Oh…Maria!, the gourmet restaurant Lucero and her brothers opened in Buckhead almost 10 years ago. Between some kitchen problems and public tastes, the restaurant didn’t last long.

Oh well. I guess business is booming at Taco Bell. Anyone got a favorite Mexican restaurant that does more than takes on taqueria-style food?

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I’ve been getting a lot of raves about Beleza, Riccardo Ullio’s (left) new Brazilian cocktail lounge and restaurant. This really is the most unusual restaurant to open in our city in memory and, as a commenter on my earlier post says, it’s going to be hard to get a table when Ullio actually puts a sign on the place. Make a reservation now. …

My apologies to Erick Newman, the owner of Lamplighter Cafe, whose name I misspelled here and in my review. …

Zocalo, the popular taqueria in Midtown and Grant Park, has debuted some new menu items — a couple of burritos and a few other dishes. Honestly, the one burrito I’ve tried was a hodgepodge of flavors and not very well assembled. I’m still waiting for the promised new menu of tacos, not that I will ever tire of the al pastor here. …

Dale writes: “What’s the story on Spice? I walk past it several nights each week and see lights and tables set, but never any actual people.” It’s been closed for some time and, as far as I know, there are no plans to reopen right now. … Another reader writes that the popular Ali-Oli in Around Lenox seems to have closed. Indeed, I’ve tried to call numerous times and the voice mailbox has been full for a week. I hope it’s temporary!

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Eating cheap and well is not difficult in our city. Here are some recent spots I’ve hit. Some pictures are better than others, but you’ll get a reasonable impression.

First up is Via Elisa (1750 Howell Mill Road, 404-605-0668), which sells the best pasta in our city. You can buy it directly from Elisa Gambino’s shop or at Whole Foods — or you can go to restaurants like Shaun’s to taste it. Although you can’t eat her pasta on the premises, Elisa (shown here) is now selling panini at lunchtime, but call ahead to make sure she hasn’t run out.

There is also a counter of excellent cheeses in the shop, along with Elisa’s sauces and various gourmet items. Do not leave without some ravioli.

I have never been to Nuevo Laredo Cantina (1495 Chattahoochee Ave., 404-352-9009) when I didn’t have to wait for a table. The wildly popular spot, decorated with enough kitsch to stock the inventory of a Tijuana souvenir shop, serves fantastic Mexican/border cuisine.

I lunched there recently with my friend Gregg, who ordered lobster tacos, while I feasted on the chicken mole, the city’s best. Here’s a picture of the bar. The place was so crowded I couldn’t get a good shot inside the main dining room. Even Our Lady of Guadalupe would not answer my prayers for a decent camera angle.

A favorite dirt-cheap restaurant is Eats (600 Ponce de Leon Ave.,404-888-9149). There are two features here — pasta and chicken. (The pasta bar is shown here.)

My favorite, though, is the jerk chicken with collards and corn on the cob. The lima beans aren’t bad, either. If the jerk seasonings are too much for your delicate mouth, you can order the chicken with lemon-pepper seasonings.

Finally, there’s Zocalo (465 Boulevard, 404-635-9930). Although there are full-service restaurants of the same name in Midtown and Decatur, the Grant Park location is a taqueria. In this (backlit) picture, you see the al pastor rotisserie and you should definitely order at least a taco made with the succulent pork flavored with pineapple and various spices.

I usually order “la gringa,” al pastor meat between two flour tortillas, almost like a quesadilla. My favorite taco is the one made with strips of chile relleno.

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