Mi Pueblo and the art of Huevos Racheros...2.27.10

First off can I say how difficult it was not to rip into a couple smokies from Czuchrah Meats, or a hot fresh Brat from Frank's at the West Side Market?  It was difficult, let me tell you.  Walking aisles upon aisles of fresh cut meats, smelling the bouquet of fruits coming from the stands in the West Side Market Arcade.  Walking past Frank's Bratwurst multiple times just smelling those juicy brats and fresh sauerkraut boiling could bring a grown man to his knees begging.  I stood there and watched a Cleveland Police Officer order his, and devour it like a starved bear.  However just thinking about a fresh hot breakfast from Mi Pueblo made me hold off from going nutty at the Market Saturday.  For such amazing willpower and self control I think I deserved the reward that was Huevos Rancheros at Mi Pueblo.

Do I know the history of Mi Pueblo?  Nope not at all.  All I know it has been over on the corner of West 122nd and Lorain as long as I can remember.  They specialize in authentic Mexican food from burritos to Menudo.  Yeah, not the Ricky Martin boy band, shut up.  The spicy tripe soup concoction.  Myself, I am not that brave.  I just can't do tripe.  I tried tripe once and was put off by the texture.  The restaurant itself is pretty wide open with tables and booths and a small bar/counter area where you can sit and stare at the slow cooking pork spinning slowly on a spit.  You can also watch the cook prepare your meal on the giant griddle from the bar.

The service is really good here, and has been consistently good each time I have been here.  I would estimate the time of order to plate in front of me was like 5 minutes.  It was dead on Saturday.  I think they just opened the doors when we walked into the joint.  So, we had the whole place to ourselves.  The prices are beyond reasonable.  Most everything is under $10 on the menu with the exception of some of the more traditional dishes.  It's breakfast though and that means Huevos Rancheros which is what I usually get here.  Every once in a while I go off the board and get a burrito that would make the entire Chipotle corporation as a whole cry.  

To start of the meal you get the old standard basket 'o chips.  These are fresh, and even have the malformed ones that stick together so you know they are freshly made in the kitchen.  You get 2 different salsa the red hot salsa and a more mild green tomatillo salsa.  The red was a bit on the hot side for me at 9 in the morning or whatever the hell time it was, but the tomatillo was perfect.  You also get a small dish of Mexican pickled carrots which were fantastic.  There isn't much time before the actual meal comes out so good luck downing all this.  I usually don't because the chips act as a magnificent corn spoon for the part of my breakfast that doesn't make it into the warm corn tortillas.  

The huevos rancheros come with three fried eggs, and generous helpings of freshly made refried beans and rice.  A nice mild red sauce is served over the eggs which normally I really enjoy.  Because this is homemade sort of thing the batch will vary on occasion.  This time I think the garlic was a bit overpowering.  I really liked it but if there was one thing I would change is a little less garlic.  It just at times overpowered the other balanced flavors of the dish.  The corn tortillas are served warm and separate in their own warmer and hold up well the warm gooey goodness that is Mi Pueblos huevos rancheros.  I lost the battle of corn tortilla to egg ratio and ended up using my chips to scoop up the rest.  This is a battle I am more than willing to lose.  Overall it was an excellent breakfast choice.  

After the meal we headed over to the Mexican grocery next door to pick up some goodies to take home.  The store has been there as long as the restaurant but my dumb ass never went in there until yesterday.  They have a great selection of Mexican foods to take home from fresh produce including cactus petals to giant foot long sheets of fried pork skin.  I opted out of both of those options and picked up some corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo ($2.59) and a 12 pack of freshly made pork tamales ($12).  The pico de gallo was incredible but a little on the hot side.  The tamales were unreal.  The best I have ever had since Arizona.  These are the homemade real deal and worth the trip to the store to pick up a pack for yourself.  Don't make the mistake I did and ignore this hidden little treasure of a grocery store.  You will not be disappointed in Mi Pueblo or it's adjacent Mexican grocery.