Type: Modern American
Price: $15
As long as Ohio City’s Momocho has been around (15 years!), one of the tastiest constants on its menu of modern takes on Mexican food has been the machaca taquitos or little tacos. The bundles of joy come served build-it-yourself with each ingredient on its own: house-made guacamole, green tomatillo salsa, six small, soft corn tortillas and shredded beef brisket that’s rich with the flavors of coffee and ancho chile on a bed of stewed peppers. Made in the restaurant’s diminutive second-floor kitchen, the care that goes into each order is as tender as the beef, which is braised daily for three hours in a mixture that includes ground Guatemalan coffee from West Side Market-based City Roast Coffee and dried ancho chiles. And while the guacamole cuts like a knife through the richness, the subtle heat is the dish’s X-factor. While the recipe hasn’t changed since 2006, chef and owner Eric Williams points out that he can’t control the potency packed into individual ancho chiles. “That’s the exciting part about eating this dish for this many years — it does subtly change,” he says. “I hope it’s a positive change like, ‘Woo, it’s spicy today.’ But you understand why: There are two or three of us upstairs cooking the right way.” 1835 Fulton Road, Cleveland, 216-694-2122, momocho.com
