“Arriba! Arriba! Andale! Andale! Holy frijoles, that thing is faster than me!”
–Speedy Gonzales
Today, May 5, is the date in 1862 when the Mexican Army defeated the French Army at the Battle of Puebla. The victory was short lived, however, as a year later the French won the Second Battle of Puebla, and soon thereafter, Mexico City fell to the French. Napoleon III appointed Maximilian of Austria as Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1864. Unfortunately for Maximilian I, the French withdrew its armies in 1866, and the Benito Juarez Mexican Republican forces captured and executed Maximilian I in 1867. A short reign with a brutal ending.
In Mexico, May 5, or as it is popularly known by the gringos, Cinco de Mayo, is a low key day, usually marked by military parades in Puebla. But north of the border, it is an excuse to drink beer, and eat passable Mexican food. Which, all in all, in not a horrible way to spend the day.
In my travels to various parts of the country, including Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico, I thought I had enjoyed good Mexican food. Then I went to a neighborhood joint in Sacramento, California called Vallejo’s, and ate delicious Mexican food. Subtle but noticeable spices and peppers, fresh vegetables, and charred, grilled beef and prawns; fantastic! And the beer was as cold as cold could be.
And there was the hole in the wall restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway just north of Santa Cruz. English and I pulled in there one day for lunch. It looked like a stiff ocean breeze would blow the place down, the bathroom was an outhouse, and no one (except for us) spoke English. The very best tacos (oh, so simple, but delicious!), and of course, very cold beer.
Tamales are also good. Packed with spicy shredded pork, with a nice gravy. Nothing quite like a good tamale. I recommend ordering tamales for delivery from either the Tucson Tamale Company, or the Texas Tamale Company. Both deliver very different, but quite delicious, versions of this Mexican treat.
Life’s short. Eat more tamales. Drink more cold beer.
Last weekend, Washingtonians got a head start on celebrating Cinco de Mayo, with the running of the Chihuahuas. This was the 14th annual running, where more than 150 of these dogs raced along a 60 foot track down by the Potomac River, on the Wharf’s Main Pier.
Today, the Capitol Hill bar Los Caballeros will begin Happy Hour at 11:00 a.m. Toro Bar in Columbia Heights starts a little later, with Happy Hour beginning at 5:00 p.m. And in Alexandria, Virginia, Hi/Fi Tex-Mex BBQ will host a barbecue in the Del Ray neighborhood.
Wednesday promises to be a quiet, subdued day in our nation’s Capital. No doubt aspirin and silence will be at a premium after today’s raucous celebrations.
GFK
Observations From The Fifth Estate 