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| - Caldero. Wow, where do I start?
My husband and I do our best to support local (non-chain) businesses, and are thrilled to share our fantastic experience at Caldero.
Hubby had been to Caldero about a month ago and suggested we go there. I was skeptical when I saw the exterior. The building is very plain and non-descript, but at least it wasn't a dump. I learned from the owner that it was a former Asian restaurant.
Once inside, my concerns vanished. The interior is simple, but clean and new. [Side note: The ladies' room was spotless and nicely decorated. Okay, guys, I know you couldn't care less, but for the ladies, it does matter. Seriously, I've been in a lot of restaurants all over the world, and have seen some very scary loos. In fact, it reminded me of the ladies room at Cork :) It was a very pleasant surprise.]
We were greeted immediately, and decided to sit at the bar. We were so glad we did. As it was mid-afternoon, the place was not very busy, so we were able to chat with the owner, Ricardo. He's a charming, friendly guy, who is passionate about his food and his restaurant. He explained that their menu is Aztec & Mayan. As we've traveled throughout Mexico, we've had prior experiences with this cuisine, so were interested in his interpretation.
This is precisely the type of restaurateur we like to support. The owner clearly loves good food and drinks, and is great with people. He explained that the current menu is geared toward winter (heavier, comfort foods), and that he plans to change the menu seasonally. I knew then that this was not the typical Sonoran-style Mexican restaurant that is so prevalent in the valley.
To start, we ordered chips which came with two salsas and a bean dip. Not sure what the two salsas were, but I was ready to take home a bowl of each. The green (which I later learned was Poblano) was unbelievable and I tried to keep it all to myself. That is, until I tried the red. It was equally delicious. I'm not sure which I liked better, and the bean dip was delicious as well. I usually prefer pico de gallo, but these fresh, homemade salsas were a delight.
My husband ordered the chicken burrito lunch special with lime rice and charro beans. He cleaned his plate completely, aside from allowing me a couple of tastes. I enjoyed the paltry bites he shared.
I ordered two tacos a la carte, as tacos are often rather small. Size was not a problem at Caldero. I would have been completely satisfied with one taco, but was glad I had ordered two since hubby wanted to taste them both (translation: eat half of each). I had a shredded beef/crispy corn taco and a shredded chicken/soft flour taco. The beef was juicy, tender, and moist; the chicken delectable. Both were seasoned to perfection.
Did I mention the margaritas? The house margarita is smooth and flavorful, but the true gem is the house specialty, the Calderita. I won't divulge the secret recipe, but suffice to say, we were blown away. Ricardo gave us each a sample and then asked us to try to guess the ingredients. He is one creative man and that was one memorable drink. When he told us everything that was in it, we both agreed we could taste each ingredient, even though there were so many. That's what comes from using quality, fresh ingredients.
Some other Yelpers have mentioned high prices. I disagree. They had several lunch specials under $10. The taco special is one taco, rice, and beans for $7.50. Considering the excellent quality of the food, plus size of the taco, and the portions of rice and beans, that's a completely reasonable price. This is not *****berto's drive thru. It is fresh and high quality, so no, it isn't cheap. But I do think the prices are fair and it was worth every penny. Our tab was $32 with two margaritas, chips & salsa, a burrito lunch special with rice and beans, and two tacos.
Keep your money in your community - shop and dine at non-chain establishments.
Give Caldero a try, you won't regret it. ¡Muy delicioso!
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