100% Taquito Review

100% Taquito is 100 percent local. The mastermind behind this laid-back eatery is Marco Garcia, a U of H graduate, who wanted to bring the feel of Mexico City into his restaurant. The place is literally a city complete with street tiles, a facade of houses, car shop, taco stand, street lamps, and even clothes hanging out to dry on the roof, just like they do in Mexico City! And they're always playing Latin music videos on their TV screens.

Walk into 100% Taquito and the first thing you'll notice is the classic V-Dub taxi with what looks like scary lifelike puppets inside. The tables are set on the "street" making you feel like you're eating on the run, which you really are because at 100% Taquito, you order, take a number, eat, and go - perfect for lunch!

What makes 100% Taquito authentic is the size of the tacos (and of course, the taste). They are not your usual Tex-Mex size. They are small, just like in Mexico, which means an order of three tacos might not be enough to satisfy your appetite (think appetizer size).

Well, that's what exactly what happened to my intern, Claire. She ordered the exquisite Chicken Tacos. They were really good and tasted fresh! But, it just wasn't enough. And at around $4 per order, Claire was not too happy. She asked me to recommend what else to get and I told her to go for the Chicken Quesadillas (which I had never had there). To our surprise, her quesadilla order was basically the same as her taco order, except with cheese! We found out later that exact disclaimer was stated in the menu.

I went for my usual Chicken Mole Torta. "Tortas" in Mexico are sandwiches, which I find funny because in many Latin American countries, "tortas" are cakes. And, for those who don't know, Mole is a traditional chocolate sauce. Yes, you read correctly: chocolate. From what I've been told, this exotic concoction has indigenous roots. A chef once told me the word "mole" is french, meaning to grind. He said it came to be used when French nuns would yell out to the natives: "molé, molé!" and forced them to grind chocolate beans. However, there are many stories about this famous Mexican national dish.

Mole is an acquired taste. People are not fond of the look or the taste. Claire said the chicken mole on my baguette looked like dog food. I can assure you it doesn't taste like it (not that I've ever tried dog food). But it is a strange taste to describe. It's not sweet, for sure. It's kind of like having barbecue sauce, but without the sweetness.

100% Taquito is an experience. A pricey one, nonetheless. My sandwich and a frozen mango slushy cost me about $11. Using my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk, I'd say this place gets a GULP!

100% Taquito

3245 Southwest Frwy.

Houston, TX 77027

(713) 665-2900

Julia's Bistro Review

For those who don't know, anything "bistro" means it's going to be tiny portions. So, walking into Julia's Bistro for lunch, I had arrived with the pre-conceived notion I was not going to be full. However, Julia's Bistro is a really nice place, especially, if you're looking for a place to impress your date. It serves a fusion of Mexican and Latin American cuisine. It's posh, colorful and contemporary, so you might want to dress up for this one.

Anything "bistro" also means it's going to be pricey. Luckily, my co-worker and I were there to take advantage of the lunch menu.

I was really craving something healthy, so I went for the "Croquetas de Salmón" (salmon croquettes crusted with bread crumbs) without realizing I had ordered from the appetizer section. When the plate came in, I was shocked to see the food was really, really tiny. For sure, I was not going to be full! Needless to say, the salmon was heavenly. It was crisp, tangy and tasted like delicacy. I killed it in 5-min., but I was still very hungry!

Thankfully, my co-worker and her Mixto Exotica were staring right at my face. She kindly shared half of her delicious, exotic salad which included shrimp, a mix of fruit, like pineapple and mango, and was served with a Tahitian vanilla vinaigrette dressing. Her salad was plenty enough to be shared by two people (or at least that's what my co-worker said after I asked her if this was enough for her). She also ordered the Potato Soup and was extremely pleased by it.

Figuring I still had room for dessert, I decided to go ahead and order the Bread Pudding. Let me tell you, fresh off the oven, this was as good as it gets.

Julia's Bistro may be a bit pricey (our bill came out to be about $40 including our two drinks), but the food is really great. Using my rating system of BURP=delish!, GULP=pretty good, and BARF=yuk, I'd say this place gets a BURP!

Julia's Bistro

3722 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

(713) 807-0090