El Toro Taqueria | 598 Valencia St | San Francisco, CA | sfeltoro.com

El Toro, located in the heart of the Mission District, is one of SF’s best taquerias and one of my favorites.  Asking a San Franciscan which is their go-to spot for burritos, tortas or nachos can unite foodies or even spark debate.  Having lived in SF for many years and eaten at pretty much every taqueria there, it’s hard to name a bad one - the debate really is about which taqueria is the best. 

Up until my last visit to SF I had only eaten the burritos at El Toro and was determined to make a pit stop and give their nachos a try.  When that first chip hit my mouth I was wondering what took me so long.  It was pure bliss - the perfect combination of chips, beans, cheese, salsa fresca, guac and crema. If you go, and you definitely should, make sure you get an Aqua Fresca too - they are mucho fresco and come in variety of yummy fruity flavors. 

5 Sombreros Nacho Recipe 

Here’s our easy and delicious nacho recipe - perfect for Superbowl Sunday or any day/night of the week!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag tortilla chips (try to find thick chips - these will hold up better with the toppings)
• 1/2 lb ground beef (you can substitute with ground turkey or even Smart Ground)
• 1/2 can of drained and rinsed pinto beans
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 1 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup guacamole
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapenos 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Brown ground beef in frying pan, add pinto beans, and then follow directions on taco seasoning packet.  Set aside.
• In shallow casserole dish add a layer of tortilla chips to bottom, followed by a layer of the beef/pinto beans and then top with layer of cheeses.  Repeat.  
• Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and tortilla chips are browned at the tips. 
• Garnish with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and, of course, our favorite nacho ingredient- pickled jalapenos 
• Enjoy with a cold Tecate or margaritas on the rocks!

MexiQ | 37-11 30th Street | Astoria, NY | mexiqny.com

MexiQ describes their Fiesta Nachos as an 8 layer dip, which I totally missed reading/ignored and ordered them anyway as I was dealing with a serious nacho craving.  When the bowl of dip arrived I was in serious shock and about to lose it when Alicia reminded me of our discussion with MexiQ’s chef Julieta Ballesteros (also owner/chef of Crema in NYC) who told us of her idea to make these ‘deconstructed’ nachos instead of the usual pile of chips with fixings.  

Now I’m all for experimentation but I was dubious, that is, until the first bite.  Turns out this 8 LAYER DIP was…delicious!  They definitely lived up the “Fiesta” description as there was a serious party in my mouth - flavorful beans, perfect guac, melted cheese, pickled jalapenos and MexiQ’s signature hot sauce all made an appearance and together were the perfect DIP.   If they decided to ever go the traditional route and use all these same amazing ingredients on a pile of chips, I’m pretty sure it would garner the notable achievement of 5 sombreros.

The Pot Belly Pub & Restaurant | 130 Main St. | Ludlow, VT

Ludlow, Vermont isn’t a foodie’s dream for fine fare, but The Pot Belly Pub is your best bet in that neck of the woods. Their eclectic menu serves up everything—and I mean everything. When I saw “Nachos Grande…our south of the border specialty” on the menu, I knew I couldn’t resist.

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised when the nachos arrived. They were definitely tasty, not amazing, but worthy of a decent rating despite the dish was sans guacamole. 

Villa Corona Cocina Mexicana | 1138 Main St. | St. Helena, CA

This family-run restaurant is one of four located in the heart of beautiful St. Helena. If you are looking to grab a quick bite and have a hankering for Mexican food, this is the perfect spot. While on vacation with my mom, we decided to give it a try and see what their nachos are made of. Everything on their menu is made to order with fresh, local ingredients. However, when the nachos arrived, I was bit disappointed when I saw the imitation queso generously covering the freshly fried flour tortilla chips. All of the other components were simply delicious—guacamole, salsa fresca, crema, pinto beans and pickled jalapeños. Yum.

My mom and I give this dish:

Taco Juan’s | 31 Tinker St. | Woodstock, NY 

Five sombrero worthy? No, you guessed wrong. I should have known when I saw this dish going into the microwave. Not only were the chips and salsa courtesy of Tostitos, but the dish was lacking on all fronts apart from a decent presentation. I knew from my first bite I was in trouble—my stomach wouldn’t be satisfied. Looks certainly can be deceiving. Next…

The Hideaway | 364 West Lake Drive | Montauk, NY 

I’m a bit hesitant to share this restaurant with you because it hasn’t hit the hipsters’ radar yet (and my friend Kerri might kill me), but in the sake of the ultimate nacho search, I must divulge my findings…

The Hideway is the perfect après-beach destination. It’s a no fuss kind of joint that serves simple, tasty, Mexican + American food. Their nachos are baked in the oven and cooked to perfection. All of the toppings are generously proportioned and topped off with a mixture of Monterey Jack and Cojita cheese. The only missing ingredient was pickled jalapeños. This place is a definite must if you are ever in Montauk. 

My sister and I give it:

Molé | 205 Allen St. | NY, NY

I have been in New York City for 10 years now and ever since I stepped foot in the Big Apple (I’m a California transplant) it’s been difficult to find an authentic Mexican restaurant that is comparable to Cali-style Mex until now. Molé is one of my favorite haunts and everything they serve up is divine.

Their nachos start with a homemade cheese sauce consisting of Monterey Jack, cheddar and mozzarella—it’s smooth, creamy and full of flavor. The dish is topped off with refried beans, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, crema and cilantro. It’s basically perfection on a plate. Go see for yourself and make sure you have a margarita too. 

Chevys Fresh Mex | 259 West 42nd St. | NY, NY

I didn’t realize there was a Chevys in NYC until I stumbled upon it while I was downtown and ravenous with limited restaurant options—don’t judge, people. It had been eons since I had stepped foot inside a Chevys and figured it can’t be that bad. Well, it wasn’t that good either. I remember their chips being light and flakey and being able to inhale a basket in no time. The chips, now, are your run of the mill tortilla chips with no real flavor. This dish was disappointing all around. I think I set my expectations too high…what was I thinking?!

South Beach Bar & Grille | 5059 Newport Ave. | San Diego, CA

This place was recommended to me as one of the best Mexican/American restaurants in San Diego. Not only are they known for their nachos, but they are also known for their fish tacos. I was not impressed with either. The nachos were bland and in desperate need of some salt. The only redeeming thing about this dish was its guacamole. Need I say more…