The Flavor of Guadalajara Grill

Delicious Chiles en Nogada at Guadalajara Grill Tucson

 

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

Pancho Villa Visits Tucson Mexican Restaurant on 5 de Mayo

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Why We Celebrate the 5 de Mayo at this Tucson Mexican Restaurant

Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla.  (Our delicious mole sauce is a recipe that originates in Puebla!)

Althought the Mexican army was eventually defeated, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest.

Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt.

On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume.

The English, Spanish and French refused to allow president Juarez to do this, and instead decided to invade Mexico and get payments by whatever means necessary. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French refused to leave. Their intention was to create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III.

Some have argued that the true French occupation was a response to growing American power and to the Monroe Doctrine (America for the Americans). Napoleon III believed that if the United States was allowed to prosper indiscriminantly, it would eventually become a power in and of itself.

In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the "Batalla de Puebla" on the fifth of May.

In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference. 

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having parades, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities. We celebrate Mexican culture and food year round at Guadalajara Grill, because we think every day is a great day to celebrate! 

Stop in and help us celebrate 5 de Mayo, at lunch, happy hour or dinner.   

Salud!

Tucson's Best Mexican Food Restaurant Celebrates Easter

 

 

 

 

Easter in Mexico is a very special time of year and Guadalajara is no exception there! The majority of Mexicans are Catholic. So during Easter week (Semana Santa) many Mexicans will pack up their bags and go out of town or visit the nearest Mexican beach to celebrate the most holiest of days!

So if you ever decide to visit anywhere in Mexico, you can bet there will be traffic on the roads, especially during Mexican Easter Celebrations.

In addition, the cities might also be emptier than usual because everyone will pretty much close up shop to celebrate the extra long holiday which lasts about a week.

 

 

So How is Easter in Mexico Celebrated?

The beginning of the Easter season starts with Ash Wednesday (Miercoles de Ceniza). Typically, no red meat is eaten and Mexicans will go to church and receive the sign of the cross on their foreheads with ashes.

Lent(Cuaresma) consists of 40 days of making a sacrifice.

On Palm Sunday, (Domingo de Ramos) churchgoers will head to mass. Outside of the churches there will usually be lots of vendors (Of course!) selling elaborately designed palms for a few pesos.

These palms are blessed inside by the priest and are usually hung on the doors of Mexicans. Although in Guadalajara they are usually hung inside!

This is usually the time you’ll see the city emptier than usual, because everybody starts leaving town on holiday.

On Holy Thursday (Jueves Santo) The Last Supper, it is a tradition in Mexico and Guadalajara as well to visit 7 different churches and say a little prayer in each one.   So why 7 churches??  We're not entirely sure, but in Guadalajara it is not hard to accomplsh because there is a church on almost every other block!

Outside of the churches (templos) it’s a tradition in Guadalajara for vendors to sell empanadas stuffed with either tuna, strawberry or some other tasty fruit.

On Good Friday (Viernes Santo),  this the day Jesus was crucified, the The Stations of the Cross (Via Cruzes) is usually reenacted and can be quite elaborate in some towns. On this day, usually red meat should not be eaten, so seafood and nopales (cactus) are very popular. There will be lots of specials in the restaurants selling nopales and even fish tacos!

And that is no different at Guadalajara Grill in Tucson, where we offer innovative Mexican inspired fish and seafood menus every day using only the freshest ingredients. 

Inside the churches you’ll usually see all the statues and images covered with purple cloth to represent a time of mourning or (luto).

On Saturday (Sabado Santo), usually the early Easter celebration is started at nighttime on Saturday. There will be a mass to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, it’s usually a mass that is longer than normal.

And then of course comes Easter Sunday (Domingo de Resurrección or "Pascua") when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesús Christ and the end of the Holy Week and Lent.

Easter in Mexico is an absolutely wonderful time to spend with family. Just remember if you're traveling to Mexico during Easter, there will also be quite a bit of traffic on the roads (especially on Sunday) as everyone is coming home from their Mexican Easter celebrations.

So if you're in Tucson, there should be a little bit less traffic and may just be the perfect time to bring the family and just come on down to the Guadalajara Grill and enjoy our Guadalajara inspired Easter.  There are original oil paintings on our walls showcasing the cathedrals of Guadalajara, and our authentic decorations are straight from the Juan de Dios market there.  

Join us for Easter at the Guadalajara Grill, and help us celebrate. We'll make sure your family's Easter is memorable.

 

Looking For The Best Mexican Food to Go in Tucson?

 

 

 

 

If you're going to get food to go from a Mexican restaurant in Tucson, why not get it from one of the best Tucson Mexican restaurants?

 

When you take food home, you want to be sure that the food is going to be fresh and survive the journey.  Because we use only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, and prepare all of our dishes fresh every day, the Mexican food you take home will be as fresh and delicious as if you'd made it yourself.

Whether you take an order of our mini-chimis, delicious enchiladas, or one of our more innovative Mexican food items, it will be accompanied by our fresh-made salsa, and our incredibe home made fresh flour or corn tortillas. And of course most of our menu items are available for larger groups in one of Arizona's best Mexican food catering menus.  

Whether your taking the food out to El Tour de Tucson, home to watch a movie, or into the office for a quick lunch, you can be sure that you've got some of the freshest and very best Mexican food to go in Tucson!

Next time you're in, pick up a copy of our Guadalajara Grill Mexican food to go menu, and keep it handy at home! 

What It Means To Us To Be the "BEST" Mexican Restaurant in Tucson

 

 

 

 

Here we are in Tucson and there are a LOT of Mexican restaurants in town, in case you haven't noticed.  We are pretty close to Mexico after all, and with a large Mexican population in Tucson it makes competition pretty stiff if you want to claim that your food is the "best" Mexican food in Tucson. It gets even more difficult when you consider that there are a lot of Tucson restaurants that serve Mexican food on their menu, even though they may not be a Mexican restaurant, per se. 

So, since it is our goal to be the very best Mexican restaurant in Tucson, with the best Mexican food possible, we had to give some thought to what it really means to be "best. "

Here's what the dictionary had to say:

best  (bst)

So that's what being the best Mexican restaurant in Tucson means to us; it means not only preparing the best Mexican food in Tucson, using only the finest fresh ingredients daily, but it also means taking care of every little detail required to wrap an authentic Mexican dining experience around your meal.  Just as if you were in Mexico.

Now tell us, what else would being the best Mexican restaurant in Tucson mean to you?  How are we doing?