Gold Dig #10
I should start by saying that Mexicali Taco suffered the fate of being the third feed stop in just a few hours on our 3-restaurant Gold Dig for the day. So it probably doesn’t get a fair shake when it comes to my assessment of the place, given that we were pretty stuffed by the time we arrived. Jonathan Gold not only lists it in his top taco spots, but it has also been given a place in Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list.
The Dish
The Vampiro is what Jonathan Gold has said he is “obsessed” with. It is Mexicali‘s version of a quesadilla. They bring their large flour tortillas up from Baja. A well-stocked toppings bar gives you the opportunity to dress your Vampiro with a selection of salsas, pickled onions, lime juice, and fresh scallions, radishes, and cucumbers.
Vampiro
We chose the carne asada Vampiro. Along with the flame-grilled beef comes Mexicali‘s special garlic sauce and a healthy portion of gooey melted cheese. We tried a multitude of topping combos. The pickled onions were my fave garnish for sure! They provided a bit of crunch and really helped to cut the fatty richness of meat, cheese, and sauce.
Agua Fresca
We also got a pineapple Agua Fresca. I’m a big fan of pineapple in general, and having it in agua fresca form was no exception. It was a refreshing way to wash down the grease!
While tasty (and very reasonable priced!), I have to admit I was a bit surprised that Mexicali Taco made Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. That’s a high bar and it didn’t blow me away the way I expect everything on his list to do. However, given that we’d eaten at 2 other spots (check out my Langer’s post and my Baco Mercat post) on our Gold Dig already that day, I conjecture that my experience may have been unduly influenced because I was just plain stuffed by the time we were making our way through the Vampiro. This is supported by the fact that I had the chance to have a taco from Mexicali‘s at a City of Gold screening and food tasting event (check out my post about the City of Gold event), and it was pretty freaking scrumptious. I must give them another go in the future.
Want to watch us uncomfortably stuffed while still downing a Vampiro anyway? Check out the video here!