I have to constantly remind myself that "Mexican" cuisine is as diverse as American ... while I'm partial to the fresh coastal cuisine from Baja and the western states of Mexico, the reality is most Americans think of "Texican" as what they're expecting. This is fair since mass-market restaurants like Chi Chi's, Chiles, Taco Bell, and hundreds of local Mexican restaurants opened by recent immigrants from all over Central America are targeting cheap, hearty, tasty food - rather than something truly extraordinary. That's why I was so impressed by El Tipico, which was founded in Toledo, Ohio. While it draws from a Rio Grande Valley-style cuisine - it also focuses on fresh, organic, gluten-free ingredients too.
There's an inherent bias that many men feel when they hear "organic" or "gluten free" and let tell you, I'm with you. Here though, there's no sacrifice ... this is just damned good food that is prepared with the best ingredients possible. Surprisingly, their prices are still fair and relatively affordable ... especially for the quality.
El Tipico opened in 1968 as Toledo's first Mexican restaurant. Since then it has remained family owned and a favorite dining spot for both Heather and I looking for a more contemporary experience as well as my Father-in-Law who simply cares about it being damned good food.
I can only imagine what it must have been like when Consuelo and Ezekiel Villa opened nearly 60 years ago. What began as a labor of love by this immigrant couple has evolved into Toledo's premier destination for fresh, organic Mexican cuisine. Dare I say it ... but the quality and attention to detail here would stand out even in San Diego (though the style of cuisine is clearly more South Texas than South California / Baja).
The Villa family's commitment to quality is evident in every aspect of their operation. While many restaurants have only recently jumped on the organic bandwagon, El Tipico has long championed clean eating, featuring grass-fed meats, organic vegetables, and thoughtfully sourced beans and rice. Their cooking methods are equally mindful – they exclusively use avocado oil in their dishes and coconut oil for frying, choices that were ahead of their time in the late '60s. The restaurant has also adapted to modern dietary preferences, offering comprehensive gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options (and yes, they assure us there's no hidden chicken stock in their rice – a common concern for vegetarian diners at Mexican establishments).
Not only is the food here unique but so is the menu selection. For instance, while they have breakfast - it is served from 11am - 4pm, including Chorizo con Huevos, Migas, Huevos Rancheros, and a Breakfast Burrito. Subtle other menu items make it clear that this is more authentic than some other places I've visited. Specifically referring to "Tamal" instead of "Tamales". However it makes it very clear to "gringos" who might not understand by referring to it specifically as "Single Large Tamal".
Our meal began with traditional chips and salsa but we were offered a special fresh jalapeno salsa ... one we were warned may be too hot for us. It wasn't, but it was almost sweet and fresh, garden-like. How fresh jalapenos should be. Ok, so yeah, it did have some heat too but was absolutely delicious and perfectly balanced. The heat was exactly what you'd expect from real jalapenos and not ones that came from a can.
Next, we tried the queso dip and again we were told that it was a "little different" than what most people expect and that if we wanted, they would be happy to provide us with a sample first. At this point though I was pretty sure that anything being prepared here would be delicious and so we went right ahead and had them bring the queso dip out.
Instead of the yellow processed cheese that most Americans expect, it was real cheese, a blend of soft Mexican cheeses with some chorizo on top. Absolutely fantastic.
For our mains, Heather and I basically ordered the same thing but she ordered a la carte and I ordered the "Mexican Dinner #1" because I wanted to try a bunch of different stuff and as hungry as I was ... the "Plato Grande #17" just seemed unfinishable ... Cheese Enchilada, Beef Tip Burrito, Crispy Ground Beef Taco, Been Tostada, Pork Tamal, and a Small Guacamole Salad with Tortillas. Yeah, even the Mexican Dinner 1 was a heck of a lot of food!
I can't stop thinking about how much attention to detail went into the food here but it was such a refreshing experience to see a menu describe even such basic items as "Mexican Rice" as:
Organic Mexican Rice
Vegan Organic rice cooked with avocado oil, tomatoes, bell peppers & garlic. NO ONIONS NO Chicken Stock
Each of the items on my combo platter was near perfect - fresh, chrisp, green lettuce, bright red tomatoes, cheese was freshly shredded, and beans with a texture clearly prepared in the kitchen not out of a bucket from GFS. What was most remarkable here was the Beef Tip Burrito.
I'm frankly more used to carne asada or carne molida in my burritos but the waitress suggested I get the Beef Tip Burrito with gravy and so how could I resist. Initially - like everything I tried this night for the first time - I was a bit skeptical. Referring to it as a gravy made me wonder if this was going to essentially be some weird Dinty Moore Beef Stew mess ... but it was far from that. This was hearty, full of flavor, and prepared with the respect and honor as your abuela would do for her son who's come home for the holidays.
For dessert, it was honestly hard to top things off from such a fabulous dinner, but we had to try the sweet mini chimis with caramel glaze and apples on top. Once again as you probably expect at this point everything was fresh, homemade, and delicious.
As we walked out it changed my perspective on the Toledo food scene ... and indeed on the Mexican food scene across the nation too. In urban centers - especially along the west coast - Americans are being exposed to a combination of high-quality Mexican food that goes beyond the traditional carne molida tacos from Taco Bell and they have tons of fresh organic places but they are often over-priced, hipster places that are unwelcoming unless you are cause-driven.
On the other hand, with millions of immigrants from Mexico that have now lived in the United States for multiple generations ... there's an opportunity for new flavors and a revival of good cooking - not art, not because you want to wear the organic and gluten-free flag - but because you're recapturing and sharing a culinary ethnic tradition that draws from your culture.
I welcome this with open arms.
My introduction to "ethnic" food was a combination of Chinese and Mexican in California followed by Vietnamese, Afghan, Eithiopian, West African and beyond while growing up in Washington, DC. El Tipico is far from "first-generation" immigrants replicating what they think Americans expect from Mexican food. Instead, like immigrants from across all of these cultures they have come here and become part of our community of foodies. They are sharing the best of their culture with us and integrating the best of our culture with their traditions.
This is what America is all about!
I can't wait to go back to Toledo, Ohio's El Tipico sometime soon ... it is FAR from just "typical" Mexican food!
