(Image: Sian Richards)
Just over a year ago, Pavel Valdez, then 18, moved to Brampton from California to study business at Humber College. He’s already put his training to good use at the Mexi-Can Market, a diminutive Mexican grocery in Adam Giambrone’s old constituency office. He stocks the spotless store with imported products such as sangrita—a spicy tomato-citrus concoction traditionally sipped with white tequila—and barbecue charcoal made from his family’s mesquite trees in northern Mexico. He also serves crispy-chewy dulce de leche–stuffed churros, fried on demand, and will happily recommend his favourite flavour of Jarritos soda (it’s lime) or offer tips on how to make the best tacos (with chorizo). The shop has been such a success that he’s already opened a second location on College near Spadina and has plans for a third. The favourite pastime of Toronto food snobs—complaining about the city’s lack of authentic Mexican—is getting harder and harder to defend.
I’ve been cooking authentic Mexican food for decades here in Toronto. I had my own restaurant, Sombreros on Parliament St. I MAKE my own “sangrita” not the commercial bottled product-it’s so easy to make. And I make my own chorizo too. The commercial so called “Mexican” is simply tossed with red chile flakes- He hasn’t discovered Mexican cuisine, I’ve been doing it here for years….
September 13, 2011 at 9:13 am | by Kathy Ross WaughWhere can I buy Tamales in Toronto?
September 15, 2011 at 10:29 am | by LamajI definetely don’t want to try Sombreros after reading Kathy’s post…
September 16, 2011 at 7:26 pm | by CarolKathy: You HAD your own restaurant… How come you don’t have it anymore?
February 9, 2012 at 2:12 am | by JessicaI really don’t see the point in your comment, do you really think you can cook better than a Mexican? Do you know that we learn to cook over years of and helping grandma?
Of course he did not discovered Mexican cuisine, but neither did you. The history of our delicious food is pre-hispanic, a passed from parents to children. It is not learned from books.
Again, How come you restaurant is not more? Maybe it wasn’t that good? You seem awfully jealous and bitter…
Nice comment Jessica.
February 23, 2012 at 1:14 am | by Pavel