Eruption

Juan Esquivel refused to let himself become a victim of the times. He spent 17 years in Northern Nevada, 14 in commercial construction, and then the economy imploded destroying his American dream; he was out of work. Contemplating what to do, he made a trip to visit his family in Mexico. While sampling simple and authentic food, he decided to open a taquería. taquería means taco shop but also can refer to restaurants specializing in burritos, although tacos and other dishes are often served as well. Originally, taquerías referred to the stands of street vendors.

Named after the Paricutin Volcano 200 miles west of Mexico City and the youngest volcano in North America, which was a fissure in a field that grew to 1,400 feet, erupted from 1943 until 1952, and is now inactive, the walls of the taquería are a black and white pictorial history of one of nature’s wraths.

A simple but roomy space with tile floors and wood-topped tables, the stand-up order menu offers a nice fare. Traditional breakfasts ($4.99-$5.99), lunch specials ($5.99), and dinners ($7.99-$11.99) come complete with rice, beans and corn tortillas. Seafood from octopus to fish tacos ($2.99- $11.99), and everything from wet burritos to enchiladas to menudo is offered. The meals start with fresh, house-made chips and salsa and the bite of the salsa was just enough, not too much, to get your taste buds going.

I had to try one of my favorites and a true litmus test for me of Mexican restaurant food: a chile relleno ($3.50). This Pasilla chile, larger and less pungent than the typical Anaheim used, was lightly breaded and pan-fried with firm, Cotija cheese inside, not something gooey. Cotija is an artisan cow’s milk cheese made by hand, and is a bit salty, but truly complements this pepper making it a step above the typical relleno. The flavors of the cheese and the lightly Mexican-spiced—common flavors are Mexican oregano, cumin and chili powder—tart tomato sauce carried through with every bite, and this ranks as one of the best chile relleno I’ve had in the area.

Next Esquivel recommended the bistek ranchero ($8.99), a generous portion of thinly sliced top sirloin in a sauce of serrano peppers, onions, cilantro with a tomato base. The heat in this got the attention of my sinuses, and I wasn’t objecting. I like it hot. The sweet-heat sauce coated the meat and the flavors were even more enhanced by the nice bite in the sauce. The corn tortillas were a quick fix to cut the volcano in the mouth. Fresh-made refried pinto beans and Mexican seasoned rice filled the rest of the plate and made this a plentiful offering.

Of course, cerveza is a must with this repast, and El Volcan has a good selection of Mexican suds like Modelo, Sol, Tecate, Dos Equis and, my favorite, Pacifico, all selling for $4. They also have a daily two-for-one special you can ask about if beer is your drink. And various flavors of Jarritos, a popular Mexican soft drink ($1.25), and a few domestic beers and soda, with fountain drinks, are available.

Esquivel wanted to share the foods that captured the memories of gathering around the table as a family and eating the best home cooked Mexican food from his boy-hood town of Uruapan in the west-central Mexican state of Michoacán. He wasn’t going to let go of his American dream, and my palate and my instinct tells me he’s succeeding.