Taqueria Los Ocampo - Minneapolis, MN

We trekked to Midtown Global Market, which is as the literature says "an internationally themed public market with more than 50 independent locally-owned businesses." The businesses I was most interested in were the restaurants and grocery stores.

Two side benefits of eating different foods are you enrich your vocabulary and you can pick up a few things about different cultures. Going to Midtown Global Market gave us an opportunity to do both. On this day trip, we tried a few different items which will be written up over several posts.

The first eatery we tried was Taqueria Los Ocampo. I walked up to the friendly cashier and placed an order for #6 because I didn't know how to pronounce Huarachazo. I asked him how to pronounce it and he something like said "Wah - ra - chaas' - o". Well, that's as close as I could get.



The Huarachazo ($5.13? - receipt was taken) is a fancier version of a Huaraches. Not much help, eh? What's a Huaraches? It's Spanish for sandal. And looking at it, it's understandable why it's called that. The "sandal" or crust of this pizza-like creation is made of masa, a cornmeal dough and then piled with various goodies. One of the fancier stuff that comes with the Huarachazo is avacado. Not being an expert, I'll let the picture do the talking.

The Huarachazo came with choice of meat. I chose shredded pork. While the food came fast, I would not categorize it as fast food as it is prepared only after the order. One taste of its freshness and marriage of flavors was enough to send us into rapid feeding mode, denouncing the Mexican fast food chains. The "sandal" was a new and different but pleasant taste and texture to the mouth, not something the average Midwestern palate has had before. The edges of the sandal had a nice crispness to it but the center soon became soggy and less enjoyable. Note to self: eat faster.

The Los Ocampo food is quantum leaps in quality and authenticity above the fast food chains. I am a neophyte when it comes to Mexican food, but I have to wonder if it has been Westernized, only because of its location, to accommodate the tourist's palate.

Scrooge Rating: Pull out the wallet whispering ouch.

Midtown Global Market
920 E. Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN