late night food -

by Emily

Late Night Eats in Mexico: Pastor to Die For

You guys. Look. Look at that plate of deliciousness!

Okay, let me take a step back. At the end of the week I’m headed to Tulum (which, in case you didn’t know, is a little beach town on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, about a 90 minute drive south of Cancun). I’ve never been to Tulum before, but I’ve heard it’s a wonderland of beautiful beaches & cenotes, Mayan ruins, bohemian vibes, and great food. And yes, when I’m back later this month, I’ll be sure to give you a full report, especially on the food aspect!

While Tulum will be a new travel experience for me, I do know one thing I plan on eating a TON of while I’m there: pastor tacos. Thanks to my visit to San Miguel de Allende (a gorgeous town in central Mexico, south of Mexico City) last year, I now realize how wondrous true pastor really can be. Pastor is a big late-night draw in certain parts of Mexico, and it’s so much better than the late-night hot dogs we’re used to in the USA. And sure, I’ve had plenty of al pastor here in Texas, but it is NOT THE SAME as the succulent, spicy, rich meat you find in Mexico.

The best pastor in San Miguel de Allende was at a little taco cart called Andy’s, which doesn’t open until after dark, so we’re talking late night treat only. And when I say taco cart, I mean taco cart. There’s a few little counter seats where you can get a glimpse of the action, but otherwise it’s standing room only. You walk up, order what kind of tacos you want and how many (trust me, never stop at just one) and then wait for your order to be ready and served up to you on a plastic plate covered in… more plastic.

So let’s talk about the composition of these tacos. The pork revolves around on a giant upright spit (think similar to a traditional kebap or gyro). The pork is sliced directly off the spit, fried up on the flat-top with gooey white cheese, garnished with traditional toppings (onion, cilantro, spicy salsa). You can also get pineapple or no pineapple. Some people have an aversion to adding the fruit, but I love it. You can see it roasting there above the pastor itself.

Just look at this glorious messiness… yes.

These pastor tacos are traditionally served on small corn tortillas, but you can also get “gringo” style which is basically the same exact taco, just served on a big flour tortilla. You really can’t go wrong either way! If you’re ever in San Miguel de Allende, Andy’s is definitely the place to hit up… they don’t have a website that I can find, but if you ask a local, they should be able to help you out. And as far as the best pastor in Tulum… well, I’ll let you know sometime in March!

by Emily

Endless Road Trip Iceland: The Best Hot Dogs in the World?

When you think of Icelandic food, you probably think of fresh seafood and exotic delicacies. What you might not think about is hot dogs, but you’d be making a grave mistake. In fact, cheap hot dogs are so beloved over there that they’re often called the Icelandic National Food. I recently returned from a trip to this magical country, and while I ate tons of exciting meals (don’t worry, those will be recapped later on), one of my most memorable culinary encounters was a 2:00am street hot dog. I mean, I love unique hot dog experiences, so how I could I resist seeing what all the fuss was about?

After a night of drinking in downtown Reykjavik we ventured out into the night to find Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, Reykjavik’s most popular hot dog stand. It’s extremely well-known in these parts, named the best hot dog in Europe by the Guardian and a favorite of visiting celebs—most famously, Bill Clinton is a fan.

Late Night Refrigerator Raid: Spicy PB&J Noodles

When you work in the restaurant business, dinner time can often be at midnight or later. Let’s be honest, much of the time dinner is at 2 AM after the bars close. When cooks get together and open the refrigerator, some funny and pretty freakin’ delicious things can happen. I was recently part of a Ramen noodle fest at 3 AM that included a bag of frozen peas and about 10 poached eggs. Oh, and that BBQ chicken pizza from homemade dough at 3:30? Epic. I mean, using a dough recipe or letting it rise is not that necessary when you’re hungry. Just throw some yeast, sugar, flour, oil, and water in a bowl and it will probably turn into dough…

The recipe I’m about to share with you doesn’t include amounts because how are you supposed to measure things when you can’t even really see that straight? And to be honest, I don’t really remember how much of what went into the pot. I’ll leave the level of spiciness and sweetness and peanuty-ness up to you. All you need to do is to make the sauce taste delicious. It’s not that difficult. I’m not lying when I say this is legitimately one of the most delicious late night meals I have had in a while.