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The Tabasco Grill, 4853 North McColl Road, McAllen

June 21,2008

The margaritas on the rocks from the bar were perfectly made with just the right amount of Cointreau. I had the Sopa Azteca, a traditional tortilla soup, as an appetizer. The soup stock was rich and the tortilla strips crunchy making for a nice contrast. You can add a little lime or tabasco for taste if you wish to customize it at the table. For the entree, I choose the Conchinta Pibil, which is a Yucatan style shredded barbeque pork. This was moist and well seasoned with a special citrus mix. Served with this was refried black beans with a cheese powder topping which complemented the mealvery well.

The waters and bartender are very attentive and friendly. Pricing of meals is very competitive especially for lunch. We recommend the Tabasco Grill.

Yoko's Sushi, 701 N.Tenth St. Suite C, McAllen

June 6,2008

The warm red walls and contemporary decor invite you to a cosmopolitan meal. I started out with the house salad which features a sesame broiled and seasoned squid over greens. On the recommendation of the chef and several regulars I proceeded with the Spicy Tuna Sashimi roll. This is a fine chili powder mixed with tuna and a dash of avocado. Japanese Sapporo beer went with well with this tasty Japanese-Mexican fusion dish. The chef also recommended "Toro" which does not mean bull but in Japanese means "fatty tuna" which was delicious as a sushi.

The chef is a native of Acalpulco where he acquired his fushion expertise serving jetset visitors from around the world before coming to McAllen. He has a developed a devoted following of regulars who love to talk about the menu when you visit Yoko's. There is a nice mix of urban sophistication and down home friendliness here.

We recommend Yoko's Sushi.

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Palenque Grill.McColl and Express Way 83 (South Side)

March 22, 2008

This new restaurant is located where the Black Eyed Pea previously was located. We had family in town for Easter Sunday. The restaurant was full during the late afternoon. Having eaten there, twice now, I have always noticed that the staff is extremely courteous, friendly, and very prompt. The difference between good carnitas and great carnitas is the subtle understanding of the long cooking process. The Palenque Grill serves a "perfect" carnita with the "chicharron" cut in small pieces to the side which was tender and moist with no dryness. These compare favorably with the world famous carnitas of Campo Arroyo in Mexico City I used to eat there years ago.

The restaurant has very comfortable family atmosphere with reasonable prices. The well made soups, rice, chili sauces, and tortillas were replenished almost instantly by the waiters. I cannot say enough good things about the Palenque Grill. We recommend the Palenque Grill.

KATO SUSHI,2306 E. Expressway 83,Mission TX

Updated June 12, 2008

Kato's has recently introduced a new concept in sushimi which they call "New Style". I had the opportunity to try kajiki , a white fish, prepared in this manner. They take the sushi and put it momentarily in hot olive oil and then place a sauce of soy, garlic, lemon, ginger, and other proprietary spices gently over the fish. This adds a really nice complex flavor to the fish without it being too salty as may happen with just soy sauce. Another dish I tried was sparamaki which is an asparagus, chime, and avocado with fish wrapped around it and then treated in similar fashion as described above for the kajiki. This is another example of Japanese-Mexican fusion cuisine that is unique to the Rio Grande Valley.

This new approach to seasoning and preparing sashimi yields a very complex and well seasoned flavor. I commend Kato's Sushi on their innovation.

We recommend Kato's Sushi.

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