Crumbs in my 'Stache: Burritos, taquitos and enchiladas, but no margs

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

By Ben Cannon

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-It’s been a rather slow news week here at Planet Jackson Hole’s food desk. Though surrounded by veritable cases of promotional food items and miniature bottles of gimmicky booze (e.g. Ullr Cinnamon-Peppermint Schnapps “For the pagan, Norse snow god-worshipping imbiber in you!”) nothing seemed to really beckon for some good ole-fashioned mustachioed musings.

Then I remembered a new Mexican-style restaurant, Bajio Mexican Grill, recently opened in KMart plaza. According to some cursory research on the Internets, Bajio is part of a Provo, Utah-based chain of about 40 locations. So far, restaurants in the franchise have opened primarily in the Rocky Mountain West, though a handful has opened outside of the region, with many more on the way. A couple of years ago, Subway bought the chain and the backing of that multi-national corporation should see Bajios continue to spring up.

My first instinct was to pan the newly opened Mexican-style joint; to me, it just reeked of hallow corporate-controlled identity. Chain restaurants like Bajio, I thought, belong in shopping centers way out in the sprawling Hinterlands of America, not here in Jackson Hole, a valley that boasts more authentic Mexican restaurants than it does nouveau-fusion eateries. That’s a good thing;; we have a strong, still-growing Mexican community here and non-Mexicans benefit, among many other ways, from their tasty foodways.

So I dropped by Bajio Mexican Grill the other day to give her a whirl. The décor, actually, is rather nice. A dozen farros – or large metal lanterns – hang from the ceiling and a series of large, whimsical paintings caricaturizing the rustic life in Bajio, the central Mexican lowlands.

On two visits there, I tried both tacos and the tortilla classico. Though the tacos were soft in the Mexican style, they wrapped in flour tortillas (“white boy tacos,” as an old Mexican friend of mine calls them). The tortillas are warmed right in front of you and the friendly employees take you down a line that features a plethora of ingredients and toppings.

So, in a style similar to the popular Chipotle Mexican Grill (a quaint Denver-founded operation now traded on the New York Stock Exchange), Bajio prepares food right in front of you. It is “fast” food, but was born in this new era, a time that would not have allowed America’s favorite-drive through taco stand to flourish did it not already have its talons firmly in the gastronomic psyches of many Americans.

But back to Bajio. It’s tasty and you get a lot of bang for your buck. For under $9, you get a mound of very edible food, replete with all toppings you want. And the staff is very friendly.
“But is it muy autentico?” I ribbed one of the employees, who was from Mexico.
“Yes, of course,” she smiled.

Bajio should be great for families or anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of time at lunch or dinner. But for margaritas and greasy corn tortillas, look to one of the valley’s many family-owned restaurants.

On a related note, someone told me Jalisco Restaurant, which I eulogized after it closed last month, was reopening near the Town Square but I couldn’t find any sign of it. Does anyone know anything about Jalisco?

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Crumbs in my 'Stache: Burritos, taquitos and enchiladas, but no margs | Planet JH News Article: Restaurants And Dining

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