Taqueria del Sol’s annual Hatch chile festival is this upcoming Sunday, September 9, and in traditional fashion the Atlanta locations are featuring a few green chile items on the menu in the days leading up to the event. Tickets for Sunday’s event can be purchased online ($18.25 – includes entry and food, not drinks).
I visit TDS every so often; it’s a solid option if I don’t have to wait very long, which can be a pretty big if at certain times. The single register line does work to great effect though, ensuring there are always clear tables for those who have ordered.
Spicy blog tidbit – I was once told the cash register employees at TDS make $20 an hour, a point which I confirmed once with the person working the register at the Decatur location.
The guacamole is very solid at TDS, though I added some salt.
The special menu item of most interest to me is the Hatch chile relleno. I love a good rendition, but trying to find one in a local restaurant can be tough. They are usually a big heaping mess of fried poblano pepper, soggy with grease from the filling and the other items on the plate (I’m looking at you El Azteca).
Taqueria del Sol’s version ($4.50 for one) arrives hot, crisp with panko breading, bursting with cheese, with a slight touch of heat and a small amount of cutting tomato salsa. A cheese filled treat.
We also sampled the green chile enchiladas, which are simply a normal cheese and chicken enchilada, topped with a spicy Hatch chile sauce. Spicier than the relleno, it’s a fine selection if you are in the mood for enchiladas, but it’s not out of the ordinary if you are looking for intrigue.
For kicks I sampled brisket (dry) and turnip greens (quite good).
Being a mile up Huff Road from the newly opened , we decided to make a quick visit for a beer and a snack. Truth be told, all the feedback I’ve heard from friends with respected opinions has not been great.
The marinated, smoked, and dipped wings were worth ordering though, no problems there. Tender, a little heat, not rubbery, etc.
This $14 portion of brisket was quite the let down. First of all, that’s a lot of money for a single piece of beef with one side (a boring but otherwise unoffensive cider cole slaw in this case). Fox Brothers charges the same price ($13.95) but includes two sides and more beef, and Heirloom also includes two sides but charges $11.
The price wouldn’t bother me much if it were a great brisket, which it was not. It did have the tell tale pink ring, with the taste of smoke, but it was simply over done – tough, dry, and disappointing, particularly in the flat muscle end (the end without a cover of fat cap) of the cut. It’s a common problem. But brisket standards have been elevated in town, and Bone Lick needs to do better. I hope they do.
