Local Mexican joints serve up a variety of tastes

Last summer some foodie guy rambled on about hot sauce in a column called Steppin' Up to the Plate in the Beach Paper [starting up again in mid-May!], and who gets all the emails? I do! Am I destined to do all this character's heavy lifting?

Like that beachy chilihead, I love spicy food. Of course, there's hot stuff out there that isn't necessarily Mexican, but I'm only allotted so much ink here on this page, so Mexican's what you're going to get. And if my experience is any indication, you're going to like it. 

Yolanda Pineda at Mariachi on Wilmington Avenue dishes up a tasty combination of Mexican and Spanish goodies. Check out her Saturday and Sunday brunch (eggs Benedict with chorizo!). Mariachi is also one of the few places that has authentic handmade tamales as a regular menu item. They are amazing with her creamy masa encircling a variety of fillings. If you are of the vegetarian persuasion, Deb Griffin (Realtor extraordinaire and Favored Foodette of note) loves the Plato Rojo - basically chili rellenos in a light and savory batter. Just around the corner on The Avenue, Mariachi alumnus Leo Cabrera features salads, tortas and burritos at his newly remodeled Modern Mixture. You'll love the new table arrangement. Get the guacamole (spicy!), the Cuban press, the salad with nopalitos, and anything with his homemade and perfectly spiced barbacoa. 

One of the alpha Mexican joints in downtown Rehoboth is certainly Dos Locos Stonegrill. The new owners have wisely kept everything the same - why mess with success! Their Tex-Mex lineup with a seafood bent is popular with partying locals and vacationers alike. (Of course it could also be those swimming pool-sized margaritas.) I recommend the shredded chicken burrito and tacos. Feeling frisky? Get the Melt Your Face hot sauce. Use it sparingly! 

(Very) loosely translated, "La Tonalteca" means "everywhere in Delaware." And the Rehoboth La Tonalteca carries on their tradition of good chicken mole (a peanut/chili/chocolate sauce) and particularly tasty salsa. The place is a madhouse in-season, especially on weekends, so bring Wiffle bats and a piñata to keep the kids busy. 

Gladys Fernandez' Cilantro on Rehoboth Avenue serves up a main course called Arrachera en Molcajete. This $49 feast for two overflows with grilled chicken, steak, a pork chop, shrimp and chorizo with grilled onions. It marches out of the kitchen flanked by rice, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and a stack of warm tortillas. This one will keep you busy for a while. 

No visit to the Forgotten Mile is complete without a flight of margaritas at the (relatively) new El Azteca. Your choice of flavors is served on a cute little flight board. It reminds me of the sake flights for which Stingray is so well known. 

Most will deny that "light" and "Mexican food" belong in the same sentence, but Aquiles Demerutis - self-proclaimed Greexican and inveterate surfer - has accomplished that at El Dorado, a hop, skip and a waddle west of Coastal Highway on Route 24. His fish tacos are the standard against which others are measured, and the fixins' bar is loaded with spicy sauces and salsas. I like to get the burrito with a combination of the lightly fried fish and shrimp. If you ask Aquiles nicely, he can make that happen. His menu is a surfboard. What's not to like? 

Speaking of fish tacos, I would be remiss if I didn't give proper kudos to Chris and Anthony Jacona's selection of fish tacos at Zogg's on Wilmington Avenue. And denizens of Lewes will soon have easy access to similar tastes at their new Wheelhouse restaurant currently taking shape in the long-neglected Wharf space by the drawbridge. I got a sneak peek the other day, and I promise you will not recognize the place once they put on the finishing touches. 

Spring is just around the corner (really! It is...) so celebrate with a hot tamale, a crunchy taco and a frosty cerveza or jumbo margarita. Salud!