Central Mexico Meets the Midwest
I accompanied Empanada Boy up to Madison again this weekend. After a pleasant weekend with EB’s family, almost everyone had plans on Sunday evening. But EB’s brother Rocky Roccoco— hereon after to be known as Drumstix— had some free time and wanted to redeem himself after his earlier, infamous pizza selection. He took us out for dinner at La Hacienda, or “La Haz,” as EB’s family fondly refers to it.
Empanada Boy and Drumstix both insisted that the thing to order was the parillada, an assortment of meats grilled on a charcoal grill and then served on a platter atop a gas flame. (Drumstix doesn’t usually get to order it because he’s married to a vegetarian.) It’s traditional in Central Mexico and in meat-loving countries like Argentina and Peru. The name comes from the Spanish word parilla, which means a charcoal grill. We got the small, which was more than enough for three. It came with ribs, carne asada and chorizo. Mixed in were sweet grilled onions, crispy green onions, thin disks of potato and a large chile de arbol. A basket of corn and flour tortillas came alongside in addition to a platter of beans, rice guacamole and pico de gallo.
The meat was juicy and flavorful, especially the tender, fatty rib meat, which was served still on a thin disk of bone. The chorizo and the thinner pieces of meat cooked quickly on the heated platter, leaving small, dark crisps on the plate. I could have done without the rice and beans, but the guacamole and pico de gallo tasted fresh and lively. We piled meat, vegetables and sauces into a tortilla and ate them like fajitas or tacos.
This feast would have been enough, but Empanada Boy couldn’t resist ordering his favorite chile relleno. La Hacienda’s offering was a surprisingly tasty one. The battered exterior was light and flaky, and the stuffing was made with an excellent, stretchy Mexican melting cheese like Chihuahua. La Hacienda’s chile relleno was far superior to the one we tried in Nogales.
The rest of La Hacienda’s menu is a mix of traditional Mexican offerings and widely recognized Mexican-American choices like burritos and enchiladas. The dishes we tried seemed quite authentic, a fact that was emphasized by the number of Mexican-American people in the restaurant. La Hacienda is an unassuming little restaurant that I would likely never have tried without help from Drumstix and EB. Madison’s may still not be the first place I’d go for great Mexican food, but Drumstix did well to open my eyes to the joys of “La Haz” and the parillada.
La Hacienda
515 S. Park St
Madison, WI 53715
608.255.8227
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Flav said,
July 17, 2007 @ 12:51 am
Sounds delicious. It reminds me a little of a place I would go in the Los Feliz neighborhood in LA called Mexico City. Next time I’m in Madison and craving Mexican food I know exactly where I’ll go!
This weekend was filled with culinary excitement for me.
Mango Mama and I went to a fabulous Thai restaurant in Portland on Thursday with my friend (now to be referred to as Micro Brew) who was visiting from the Bay Area. The place is called Pok Pok and you and EB will definitely have to check it out when you are here in August.
On Friday Micro Brew and I went to the International Beer Festival in Portland’s north park blocks. For a $20 entry fee we got a tasting glass and more tastes of delicious brews than our taste buds could handle.
We headed to Cannon Beach for the weekend. Early Sunday morning we headed down to the beach at low tide for some major clamming. We caught our limit in just under an hour. The incredibly flavorful clams made for a perfect summer dinner back in Portland on Sunday night!
The only thing that would have made the weekend more delicious is if we could have shared it with the Mango Lassie!
Hamentaschen said,
October 12, 2007 @ 12:46 pm
Man, no sooner do I move three blocks away from La Hacienda than it starts getting picketed for taking advantage of workers. Now I just can’t bring myself to go there, as much as I want to.
Mar said,
April 13, 2008 @ 7:59 am
I am Mexican and I do not recommend La Hacienda. If you really want to try good Mexican food, go to El Pastor on Park St. It is close to Taco Bell and Marimar market by the south transfer point (bus transfer point).