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When sizing up a Mexican restaurant, it's best to try the tacos

Photo by Lynn Kessel

Laden with intense flavored wild mushrooms and mozzarella cheese, this stick-to-the-ribs queso fundido is served on warm corn tortillas as an appetizer or with a tossed salad for a casual light dinner.

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By LYNN KESSEL

Tribune columnist

Published: September 9, 2009

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Lynn Kessel

Tangy tomatillos, smoky chipotles, aromatic cilantro — yum, I love Mexican food. Its contrasting flavors and textures are fascinating.

So I don't know why it took me so long to visit Casa Don Juan restaurant in Ruskin. The building and menu are nothing flashy, but I discovered therein lies its charm.

I size up a Mexican restaurant first by its tacos. Are there harmonious amounts of onions and fresh cilantro, lime wedges, shredded — not-ground — beef, soft tortillas and freshly made salsa?
If the place passes the taco test, then I'm ready to sample the rest of the menu.

That's how I felt at Casa Don Juan.

My dining companion raved about the homemade molé on her enchiladas. Molé is a sauce that can be served with everything, from poultry to vegetables and seafood.

The ingredients list for a classic molé can be long. Casa Don Juan's version included brown sugar, onion, garlic, a Mexican gravy and tomato sauce. I learned later that this recipe also has a bit of peanut butter.
The crispy, rolled flautas were topped with shredded cabbage and a dusting of white cheese.
Besides the tacos, the hit on my plate was the chalupa — a big crunchy flour tortilla topped with guacamole, sour cream and chopped tomatoes. I could have eaten another one!

I also ordered a side of the guacamole. It wasn't my own, but it was good — creamy, with flecks of avocado.

It's also free-chip heaven at Casa Don Juan. All customers receive one free basket of freshly made chips and salsa. The chips were very light, thin and crunchy, with only a hint of salt.

Owned by Martha Sanchez of Ruskin, the family-owned restaurant is managed by her daughter, Brenda, and son, Tony. Like many restaurants these days, theirs is struggling in a poor economy.
Loyal customers, word-of-mouth advertising, fliers on windshields and an involved, close family are what keep its doors open.

Casa Don Juan is down to one paid employee, Brenda said. To help "Mama," as Martha is called, all family members, including cousins, help out when they can.

The restaurant is named after Martha's deceased husband, Juan R. Sanchez, who used to say every Sunday as the family came out of St. Anne Catholic Church how it would be nice to own a restaurant in the building across the street. In 1996, two years after Juan passed away, his vision became reality for the family.

A menu item commemorates him. Juan liked all Mexican foods, so when Casa Don Juan opened, a combination plate of one taco, tostada, tamale, flauta, enchilada, frijoles a la charra, guacamole and pico de gallo was named after the family patriarch — the Plato Don Juan. At $12, it's the priciest thing on the menu.

But if you want a good meal for $10 or less, try Casa Don Juan. It needs our support.

This week's recipe is for a bubbling queso fundido, which means melted cheese, with earthy, wild mushrooms. Serve it on warm tortillas as an appetizer or with a tossed salad as a casual main dish.
Casa Don Juan is at 1110 U.S. 41 S. For information, call (813) 641-8502.

WILD MUSHROOM QUESO FUNDIDO

3/4 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried porcini mushrooms
Hot green chiles, to taste (1 large jalapeno or 2 serranos)
1 medium white onion
1 large ripe tomato
2 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons beer, preferably a full-flavored beer (Mexico's Bohemia)
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
About a dozen warm corn or flour tortillas

Place the mushrooms into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, weight with a plate to keep the mushrooms submerged and let rehydrate for 20 minutes. Drain off the liquid, pressing on the mushrooms to remove all the water. Chop into 1/4 -inch pieces. Set aside.
Finely chop the chiles — seed first, if you wish — and then chop the onion and tomato into 1/4 -inch pieces.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chiles, onion, tomato and mushrooms and cook, stirring nearly constantly, until the onion begins to soften and brown, 7 or 8 minutes. Add the beer and stir until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is once again dry looking.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the vegetables and stir slowly and constantly until just melted — too long over the heat and the cheese will become tough, oily and stringy. Immediately scoop the mixture into a warm serving dish. A small fondue dish with a tea light below is ideal. Serve warm tortillas for making soft tacos.

As a light appetizer, serves 6.

Source: Adapted from www.rickbayless.com>

Lynn Kessel can be reached at lkessel@mac.com. For more of her recipes, visit southshore.tbo.com and enter the search words Lynn Kessel or look for her blog at www.lynnkessel.blogspot.com.

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