Salsa soldier

>> You won’t find a revolution at La Nacion,
just affordable Mexican faves

by Mathilde Rabbat

The Mexican Revolution may be long past, but it lives on in the minds of the proud owners of La Nacion, a taqueria situated downtown on Ste-Catherine W. With red, white and green cut-outs sporting slogans like “Viva la libertad!” hanging from the rafters, framed black and white stills of revolutionaries clad in huge sombreros, large rifles enshrined on one wall, and geckos straddling the other, there’s no mistaking it, this is a Mexican eatery.

That said, a sushi-style menu sheet will have you filling in tiny boxes indicating your choices. The card overflows with over a dozen selections of tacos ($2–$8.45) or taco combos ($8.20–$12.05), half as many quesadilla choices ($1.45–$7.25), and more enchilada dishes ($10.25–$11.25) incorporating a variety of tortilla trios, plus a slew of other combinations.

The usual suspects act as stuffing: cheese, chicken, beef and pork. Before the mains arrive though, you may temporarily keep hunger at bay with some golden nachos served with finger licking red and green salsas.

Someone was heavy handed with the onions and cilantro while concocting the reddish-hued sauce, which also incorporates garlic and puréed tomato. The green goblin, decidedly the hotter of the two, stole the show for me though. A hearty jalapeño or serrano kick to clear the sinuses was just what the doctor ordered on a blustery evening. Add some tomatillo, a dash of lime juice and freshly ground pepper, and you’ve got yourself some piping salsa. There’s no doubt that this salsa verde (green) and salsa roja (red) dynamic duo is delectable enough to be slopped on absolutely everything else you sample. The portions actually allow you to do so, which is a real bonus.

Since the tortilla chips will only appease a growling belly for a short time before the main, I went for the al pastor taco ($2). This spicy pork taco, though tasty, totally failed to deliver on its promise to be, well, spicy, and its tiny size will leave you wanting for more. I quite appreciated the homemade corn tortilla though.

Of the fried ($1.95) and grilled ($1.45) quesadillas, stuffed with squeaky Monterey jack and topped with a sour cream drizzle, the latter outshone the former, though both were begging to be clothed in a thick layer of salsa verde. The same can be said for the completely unadorned shredded iceberg and diced tomato side salad, wet from insufficient spinning. Salsa roja to the rescue.

How can you not order cactus when you see it on a menu? The nopales (cactus) tortillas didn’t let me down ($4.50). Flattened prickly pear and some soft cheese, resembling well-cooked string beans, are sandwiched between two wheat tortillas, hence the heading under which this type of dish falls, sincronizadas.

If you’re into something heartier, the daily special should do you. My especial del dia consisted of a chicken enchilada served with rice and beans ($7.25). Bouillon jazzed the rice up a bit, which took on a golden glaze, and incorporated peas and diced carrot. The black beans turned out to be somewhat of a bland disappointment, failing to create a lasting impression. The same can be said for the chicken enchilada—barely lukewarm by the time it made it to the table. Neither the shredded chicken, nor its neighbours on the dish, succeeded in rousing the taste buds in any way.

Tender cactus tortilla notwithstanding, most of the dishes sampled seemed uneventful and lacking. In addition, save the salsa verde, the hot jolt I was so desperately seeking never quite materialized. But I have the feeling none of that will matter around big sporting events. Something tells me hockey and soccer fans will be quite content to park their backsides down in front of a pile of tacos, hot or not, to cheer on their favourite teams in front of La Nacion’s three TVs.