We had the pleasure of eating at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill last night and it was good food and a fun evening. We haven’t been to the Gateway in a while, and other than finding a parking spot, it was fun to walk around and hear the street musicians and see all the fun shops.
Z’Tejas serves Southwestern food, which I learned is different from Mexican food in a few subtle ways. First of all, Southwestern food comes from the Southwestern region of the United States (obviously…), so bits from Louisiana Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and even California.
Second, as far as I can tell Southwestern food is all about peppers. Almost every dish had at least a couple different types of peppers and some of the chicken was flavored with the Jamaican “jerk” spice. Pumpkin seeds were another interesting ingredient in several of the dishes.
Our meal started out with some delicious cornbread with real kernels of corn and some sweet butter, which I loved! Honestly, when we’re thinking of a restaurant to go to, what they bring you to eat before you order holds some serious weight in our decision. I’ve had bread, chips and salsa, popcorn, and now cornbread, which I have to say is so unique and fabulous! I would go again just for the cornbread pre-appetizer.
We chose the Chile Pork Verde: tender pork simmered in tomatillos, Anaheim and serrano peppers, with melted Jack and cotija cheese, served with hot tortillas. Both the cornbread and the Chile Pork Verde were served to us in a little cast iron skillet, which seems very southwestern.
{photo from Fahrenheit350.blogspot.com}