When most people think of Mexican food, they cook up images of tacos, burritos and chips and salsa. Maybe if they're feeling extra creative, guacamole also will come to mind. But limiting your knowledge of Mexican cuisine to what are essentially snacks is akin to thinking that all American cooking consists of are burgers and hot dogs.
One easy way to expand your vocabulary is with a visit to the Pink Taco inside the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Needless to say, tacos are on the menu, but so are chile relleno, slow-roasted pork and even baby back ribs.
My wife and I are no strangers to the Pink Taco, and we have yet to have a bad encounter with the staff. Attractive and young, like the bulk of the property's clientele, they're also friendly and attentive. If there's one complaint, it's that the kitchen is fast, sometimes too fast, but the night we were there, our waiter made a point of mentioning that he'd take care of timing our order so dishes wouldn't start to pile up on the table.
We started with the appetizer platter, a well-portioned sampling of sweet corn tamales, cheese quesadillas, chicken skewers, carne asada skewers and taquitos. As opposed to a lot of appetizer plates out there that seem to want to compete with your stomach for precious dinner space, the offering here is neither too big nor too small, but just right. The same can't be said for the accompanying quesadillas, which were so cheese-heavy that they overwhelmed the homemade flour tortillas.
The tamales, made with fresh corn and masa or corn dough, lived up to their sweet billing while the taquitos, stuffed with mashed potatoes and cheese, tasted rather bland. While the platter came with fresh guacamole, the taquitos are normally also served with sour cream, añejo cheese and pico de gallo salsa, and they doubtless benefit from the added flavors.
Far and away the best items were the skewers of chicken and carne asada, both redolent of well-chosen spices. The chicken looked, smelled and tasted of curry—a surprise but not unwelcome, since my wife and I are big fans of Indian cuisine. The steak was equally wonderful, perfectly cooked to a juicy medium-rare and rolled in a mild blend of spices.
If you've noticed that I haven't yet commented on the caliente factor, move to the head of the class. The Pink Taco has a big selection of tequila and margaritas. It has a varied menu. It even has a chocolate taco on the dessert menu. But what it doesn't have is heat. The food is delicious but if you're looking to burn off your taste buds, look elsewhere.
On past occasions, I've had the burrito mojado, a monstrous amount of meat, beans, cheese, peppers and onions served wet and large enough to give a family of inmigrantes full bellies for a week. I've also had a house favorite (well, at least my favorite), the sabana de pollo, thinly sliced chicken breast covered in cheese, beans, onions and mouthwatering chimichurri, a thick melage of olive oil, vinegar, parsley, and herbs and spices.
This time I opted for the salmon, grilled with a glaze of sweet and spicy honey chipotle that gives the fish a rich orange hue. It's topped with a subtle tomato-herb salsa, and comes on a bed of creamy mashed potaotes—which my wife, the mashed tater expert, pronounced as "Mmm, those are good!"—and the usual assortment of grilled veggies.
But as delicious as the salmon was, I found myself eyeing my wife's shrimp tacos with envy. Deep-fried in a surprisingly light beer batter, nestled in the tortillas and drizzled with a chipotle-sour cream sauce, they sprang to life with a squeeze of lime. However, I was already filling up fast and I knew I was practically required to order dessert.
The chocolate taco arrived. A chocolate-covered waffle cone-shaped into a taco shell, filled with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with chocolate bits and served on a plate painted in chocolate and strawberry sauce, with fresh, diced strawberries as an accent. That's three mentions of chocolate in one dish, making this a winner in just about everybody's book.
In the end, the Pink Taco is the best at what it is, a middle-ground for Mexican hankerings. Far superior to fast-food joints like Salsa Cantina but not quite up to the authenticity of the city's triad of Michoacan restaurants, it's an ideal spot for great tastes and mild spice.