El Mariachi

WakeboardMom · 09-18-2011, 08:12 PM

Finally made it to El Mariachi. : )

We love El Centenario, but haven't tried the new one because you can't get there by boat. Now we're into non-summer mode, so we stopped on the way to the Moultonborough house on Friday night.

Fabulous. The ambiance isn't anything to speak of, but the food is great. We had a nice conversation with the owner. By next year, the atmosphere should be better, and he's intent on keeping the food fresh and top-shelf. Please give him a try if you haven't yet.

El Mariachi will close in the late fall and open again in April. We'll still have the Bob House. It's very cool to have options in Moultonborough.

Heaven · 09-18-2011, 09:04 PM

Had the "appetizer plate" for lunch Friday, food was just ok, atmosphere was just ok. Didn't compared favorably to the Mexican fare in Conway just north of the high school. Having said that, it wasn't a dinner menu and maybe the dishes are more interesting on the dinner menu.

patman · 09-20-2011, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heaven

...the Mexican fare in Conway just north of the high school

The one in Conway is called Cafe Noche...not related to El Centenario/El Mariachi as far as I know.

ChocolateGypsy · 09-29-2011, 12:15 PM

Has anyone tried any dishes at Mariachi besides tacos and burritos?

I've seen their menu and I know they have a selection of Mexican cuisine above and beyond the ethnic "hamburgers and hot dogs." I wanted to try Chili en Nagoda which is the Mexican national dish. And I noticed that some menu items list epazote as an ingredient on the menu but is it authentic? And is it fresh?

Does anybody know what I'm talking about?

patman · 12-27-2011, 10:54 AM

I drove by the other day and noticed a "Closed for the season, see you in March" sign in the window.

WakeboardMom · 12-28-2011, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patman

I drove by the other day and noticed a "Closed for the season, see you in March" sign in the window.

We chatted with the owner in the fall and he said he had renovations planned for this winter.

Pineedles · 12-28-2011, 12:34 PM

You know it's amazing, but most people think Mexican fare is what they get at Taco Bell, myself included until a couple of years ago. Real Mexican food is hard to find. I'm talking about home made meals. One of our manufacturing employees brought in tamales for the whole company just after Christmas as a way of sharing, since he never bought donuts.

The beef, chicken, and pork tamales were amazing! Best breakfast we've had in months. If you haven't ever tried REAL Mexican, give it a try. You just may become a fan.

Merrymeeting · 12-28-2011, 02:21 PM

That's why El Centenario (and I assume El Mariachi -same owner but I have not been there) is one of my favorite resturants. If you want authentic Mexican, it's the best you will find for a long ways.

I was introduced to authentic Mexican cusiine on many business trips to Colorado and Texas. I'd put these 2 amoung any of those.

WakeboardMom · 12-29-2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merrymeeting

That's why El Centenario (and I assume El Mariachi -same owner but I have not been there) is one of my favorite resturants. If you want authentic Mexican, it's the best you will find for a long ways.

I was introduced to authentic Mexican cusiine on many business trips to Colorado and Texas. I'd put these 2 amoung any of those.

The owner grew up cooking in a Greek diner/restaurant in New York, just outside of NYC. When he decided to open El Centenario, he hired a Mexican woman to teach him how to cook these dishes.

Jonas Pilot · 12-29-2011, 03:37 PM

New York City!?

WakeboardMom · 12-29-2011, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

New York City!?

I could be mistaken; we had had a margarita or two prior to the conversation. I believe the owner said he had learned the restaurant trade while working at a large Greek diner/restaurant in Westchester county; but the Mexican cooking was learned elsewhere.

patman · 02-18-2012, 10:32 PM

Drove by tonight, and...the banner now reads "Open", and the parking lot was packed.

Overlake97 · 02-28-2012, 07:22 AM

Not the Lakes Region, but two great authentic Mex places in Manchester are:

El Rincon Zacatecano Taqueria
23 reviews
Rating Details
Category: Mexican *[Edit]
10 Lake Ave
Manchester, NH 03101
(603) 232-4530

This one (above) is right next to the Verizon Wireless Arena. It's relatively new.

El Mexicano Jr.
9 reviews
Rating Details
Category: Mexican *[Edit]
197 Wilson St
Manchester, NH 03103
(603) 665-9299

This place is VERY authentic, complete with little mexican kids running round and almost nobody speaking english. Both have Mexican TV stations on in the dining rooms. El Mexicano has been there quite a while.

I have not tried El Mariachi, but it's definitely on my "to do" list.

BroadHopper · 02-28-2012, 12:51 PM

Try going to a mexican cantina away from the tourist traps in Mexico. That authentic food. Very bland compare to the americanized version. If you do go to one of these cantinas, do not drink any water unless it is bottled and be prepared for the unsanitary conditions in the dining area.

garysanfran · 02-28-2012, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

Try going to a mexican cantina away from the tourist traps in Mexico. That authentic food. Very bland compare to the americanized version. If you do go to one of these cantinas, do not drink any water unless it is bottled and be prepared for the unsanitary conditions in the dining area.

What we call Mexican food here, is very difficult to find in most of Mexico. What the Mexicans call Mexican food there, is very difficult to find here. Burritos are almost non-existent in Mexico.

I once met a little kid in Guadalajara who said his favorite American food was Taco Bell, "because you can't get food like that in Mexico".

Pero todas comida es muy deliciosa norte y sud del borde!

trfour · 02-29-2012, 01:19 AM

You can always make your own slow cooked barbacoa tacos.

How many times have you been to Chipotle, saw their spread of burrito fillings and thought to yourself "man, homemade barbacoa would be so much better than this stuff," then ordered barbacoa anyway? It happens to me all the time, so I finally decided to make my own version of barbacoa--Mexican barbeque beef.
I'm sure there are countless ways to prepare it, depending on the region of Mexico and the availability of a slow cooker. I melded a few recipes together and used some stuff I had on hand. After slow cooking the beef for 10 hours, I served it taco-style in a warm tortilla with some pico de gallo, cheese, chopped cilantro and sour cream. I used simple garnishes so the chipotle and chili powder flavors could really shine through in the beef. Traditionally beef barbacoa is made with the entire cow's head, but for cooking-at-home purposes I used chuck. This is a perfect party recipe because it's easy to make, fairly inexpensive, yields more beef than you can probably handle and everyone loves it.

Slow Cooked Beef Barbacoa Tacos
Ingredients:

For the beef-3 lbs boneless beef chuck
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 quart chicken stock, use half to start and add more as needed
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup cider vinegar
For the tacos-
small corn tortillas
salsa or pico de gallo
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped cilantro

Directions:
1 - Combine all beef ingredients in a slow cooker, adjusting the spicy items to taste. I like to use the whole can of chipotle peppers, but wouldn't recommend it if you're not into spicy foods.
2 - Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours. I cooked mine for 10 but it was definitely ready to go around 8. The longer the better!
3 - Check on it every few hours. If the beef needs more liquid, add the remaining chicken stock to moisten.
4 - After 8 hours, season to taste with salt, pepper and cider vinegar (if you're into that sort of thing).
5 - When the beef is ready to go, assemble the tacos -- warm the tortillas by wrapping them in a paper towel and throwing them in the microwave for a few seconds (or grill them if you want to get really fancy) then add the beef, salsa, cilantro, sour cream and of course, cheese.

Terry
_________________________________________

WakeboardMom · 02-29-2012, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garysanfran

What we call Mexican food here, is very difficult to find in most of Mexico. What the Mexicans call Mexican food there, is very difficult to find here. Burritos are almost non-existent in Mexico.

I once met a little kid in Guadalajara who said his favorite American food was Taco Bell, "because you can't get food like that in Mexico".

Pero todas comida es muy deliciosa norte y sud del borde!

My husband's uncle went to China on a business trip and came back saying he didn't enjoy the food. "I know what Chinese food is, and that wasn't it." LOL.

Newbiesaukee · 02-29-2012, 12:36 PM

Both China and Mexico, IMO 2 of the finest cuisines in the world, have very regionalized dishes. There is really no Chinese or Mexican food in that sense. It is like discussing lobster rolls by getting one in Kansas or crab cakes anywhere but Maryland.

Having said that, good food is good food whether it is "authentic" or not and that is all that really matters to me in going to a restaurant.

Follett · 02-29-2012, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Overlake97

Not the Lakes Region, but two great authentic Mex places in Manchester are:

El Rincon Zacatecano Taqueria
23 reviews
Rating Details
Category: Mexican *[Edit]
10 Lake Ave
Manchester, NH 03101
(603) 232-4530

This one (above) is right next to the Verizon Wireless Arena. It's relatively new.

El Mexicano Jr.
9 reviews
Rating Details
Category: Mexican *[Edit]
197 Wilson St
Manchester, NH 03103
(603) 665-9299

This place is VERY authentic, complete with little mexican kids running round and almost nobody speaking english. Both have Mexican TV stations on in the dining rooms. El Mexicano has been there quite a while.

I have not tried El Mariachi, but it's definitely on my "to do" list.

Yous should try El Jimador. You will nor be disappointed!

Jonas Pilot · 03-02-2012, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

I could be mistaken; we had had a margarita or two prior to the conversation. I believe the owner said he had learned the restaurant trade while working at a large Greek diner/restaurant in Westchester county; but the Mexican cooking was learned elsewhere.

You must not watch TV enough! It's from a salsa commercial.

WakeboardMom · 03-05-2012, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

You must not watch TV enough! It's from a salsa commercial.

LOL...sorry. The only commercials I see are during Patriots' games and Good Morning America. Other than that, everything I see is TiVo'd.

(Now I'm laughing at my reply, because I can hear my husband watching "Pawn Stars" in the other room. Apparently they were profiled in Time magazine...it doesn't mean I have to like the show. ; )

(And now it's "American Pickers." With commercials. ; )

I will post here again in a couple of weeks, when we have time to get to El Mariachi. I can't wait...drove by today on the way home from Sunday River.

wadden · 03-13-2012, 08:46 AM

Does the restaurant offer take out service? Have not tried it yet but looking forward to it. Thanks.

VitaBene · 03-14-2012, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wadden

Does the restaurant offer take out service? Have not tried it yet but looking forward to it. Thanks.

Yes, but unfortunately, I have not found a menu on line.

jeffk · 04-05-2012, 08:06 PM

Since there is no menu available online, I have attached a scanned copy.

wadden · 04-06-2012, 02:28 PM

Thank you, Jeffk!!

donnamatrix · 02-28-2012, 03:14 PM

We went to El Mariachi on 2/24/12 and it was, as usual, YUMMO. Our waiter, Arturo, was excellent. We spent a few minutes on the way out chatting with Alberto (the owner) who was seated at the bar. BTW, the sangria is delish, too. I am not a beer drinker (they have some nice beer available) and the sangria was delightful, even in a snowstorm.

09-18-2011, 08:12 PM	#1
WakeboardMom Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: NH X 2 Posts: 508 Thanks: 595 Thanked 113 Times in 92 Posts	Finally made it to El Mariachi. : ) We love El Centenario, but haven't tried the new one because you can't get there by boat. Now we're into non-summer mode, so we stopped on the way to the Moultonborough house on Friday night. Fabulous. The ambiance isn't anything to speak of, but the food is great. We had a nice conversation with the owner. By next year, the atmosphere should be better, and he's intent on keeping the food fresh and top-shelf. Please give him a try if you haven't yet. El Mariachi will close in the late fall and open again in April. We'll still have the Bob House. It's very cool to have options in Moultonborough. __________________ MarieM

09-29-2011, 12:15 PM	#4
ChocolateGypsy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: on the road again...! Posts: 74 Thanks: 32 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Has anyone tried any dishes at Mariachi besides tacos and burritos? I've seen their menu and I know they have a selection of Mexican cuisine above and beyond the ethnic "hamburgers and hot dogs." I wanted to try Chili en Nagoda which is the Mexican national dish. And I noticed that some menu items list epazote as an ingredient on the menu but is it authentic? And is it fresh? Does anybody know what I'm talking about? __________________ ************************* Just droppin' in for a bite.

02-28-2012, 07:22 AM	#13
Overlake97 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford Posts: 246 Thanks: 146 Thanked 58 Times in 42 Posts	Two authentic Mexican places in Manchester Not the Lakes Region, but two great authentic Mex places in Manchester are: El Rincon Zacatecano Taqueria 23 reviews Rating Details Category: Mexican [Edit] 10 Lake Ave Manchester, NH 03101 (603) 232-4530 This one (above) is right next to the Verizon Wireless Arena. It's relatively new. El Mexicano Jr. 9 reviews Rating Details Category: Mexican [Edit] 197 Wilson St Manchester, NH 03103 (603) 665-9299 This place is VERY authentic, complete with little mexican kids running round and almost nobody speaking english. Both have Mexican TV stations on in the dining rooms. El Mexicano has been there quite a while. I have not tried El Mariachi, but it's definitely on my "to do" list.

02-28-2012, 12:51 PM	#14
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,592 Thanks: 3,232 Thanked 1,107 Times in 797 Posts	Authetic mexican food. Try going to a mexican cantina away from the tourist traps in Mexico. That authentic food. Very bland compare to the americanized version. If you do go to one of these cantinas, do not drink any water unless it is bottled and be prepared for the unsanitary conditions in the dining area. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

02-29-2012, 01:19 AM	#16
trfour Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: The Lakes, Central NH. and Dallas/Fort Worth TX. Posts: 3,694 Blog Entries: 3 Thanks: 3,069 Thanked 472 Times in 236 Posts	Should You Not Be Able To Find It In Your Neighborhood You can always make your own slow cooked barbacoa tacos. How many times have you been to Chipotle, saw their spread of burrito fillings and thought to yourself "man, homemade barbacoa would be so much better than this stuff," then ordered barbacoa anyway? It happens to me all the time, so I finally decided to make my own version of barbacoa--Mexican barbeque beef. I'm sure there are countless ways to prepare it, depending on the region of Mexico and the availability of a slow cooker. I melded a few recipes together and used some stuff I had on hand. After slow cooking the beef for 10 hours, I served it taco-style in a warm tortilla with some pico de gallo, cheese, chopped cilantro and sour cream. I used simple garnishes so the chipotle and chili powder flavors could really shine through in the beef. Traditionally beef barbacoa is made with the entire cow's head, but for cooking-at-home purposes I used chuck. This is a perfect party recipe because it's easy to make, fairly inexpensive, yields more beef than you can probably handle and everyone loves it. Slow Cooked Beef Barbacoa Tacos Ingredients: For the beef-3 lbs boneless beef chuck 1 large onion, chopped 1 jalapeno, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 small can chipotle peppers with adobo sauce 1 tsp chili powder 1 quart chicken stock, use half to start and add more as needed 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp kosher salt 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup cider vinegar For the tacos- small corn tortillas salsa or pico de gallo sour cream shredded cheddar cheese chopped cilantro Directions: 1 - Combine all beef ingredients in a slow cooker, adjusting the spicy items to taste. I like to use the whole can of chipotle peppers, but wouldn't recommend it if you're not into spicy foods. 2 - Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours. I cooked mine for 10 but it was definitely ready to go around 8. The longer the better! 3 - Check on it every few hours. If the beef needs more liquid, add the remaining chicken stock to moisten. 4 - After 8 hours, season to taste with salt, pepper and cider vinegar (if you're into that sort of thing). 5 - When the beef is ready to go, assemble the tacos -- warm the tortillas by wrapping them in a paper towel and throwing them in the microwave for a few seconds (or grill them if you want to get really fancy) then add the beef, salsa, cilantro, sour cream and of course, cheese. Terry _________________________________________ __________________ *trfour* Always Remember, The Best Safety Device In The Boat, or on a PWC Snowmobile etc., Is YOU! Safe sledding tips and much more; http://www.snowmobile.org/snowmobiling-safety.html

09-18-2011, 09:04 PM	#2
Heaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 523 Thanks: 128 Thanked 95 Times in 67 Posts	Had the "appetizer plate" for lunch Friday, food was just ok, atmosphere was just ok. Didn't compared favorably to the Mexican fare in Conway just north of the high school. Having said that, it wasn't a dinner menu and maybe the dishes are more interesting on the dinner menu.

12-27-2011, 10:54 AM	#5
patman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NH Posts: 380 Thanks: 56 Thanked 156 Times in 78 Posts	I drove by the other day and noticed a "Closed for the season, see you in March" sign in the window.

12-28-2011, 12:34 PM	#7
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,545 Thanks: 1,072 Thanked 668 Times in 367 Posts	You know it's amazing, but most people think Mexican fare is what they get at Taco Bell, myself included until a couple of years ago. Real Mexican food is hard to find. I'm talking about home made meals. One of our manufacturing employees brought in tamales for the whole company just after Christmas as a way of sharing, since he never bought donuts. The beef, chicken, and pork tamales were amazing! Best breakfast we've had in months. If you haven't ever tried REAL Mexican, give it a try. You just may become a fan.

12-28-2011, 02:21 PM	#8
Merrymeeting Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham Posts: 2,226 Thanks: 302 Thanked 800 Times in 368 Posts	That's why El Centenario (and I assume El Mariachi -same owner but I have not been there) is one of my favorite resturants. If you want authentic Mexican, it's the best you will find for a long ways. I was introduced to authentic Mexican cusiine on many business trips to Colorado and Texas. I'd put these 2 amoung any of those.

12-29-2011, 03:37 PM	#10
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	New York City!?

02-18-2012, 10:32 PM	#12
patman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NH Posts: 380 Thanks: 56 Thanked 156 Times in 78 Posts	Drove by tonight, and...the banner now reads "Open", and the parking lot was packed.

The Following User Says Thank You to patman For This Useful Post:
WakeboardMom (02-19-2012)

02-29-2012, 12:36 PM	#18
Newbiesaukee Senior Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Coral Gables, winter; Long Island, summer Posts: 1,355 Thanks: 950 Thanked 573 Times in 298 Posts	Both China and Mexico, IMO 2 of the finest cuisines in the world, have very regionalized dishes. There is really no Chinese or Mexican food in that sense. It is like discussing lobster rolls by getting one in Kansas or crab cakes anywhere but Maryland. Having said that, good food is good food whether it is "authentic" or not and that is all that really matters to me in going to a restaurant. __________________ "You're only young once, but you can be immature forever."

03-13-2012, 08:46 AM	#22
wadden Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 79 Thanks: 19 Thanked 14 Times in 7 Posts	Take out at El Mariachi? Does the restaurant offer take out service? Have not tried it yet but looking forward to it. Thanks.

04-05-2012, 08:06 PM	#24
jeffk Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,173 Thanks: 207 Thanked 437 Times in 253 Posts	El Mariachi Menu Since there is no menu available online, I have attached a scanned copy. Attached Images

The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to jeffk For This Useful Post:
ChocolateGypsy (04-05-2012), diz (04-05-2012), GsChinadoll (04-06-2012), Jonas Pilot (04-06-2012), WakeboardMom (04-06-2012)

04-06-2012, 02:28 PM	#25
wadden Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 79 Thanks: 19 Thanked 14 Times in 7 Posts	Thank you, Jeffk!!

02-28-2012, 03:14 PM	#26
donnamatrix Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonboro Posts: 833 Thanks: 24 Thanked 258 Times in 120 Posts	Welcome back Alberto! We went to El Mariachi on 2/24/12 and it was, as usual, YUMMO. Our waiter, Arturo, was excellent. We spent a few minutes on the way out chatting with Alberto (the owner) who was seated at the bar. BTW, the sangria is delish, too. I am not a beer drinker (they have some nice beer available) and the sangria was delightful, even in a snowstorm.

The Following User Says Thank You to donnamatrix For This Useful Post:
WakeboardMom (02-28-2012)