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Originally Posted by ProEye  Here's something else to consider: There's California Mexican, New Mexico Mexican, and TexMex. There are subtle differences but they are different. For all I know there's also an Arizona Mexican.  |
ProEye, you have ProTastebuds.
I love Tex Mex but I miss California Mex.
Never was a fan of the snooty New Mexico (i.e., "Santa Fe") style, but that's probably because I don't like the attitude that comes with people who are from Santa Fe. (Oh-so-trendy, oh-so-hip, oh-so-puke, just gimme some good food and spare me the chic pricey hype of that overrated tourist trap!)
Pardon my off-topic rant... where was I? Oh yes --- California Mex is all about the cheese. Ergo, in So Cal you can go to just about any Mexican restaurant and you'll LOVE what you're eating but you'll feel sleepy and bloated after dinner, and eventually you'll be visiting your cardiologist if you eat it too much.
Tex Mex is more subtle, relies more on a variety of veggies and seasonings, less cheese, more black beans rather than refried pinto beans, and everything is smaller. For example, a Chile Relleno in California will fill you up with about 5,000 calories of fat and it is orgasmic but not too healthy. A Texas Chile Relleno will usually be smaller, have less breading, less stuffing, but will "only" have about 3,500 calories, only 95% of which are from fat (as opposed to 97% in California.)
OK, I made up all the numbers, but the basic point is true. California Mex is comfort food, Tex Mex is a bit more subtle but less "instant gratification" oriented. Ultimately, I'd like to have BOTH types available, but I've never found a decent Mexican restaurant of ANY variety outside of the regions where they're native. This is so odd to me, given the fact that you can get excellent sushi and Thai food in virtually any decent sized city or college town in North America.