by Steven Doyle
Another food related contest at Crave? Why not. We just spoke to Fernando Luna who will be soft opening Luna’s new restaurant next week for friends and family only. They will be open in full force the following week of April 10.
The menu will feature TexMex items as well as some harder to find (in Dallas) MexMex fare. The Luna family wants several Crave readers to join in on the friends and family soft opening. To win this contest we merely want to hear about your first TexMex experience. We will award this to not one couple, but two. So your chances are great.We will have all the information on the menu plus some other special news concerning the restaurant as we get closer to the opening date.
We appreciate you reading Crave and will have many more of these contests in the future, good luck!
My first TexMex experience was in 1984. I moved here (Dallas) from Kansas City, Missouri where the Mexican food is void of tomato sauce, and true bright green jalapenos. It was at Don Felipe’s in Fort Worth on West Vickery. My parents built a house in Benbrook, and while kitchen was built, we ate out much of the time. My judge of a terrific Mexican place is fresh home-made flour tortillas, sans the sour smell often associated with “bought”. I ordered my favorite “eggs, chorizo, refried beans, and plenty of mantequilla to go with the torts”. The first time I ever had Tex Mex salsa rather than Kansas City “picante type” salsa was pure delight. It was fresh with great consistency, and the eggs and chorizo combination was served with a side of hot warm tomato compote of some sort. Tex Mex appeared to me less “oregano” like, and more “chili” like. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. YUM
My first TexMex was at none other than Pancho’s! We moved here from North Carolina when I was six and my mother quickly decided Pancho’s provided some of the best food she had ever eaten. We went to Pancho’s a lot. At this point in my life, I thought refried beans were “hot” and I meant spicy. Their unrecognizable sour cream enchiladas were my favorite. Remember that orange sauce? What was that anyway? And last but not least, sopapillas. Those still aren’t too bad. I believe that was about all I ate the last time I was dragged there as an adult. Thankfully, that was a long, long time ago!
Where is Luna’s new spot, Steve?
Next to the tortilla factory on Harry Hines. Nice spot, read about it here where we broke the story… http://cravedfw.com/2011/03/10/930/
I wish I could recall by first TexMex experience but as a native of Dallas I’m sure it was served to me as an infant. My earliest memories are family outings to El Fenix in the Casa Linda shopping center. The warm, crisp chips and perfectly spiced salsa were always meet with anticipation. It was a tradition for my family of six to order the beef enchiladas. My love for TexMex grew as I got older and had the opportunity to visit many of the other wonderful restaurants in Dallas. TexMex remains my number one food choice today. Living predominately in East Dallas/Lakewood I’ve always been fond of Lunas. I raised my own daughter up on regular visit to enjoy their warm tortillas. I would love the opportunity to experience the opening of their new restaurant with their family and friends. Much success to the Luna family and their continued presence in the Dallas TexMex scene.
My first Tex-mex experience was in 1999, when a friend of mine took to experience Monica’s in Deep Ellum. She warned me that there were various versions of Tex-Mex in the Dallas area and that this was unique and different.
I was amazed that it was not the typical tex-mex I had envisioned in my mind.
The atmophere, margaritas, mexican pasta dishes, and Monica stopping by my table to ask how everything was, made this an instant favorite. Now its one of the few tex-mex places I will recommend to people out of town and an culinary experience I won’t ever forget.
My first Tex-Mex experience actually came quite recently… and right in the midst of the Dallas Snowpacalypse, no less. It was the third day of that week’s wintry bluster, and though the roads still remained a hostile arctic tundra, a group of us living in the Village were foolhardy enough to test our dining options in the immediate area. Sliding down Greenville, it soon became apparent that near every storefront was closed, their humble (and perhaps saner) shopkeepers remaining within the warmth of their homes. As we shivered and pondered in our beat-up sedan, we were about to give up all hope, until we saw it… Desperados. A warm beacon of culinary light amidst the desolate chill, its adobe exterior beckoned us forth with promises of warm chips, salsa, and of course, their world-renowned brisket tacos. Upon entering the premises, we were transported to an oasis of friendly smiles and an atmosphere deliciously perfumed by the bustle of their lunch hour. Everyone in our group having only read about their storied brisket tacos with nary a soul to have experienced them firsthand, they became the go-to order for the entire table. Our anticipation built up, we worried of over-hyping the coming dish – of extinguishing its potential through expectations far too grand. We were met however, by pairs of tacos that not only slapped back any such notions of a let down, but provided moments of true blissful transcendence on that cold winter’s day. They were, to quote the Black Swan herself, “perfect.” A beautiful, entrancing first kiss into the realm of Tex-Mex – delicate enough to excite every sense and bold enough to make me mad with joy.
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