A couple of days ago, on Saturday, we took our Sunday School team out for dinner at a popular restaurant called "Mello's". This is a homestyle, very authentic Mexican restaurant.
This is Mrs. Mello giving us a very warm welcome and introducing our waiter for the night.
(Okay, really I don't know her name... But she's the owner, and the place is called Mello's, so I'm just puttin' two and two together! :)))
We placed our order and it was long at all until hot food started flying out of the kitchen!
There's no such thing as a small portions here... And when you're done, they'll ask if you want seconds!
On the house!
This right here is pozole de cabeza y pollo.
(Hominy soup with pork head (yes, head) and chicken.)
I didn't order this because I've never been too impressed with pozole. But everyone raves about these people's pozole, including some family members that also claim to not care for pozole.
Maybe I'll get it next time.
Our team, minus a few.
Let me just tell you all staright up how it is--
Mexicans can eat.
^Israel ordered a chancla which translated into English literally means 'sandal'... or flip-flop. I really have no idea how this meal got it's name. Maybe because it looks like it could be hiding a few flip flops in it...? Who knows, but its really made of pieces of bread, a lot of meat and cheese, onions, avacado, and who knows what else!^
Hna. Siria fixing her bowl of pozole
Hna. Francis and Hna. Marisol
At first I ordered a molote. Something I always order on the street. Molotes are crescent shaped pieces of dough that are filled with meat, mashed potatoes, or cheese and are fried in oil. Soooo good.
They've popped up in many a post and we even made them once!
But.... then I thought of you, my dear reader, and on a whim I changed my mind.
I ordered Mole de Panza instead, because I know how you yearn for a crazy,
slightly nasty Mexican foodie post!
Mole de Panza, translated, is "Stomach Soup". :)
This soup is chopped up pig's stomach lining (similar to this), in a rich, spicy red broth. --That might be how I would describe it if I was trying make it sound good.
Now for the real deal--
Here's an American girl's take on this stomach lining soup.
<<<Nicole dips her spoon into the steaming red broth and successfully fishes out the smallest chunk of stomach lining that she can, and lifts it up to her mouth. Before she can put it into her mouth, a smell assails her nose! What is that? Is it the wonderful smell of spices and herbs? Nope. The smell that reaches her nose is a foul smell that can only be labeled as manure..>>>
(Or as dad describes it, "dirty pig".)
Yes. Manure. I could get really graphic and descriptive about the smell and all but I'll save it. :))
Now here's the upside- once it was in my mouth, I couldn't smell it anymore! LOL.
And the first small pieces were easy to chew and swallow. It wasn't until there were no more small pieces and I had to put a big one in my mouth (these things are impossible to cut up.) and it seemed I had to chew forever, while trying not to gag. That was my last bite. Honestly the taste was not that bad. I just couldn't get past the smell and just knowing that I was eating a part of an animal that you just don't normally eat! I know some people at the table could not understand why Hna. Nicole was not finishing her special bowl of soup that they love so dearly..... So it got passed down the table to a more appreciative person. :))
And just for fun, I took these close-ups for you....
Closer....
And closer...!
Yum! :))
And this is where I will leave you all... Contemplating the stomach lining and the joys of our culinary adventures here in Mexico!
Next time you come see us, we'll take you here to try some stomach soup for yourself! :D
*Nicole*
