The Flavor of Guadalajara Grill

Fresh Tortillas Make Mexican Food Taste Better!

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If you've ever been to Mexico, then you will for sure know what we're talking about when we say "there is nothing like a fresh, home-made tortilla hot of the grill.

At Guadalajara Grill Tucson, we make our own fresh corn and flour tortillas.  Sure, it takes a little longer, but so does everything else we do.  We only use the freshest and finest ingredients in our dishes, so why would we cut corners and use store-bought tortillas? 

If you love fresh corn or flour tortillas as much as we do, we invite you to stop by and watch them being made the next time your hungry. 

To learn more about tortillas, where they come from, how they are made, and some delicious recipes and tips for cooking with them at home, we hope you'll join us here on our blog and share your comments and experiences with us all. 

 Buen provecho!

Try The "Pollo en Mole Poblano" at our Tucson Mexican Restaurant

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When most Americans hear the word mole (pronounced MOH-lay), they often think specifically of mole poblano, made with dark chocolate and nuts. Puebla, a major center of the Meso-American culture, is where the Indian and the Spanish cultures repeatedly collided.

The word Mole comes from the Náhuatl Indian word molli, meaning “concoction” or “sauce.” Though the invention of mole poblano is usually attributed to a Spanish nun, most food scholars agree that some form of the sauce dates back to pre-Hispanic times....so Mole is evidence that the Indian culture was never defeated.

Our Mole Poblano is made fresh daily, using only the freshest ingredients, and the chicken slow-cooked in this rich sauce is fall-from-the-bones tender. It is fitting that our first stop on the Mexican Culinary Tour includes this most Mexican and traditional of dishes.

Join us at our Tucson restaurant location for Pollo en Mole Poblano during the month of July 2010. 

Buen Provecho

Pollo en Mole Poblano Recipe

• One whole cooked chicken cut into pieces
• Toasted Sesame Seeds
• 6 Chile Anchos
• Pepper
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 chiles negros or mulatos
• Cloves
• Bay Leaves
• 1 hard white bread dinner roll
• 1 onion
• 2 hard shell corn tortillas
• 1 Bar of Chocolate
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• Oil or butter (optional)

• Soak the Chiles in Warm Water for 10 Minutes
• Grind the Chiles with the Garlic, Bay Leaf, Sesame Seeds, Cloves, Pepper, Cinnamon, Onion, Bread Roll, and Bar of Chocolate Until it forms a paste
• Fry this Paste in the Hot Oil (Butter Optional), Seasoning with Salt and Enough Chicken Broth for a Good Thickness
• Add the Cooked Chicken and Leave Boiling 5 – 8 Minutes.
• Serve with Mexican style rice.

Mexican Squash Blossom Soup Comes to Guadalajara Grill

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Come join Guadalajara Grill Tucson's Mexican Culinary Tour.

This month of July, 2010 we are going to take you to Puebla, home to Popocatepetl the volcano called “Popo” by locals. Still steaming hot, Popo often spills molten red lava down the hillside.

And if you want to fill your home with the delicious tastes of Puebla, and serve up something as hot and steamy as Popo, try our Sopa de Flor de Calabaza, or Squash Blossom Soup.  

Here is our recipe: 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Squash Blossom, Cleaned and Chopped
• 1 Liter of Chicken Broth Oil
• 2 Roasted Poblano Chiles Cut Into Strips
• 2 Cleaned Potatoes
• 1 Diced Onion
• Manchego Cheese
• Salt, Garlic, and Pepper to Taste
  

Preparation:

• Fry the Onion in Oil
• Add the Potatoes, the Chicken Strips, and the Chopped Squash 
• Blossom and Leave Frying in Oil
• Add the Chicken Broth and Boil.  
• Finally, Add the Cheese, Lower the Heat and Serve
  

Accompany the Soup with Flour Tortillas

Just like Popo, our Squash Blossom Soup is a local attraction in Puebla.  Served steaming hot, this chicken broth based soup is chock full of fresh potatoes, chiles, manchego cheese chunks and colorful squash blossoms. Just don’t be like Popo:  keep it in your bowl!!

Refreshing Mojitos and Tucson's Best Mexican Food

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It gets pretty darn hot out during summer time in Tucson, doesn't it.  Hace muuuuuucho calor!!  So come see Maggie, Lupita, "Pelon" or any of our friendly bartenders for one of the coolest and most refreshing drinks in town: The Guadalajara Grill Mojito!! 

Every House Margarita At Guadalajara Grill Tucson is Made With Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice from Guadalajara Grill Tucson on Vimeo.

Pescado en Adobo comes to Guadalajara Grill in July 2010

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If you were walking between the aisles at Puebla’s Los Sapos market, you might see women colorfully attired and laboring over a molcajete (yep, the same kind of stone dish we use for our Molcajete dishes), grinding the spices for Chile en Adobo with a mortar & pestle.

The market in Puebla is filled with everything you could possibly imagine, from fresh nopales and corn, to every kind of fresh or dried or smoked or ground chile that you can imagine.  You would even see large baskets full of dried grasshoppers that are lightly dusted, like most every snack food in Mexico, with a light red chile powder. They're aren't that bad, honestly!

And you would see other large baskets and bags filled to the brim with nuts, and dried fruits, cloves and other spices like cinnamon, not to mention all the fresh fruits and vegetables that converge from all over Mexico's heartland.  

Throughout the market are food stands, where small vendors set up shop to serve local dishes made from the very foods that surround you in the market.  One dish you might see in the market is now on our menu during the month of July at Guadalajara Grill in Tucson, Pescado en Adobo.

The smiling Mexican marketplace cook, in her bright and colorful clothing, would start out by taking adding her fresh ground Adobo spice mix to hot oil and pan frying it to meld the flavors, before adding a fillet of fresh Pacific or Gulf whitefish and searing on both sides while cooking in the delicious, tangy, slightly spicy Adobo sauce that has an almost smoky quality. 

Traditionally served with rice and fresh salad, this authentic Pueblan dish is light, fresh and satisfying.  Pull up a stool and join us!  Served every day after 4pm during the month of July, and weekends all day after 11:00am.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 White Fish Fillets (we used Alaskan Halibut this time, which is not a fish that would be typically be used in Mexico...but we loved how it performed in Adobo sauce. Use the fish of your preference.)
• ¼ oz. Cumin
• ½ oz. Oregano
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• 5 Chiles Anchos2 Guajillo Chiles
• Cloves
• 3 Tomatoes
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Cinammon Stick
• Oil 
• 1 Roll of White Bread
• Queso Fresco ( A Creamy, Soft, Mild Unaged  White Cheese)
• Margarine

Preparation:

• Clean Chiles / remove seeds &  soak 10 min
• Grind Cloves, Cinnamon, Pepper, Salt, Garlic,  Cumin, Oregano with Tomatoes, Chiles & Bread
• Fry all of the ground ingredients in hot oil, add  a little water but let marinade remain thick, then let stand
• Fry the Fish in Margarine for 5 Minutes on each side Until Fish is Cooked 
• Place the Fish on a Plate and Bathe with the  Marinade.
• Decorate with Queso Fresco

Accompany with White Rice and Salad. Serves 8.

Try The Delicious Chiles en Nogada at Guadalajara Grill Tucson

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Just a few hours southeast of Mexico city, after passing quaint farms and cactus-studded hillsides, one comes to PUEBLA. Seat of viceroys, and one of two historic centers of the Catholic church in the New World. It’s a place where Spanish and indigenous cultures and cuisines converged. Some call it the culinary capitol of Mexico. The colors are so bright you might think the whole town was painted with a box of Crayola crayons.

At Guadalajara Grill, we want to teach you about Mexican food and culture from all across the many great regions and states of Mexico right here at our Tucson restaurant. Our Chiles en Nogada, synonomous with Puebla, are a delicious and uniquely flavorful mix of these rich and colorful traditions.

Here's the recipe if you want to try them at home:

Chiles Rellenos en Nogada (Walnut Sauce)

Picadillo Ingredients:

• 1lb. Ground Beef
• ½  Cup of Almonds
• ½  Cup of Raisins
• 12 Roasted Poblano Chiles, with stems and seeds removed
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 2 chopped peaches
• 2 chopped pears
• 2 chopped apples
• 3 roasted tomatoes,chopped
• Sugar
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation of Picadillo

(Ground Beef Minced with Fruits & Vegetables):

• Place the Garlic and Onions in Hot Oil Add the Ground Beef When it Starts to Brown
• Add Tomatoes and Cook for 5-10 Minutes
• Add All Fruit, Salt, Sugar, and Pepper to Taste for Seasoning
• Let Simmer for 15 Minutes
• Fill the Chiles with the Picadillo
• Put the Chiles in Oil Until Slightly Brown and Serve

Nogada Ingredients (Walnut Sauce):

• ¼ Liter of Creme
• Queso Fresco ( A Creamy, Soft, and Mild Unaged White         Cheese) or Cream Cheese
• 2 Cups Walnuts
• 2 Pomegranates
  

Preparation of Nogada:

• Liquefy walnuts, cheese and crème cheese
• Season with Sugar, Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pour Mixture Over Stuffed Chiles
• Decorate by sprinkling with Pomegranate kernels

Culinary Tour of Mexican Food Kicks Off Friday July 2nd!

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Starting on Friday July 2nd, 2010, Guadalajara Grill will embark on a Culinary Tour of Mexico! 

From the very beginning of our restaurant, we have taken inspiration from Guadalajara, in the State of Jalisco.  Everything, from our menu to the decorations of our restaurant itself, is inspired by our roots in Guadalajara.  Our commitment to this inspiration has shown through in our blend of traditional and innovative dishes, surrounded by fresh tortillas, tableside salsa, live mariachi music, and wonderful friendly staff dressed in traditional Mexican attire. 

But Mexico is a large country, and it possesses one of the richest culinary traditions in the world. Extending from the Pacific Coast, to the Gulf of Mexico, from Northern deserts, and ranches to the highlands and fields of Central Mexico, all the way to the mountains and rainforest, the natural and cultural diversity of Mexico has resulted in a diverse mosaic of cuisines that few places in the world can rival.

We want to pay homage to that rich tradition, and take you along for the ride.  Every month, starting on July 2nd 2010, our Tucson restaurant will feature a different state or region of Mexico, and bring you samples of some of the tastiest local dishes that originate there. Chef Edgar Gomez will put his special touches on some of the classic dishes from each place.  Some dishes will be Mexican food favorites, and others will be fantastic dishes that you may never have tried.  And that's the point.  We want to share our love of Mexico and her culinary traditions with you!!

Chef Edgar will also be sharing his delicious recipes with you every month!  and you can find them on the "Culinary Tour" web page on this site, starting with Puebla. Here in our blog, we will also write about the culture, history, traditions, clothes, music and even current events of each area we are focusing on.  

If you have been to Mexico, you know that each trip and each new destination offers a world of new surprises and experiences.  We would love to hear about your favorite times, favorite destinations and favorite meals in Mexico. Share your comments here, or on our Facebook page. And let us know what you think by leaving us reviews on your favorite restaurant review site.

To keep up with the latest news and specials, and enjoy a free appetizer, join our Amigos eClub! 

Pancho Villa Visits Tucson Mexican Restaurant on 5 de Mayo

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Gracias Amigos!!  Thanks for coming out and joining us this year for Cinco de Mayo.  The whole day was just plain fun, from start to finish. 

On a day like Cinco de Mayo, you might see a little bit of just about everything.  There were people dancing on the seats and dancing in the streets, and we just kept doing what we love to do, and that is serve you the freshest homemade tortillas, the best tableside salsa, and the highest quality and most delicious Mexican food you can find anywhere in Tucson. Or anywhere else, for that matter.

As we looked back over the photos taken of all of our friends that night, we realized that the General made a surprise visit.  Can you spot Pancho Villa in the picture? LOL

Thanks to everyone for making our Cinco de Mayo party a blast! And a special thanks to our amigas who brought their own mustache and sombreros out to the party!

If you have a favorite photo from Cinco de Mayo, or any other night at Guadalajara Grill Tucson, you can post it to our Facebook page, or email it to us at info@ggrill.com.

Tucson Mexican Restaurant Is The Place For Tequila Lovers

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The next time you are looking for some of the best Mexican food in Tucson, and also want to increase your knowledge of tequila, swing by the Guadalajara Grill. We currently have around 50 different brands of tequila and we are adding more all the time.  If we don't already, we will soon have the largest and best selection of tequila of any of the Tucson top restaurants. 

That might sound like a lot of different brands, but it is nowhere near the number of tequilas that are available on the market today.  The reality is, no matter how many brands we may add it would be almost impossible to ever stock every brand out there.  That's because there are currently over 900 brands of tequila and soon to be more.

How is that possible, you might ask?  The simple answer is: marketing. Not more than 10-20 years ago, that number would have been at most a few hundred brands.  In fact, there are only around 100 licensed Tequila distilleries in the State of Jalisco making those nine hundred brands of tequila in Mexico, and over 2,000 brand names have been registered (2009 Statistics). Due to this, each bottle of tequila contains a serial number (NOM) depicting which distillery the tequila was produced in. Because there are only so many distilleries, multiple brands of tequila come from the same location.

What has been happening in the spirits industry overall is a trend toward "premiumization," basically meaning the explosive growth of high priced brands (think Grey Goose Vodka, for example). This trend has also been accompanied by an explosion in the cocktail culture, and consumer's appreciation for sophisticated beverages created by "mixologists" (highly skilled and trained bar tenders).  While everyone in Tucson knows that Guadalajara Grill has some of Tucson's best margaritas, our skilled bartenders are also ready for the challenge of preparing a tequila-based specialty cocktail just for you on your next visit.  To emphasize this point, since 2002 sales of high priced tequilas, called "ultra-premium" and "super-premium" by marketeers, have increased 28 percent. That is an average growth rate of 8.6 percent per year, as reported by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. 

With so many brands and types of Tequila out there, such as the new official category of ultra- anejo (aged at least 3 years) it is important to find a top Tucson Mexican restaurant or bar with a large selection of tequilas, and a commitment to educating their customers in the finer nuances of tequila. Learning to appreciate tequila is not much different from learning to drink wine; it requires a time commitment and access to many different types of tequila in order to develop one's nose and palette. If you take the time to explore the different taste profiles of tequila, soon you will develop an understanding of what you like best and an ability to see beyond brand names. Guadalajara Grill is committed to being the Tucson Mexican restaurant that provides you that opportunity to learn about tequila and explore your tequila preferences.

Keep reading our blog and visit our tequila menu including extensive selections of Anejos, Reposados and Silver tequilas as we continue to add more brands and flavor profiles, and vote for your favorite.  And let us know what YOU like in a tequila.  Finally, stay tuned for more news about our upcoming Tequila tasting events.

And of course, whenever you sample Tequila or any other distilled spirit, do so responsibly, with care and moderation. We've got your back on that one too!  Nada en exceso, todo con medida. Cuidate!

The Friendliest Service at any Tucson Mexican Restaurant

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"You can't fake a smile."

When you go out for a meal at Guadalajara Grill Tucson with friends or family, we realize you have other choices. You could have gone bowling, to see a movie, to hear live music, to another restaurant, or you could have just stayed at home.  

When you go out, it's about more than the just the food, isn't it?  Of course we go to great lengths to make sure anything you order from our expansive menu of traditional and innovative Mexican food is delicious, fresh, and made with the finest quality ingredients we can find.  And we make everything fresh, like our tableside salsa and corn and flour tortillas.  Isn't that the way you treat your friends and family when they come over for a meal? 

But we know that it's not good enough to just serve some of Tucson's best Mexican food. You're going out to have fun too, aren't you? To laugh. To see friends. To have a special evening. A great conversation. Or to just kick back and listen to some music and let somebody else take care of you for a change.  

Everyone who works with us understands that, and we do everything we can to make sure that they, too, are having a good time and seeing friends when they come to work. We hope you can tell that when from the first time you see them smile.  

If you appreciate warm, friendly, family-style service at a Tucson Mexican restaurant, and a place where you're treated like a friend, then we hope we'll get the chance to meet you.  It doesn't matter what side of the table you're on; we're all friends here.  Todos somos amigos aqui.

Join our Amigos eClub and learn about the many special things we do for our friends, and their friends.