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| (L-R) Efrain, Ignacio and Jorge Franco of Nacho's Mexican Restaurant & Cantina |
If you want authentic Mexican cuisine, you don’t have to
cross the border, just the Causeway to St. Simons Island. Head to 1600
Frederica Road and look for Nacho’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina to taste
the real flavors of Mexico.
Brothers
Efrain, Ignacio (nicknamed Nacho) and Jorge Franco have spent their careers in
the restaurant business. Their customers recently persuaded them to move a
previous establishment to St. Simons, which proved to be a good idea. A packed
house every night is the proof.
“We
have a lot of loyal customers who live on St. Simons who travel to Mexico
regularly on business,” Ignacio explained. “They had enjoyed real Mexican food
the way it is supposed to be, and they encouraged us to move closer, on the
Island.”
Just
what is real Mexican food? The brothers pondered that question, but had to
explain the origins of the genre first.
“Mexico
is a collection of ancient cultures,” Efrain explained. “And there is a huge variety
from one part to another. We are from Mexico City, in the central region, where
you will not find burritos, for example. Those are actually specialties of
another part of the country. The specific dishes may vary according to the
region, but the habits of cooking are much the same everywhere. One rule you
cannot break is that everything must be very fresh, every day. No shortcuts.”
Suppliers
for the new restaurant learned that lesson the hard way with their first
delivery. When he ordered tomatoes, Ignacio assumed that he would receive
fresh, plump, ripe tomatoes. To his dismay, the company sent canned tomatoes
instead.
“Canned? Canned tomatoes?” he shook his head in disbelief.
“For my special salsas? Never!”
Ignacio
is particular about his salsa. Three basic varieties are green, chipotle and
spicy salsa. There are no pre-made ingredients, but beyond that fact, he isn’t
sharing his secrets. The only things he’ll tell you are that they are
delicious, made from scratch and you will love at least one of them, no matter
how your tastes run. Even if you don’t like to “bring the heat.”
“We
learned to cook in California,” he said. “So we developed a sort of fusion of
authentic Mexican food for American tastes. All of us grew up eating spicier
food, but here, that’s too hot for many people. So, we adjust to each person’s
wishes. At the restaurant, we’ll ask when you order–how spicy do you want it?
We can make our dishes to suit anybody.”
Nacho’s
Mexican Restaurant & Cantina is actually three establishments in one, Jorge
noted. “In Mexico, you will see taquerias,
which are places that specialize in many different types of tacos. There
are restaurantes, which offer a
wider variety of foods. And then there are cantinas, or bars. We blend all three into one, so you can
get anything you like here.”
In
Mexico, after a good meal, it is customary to follow with a small portion of
tequila as an aid to digestion, Jorge added. Again, the drink comes in a wide
regional range of blends and flavor influences. Nacho’s cantina has a full selection available, from the popular mezcales, to the elite, upscale Don Julio 1942, considered to be one of the
finest tequilas ever made.
If
the busy Franco brothers got a chance to sit down and order their favorite
dinner, what would be on the menu? Ignacio would order his favorite chicken Diablo,
extra hot and spicy, while Efrain would ask for chile rellenos, which are poblano
peppers stuffed with cheese, dipped in an egg wash, fried and covered with
ranchero sauce. Both would order flan, a creamy custard dish, for dessert.
Jorge, however, would go for tacos. Or dessert, he would forego the traditional flan for another
favorite.
“I’ll
take Don Julio 1942,” he grinned.
The
brothers are looking forward to their competition in the International category
of A Taste of Glynn, and hope this year will bring them another win to follow
an earlier first place prize in 2005. A Taste of Glynn is on March 25, from 5
to 8 pm. at the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort. Tickets are available
at the King and Prince, and SunTrust Bank locations on Demere Road and Sea
Island Road, Palmer’s Village Café and Doug’s Bar & Grill on St. Simons. In
Brunswick, purchase tickets at LaiLai’s, Hattie’s Books, color me happy, Zachry’s
Seafood and Steak, Baby Mack’s and Moore Stephens Tiller LLC. Or call the Glynn
Community Crisis Center at 264-1348.
Photo by Lindy Thompson, Golden Isles Photography
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