Taste Of The Town: Abuelita's traditional Mexican recipes at heart of Tequiztlan on South Beach
MIAMI - For more than 30 years, the Ortiz family has strived to keep the Mexican traditions alive and thriving here in South Florida through all four of their restaurants.
At Tequiztlan Mexican restaurant and tequila bar on South Beach, sisters Genesis and Stephanie Ortiz said it all began with their abuelita's recipes and their parents' goals.
"They knew my grandmother's secret recipe would be the queue in giving the platform to succeed, " said Stephanie.
Stephanie runs the front of the house overseeing the guests and the action, while Genesis recreates her abuela's dishes in the kitchen.
"My parents did give us the option if this is what we really wanted, and at the end of the day, we are super happy. This is my dream and my dream is to keep on expanding this restaurant," Stephanie said.
The look is fun and inviting. Much of it plays off the name which means, "Land of tequila," said Stephanie. "We have over 200 bottles of Tequilas and mescals."
Genesis and Lisa Petrillo tried a cocktail called "One Time In Miami."
"This cup is a recycled bottle of Clase Azul. It's a refreshing watermelon margarita," said Genesis.
"It's pretty and recyclable and goes down easy. We're happy," said Petrillo after taking a sip.
Back in the kitchen, Genesis created delicious dishes for their tasting which included a very large Plato Mexicano. It's the featured dish now offered in October for Latin Restaurant Week, which celebrates the contributions of Latinos in the culinary industry.
"It's a tour of Mexico," Genesis said,
Petrillo went for the chicken enchilada with green sauce.
"That is like comfort food. It's so smooth and delicious. A true taste of Mexico," she said.
Chilaquiles con carne asada is a traditional Mexican breakfast dish.
"So it's a crispy tortilla in our green sauce with caramelized onions and steak. It's topped with a queso fresco and crema Mexicano," said Genesis.
"The perfect amount of salt. Very tender meat and then the onions give it almost a little sweet and savory. Excellent," said Petrillo.
Then, a plate of traditional chefy tacos and something a little scary for Petrillo - Taco Lingua or tongue tacos.
"It's a tongue of what?" asked Petrillo.
"Of cow," said Genesis.
Petrillo gasped. It's apparently a Huahacan delicacy.
"As soon as I got the vision that its tongue out of my head, it's actually super soft and tender and salty and delicious," Petrillo said.
Tequiztlan is where Mexican cuisine meets tradition and whimsy in the heart of South Beach.
The restaurant is open 7 days a week for happy hour, lunch, dinner, and brunch.