South of the Border

Signs are up for the new Chubby's Tacos in Woodcroft Plaza - Yes!

Update! Chubby's in Woodcroft is open as of 12/9/09.

We've been hoping for solid fish tacos and a taqueria or equivalent trully worth frequenting. A number of the local authentic taqueria's just don't have the environment that you feel comfortable frequenting, even though the food may be solid.

Chubby's tacos on 9th street changes that - no, it is not less rustic or more clean inside - its still an interesting crowd - but at least it is more welcoming. The fish tacos (though pricey at $4 each) are very good. Large pieces of tuna with a spicy sauce - these aren't Tijuana style, but they are very good. The other "regular" tacos are less expensive, down to $2, but also very good. A huge salsa spread lets you choose your heat level and flavoring. The store is tiny - we find it just as easy to get carry out and eat somewhere close - maybe the lawns over on Duke campus.

Taqueria's have become popular throughout the Triangle; the majority seem to be located in Durham. Having spent a fair amount of time in San Diego - I've been happy that they have become more popular locally. Finding something to differentiate each one of them, however, has become difficult. Furthermore, differentiating them by culture may be even more difficult if you aren't familiar with the subtleties. It's nice when each taqueria has a specialty that separates it from the rest.

Costa Azul is an Honduran taqueria - there "taco" offerings were standard, having tried the carne asada and pollo. They were a bit dry and the filling was a bit uninspired. The torta's, however, were a bit unexpected. The "cuban torta" was a large sandwich with two layers of meat (beef & ham), a layer of fried egg, peppers, lettuce and tomato. An additional paste that was likely a pate was also present. The sandwich was served toasted and delicious! Though the location was a bit out of the way for the rest of the Triangle, Costa Azul will be a favorite of ours. Best part abou5t its location, however, is that it is located next to JJ Fish...

try the tortas - skip the tacos.

Costa Azul
2721 Guess Rd.
Durham NC 27713

We've tried to avoid going to Brasa for a while now - unfortunately most of the reviews from friends didn't put it in the best of light, especially as compared to Chamas. However, we were recently in the Briar Creek area, and to our dismay, found TQ Zheng closed (a reasonable Chinese restaurant). Searching for a quick lunch, we found that Brasa had a buffet lunch for around $12 for hot and cold bar; $18 or so with four cuts of meats; $20+ for the "full" experience. As we were early, only a few others were seated.

The salad/cold bar was mildly above average; some reasonable pastas/ potato/ chicken salads; nothing extraordinary. The hot bar was not unreasonable, with a few different chicken dishes. Probably the best dish was the chicken stew... and the others were a bit bland, though probably sufficient for a good lunch.

I was excited about the four types of meats - in particular the bacon wrapped filet. The sausage was reasonable. But, the other meats all were a bit tough and just had an old, not very fresh taste to them. As one might guess, I was rather underwhelmed by the experience. Any steakhouse lives and dies by the quality of the meats that they serve - and it was clear to me that Brasa was unwilling to serve meats that would live up to its name.

Try it for lunch if you'd like... good luck on dinner. There are many other choices in the area - and for that price with that poor quality - I'd rather just buy a steak and grill it myself.

Jibarra has definitely opened the Triangle's eyes to great sophisticated Mexican cuisine. Unfortunately, it is also at a price that is a bit out of reach for a non-special location. We were searching for unique brunch places, when we saw the ad for the Sedona Grill. Searching the address reveals that it repaced the Hudson Oyster Bar & Grille - a place with great potential, but never quite living up to it. With that in mind, the menu looked interesting... at least interesting enough to give it a try.

The interior had been remodeled into tastefully separated bar and dining area. Multiple options on the brunch and lunch menu were rather interesting - our mouths watered at the Tejas Tango (Honey-Pine Nut Cream Cheese Stuffed Artisan Bread, Grand Marnier Custard) and the Huevos Caballeros (Chorizo & Potato Enchiladas topped with Colorado Sauce, Jack Cheese and Fried Eggs). We also had a bowl of the corn and shrimp chowder - a huge bowl with a slight spice.

The Tejas Tango was a delightful brunch dish - with a complex blend of flavors, and just enough sweetness from the whipped cream. The Huevos Caballeros was a solid meal; both were large enough in portions to probably be shared. A sweet potato and potato hash rounded out both dishes. The flavors were complex - not the simplified flavors of many Mexican type restaurants. Definitely a nice enough place to really enjoy a great set of complex Tex-Mex flavors.

With such an inspired brunch menu, we look forward to trying out the dinner menu and desserts soon!

If you don't know what a taqueria is, well you may want to skip this entry. If you think Taco Bell belongs in the above category, then please stop reading now - or else prepare to be educated. One way to think of it is like this - Taco bell (even though I love to go for a quick meal) is to taqueria the same way McDonald's is to burgers. Get it?

Once you've been to Mexico, or border towns (read San Diego) close enough to appreciate a real taco shop, then you'll know the difference. A few years ago, for a short while, there were taqueria food trucks all over UNC Chapel Hill's campus - unfortunately, when the construction moved, so did they. Recently, I heard about a taqueria place in north Durham, off of N Roxboro Rd, a block north of I-85. I'm always hesitant to try these places - since you never know what lurks in the kitchen.

Los Comales is a great little taco shop - there are about 7 or 8 different varieties of tacos, plus a full range of other dishes; seafood dishes on the weekends. We had the pastor (pork) burrito (HUGE, filled with rice, lettuce, tomatoes, meat) for $6; tacos were either $1.50 or $2.00 each, depending on the meat. Azada (beef), and pollo (chicken) were both great - I know a few other meats that may not match the western palate were also on the menu. A nice little salsa bar completes the experience. We also had the pineapple drink - a refreshing light drink to match the meal. Watch out for the grilled jalapeno's - though great - they are well seeded... and have some serious heat.

Los Comales
2103 N. Roxboro St.
Durham, NC 27701