Don't get me wrong -- Americanized Mexican food has its place. An ooey-gooey plate of nachos, day-glo margaritas and refried beans peeking out from a blanket of melted cheddar make for a satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs meal.
Authentic Mexican food, however, typically features fresh, regional ingredients, such as chilies, corn, squash, beans, cinnamon and chocolate, and goat, sheep or ostrich may take the place of beef, pork or chicken.
Rocco's Baja Grill opened last spring and is owned by the Sandoval family, who came to Alaska by way of northwestern Mexico.
While the menu features gringo favorites such as fajitas, quesadillas and enchiladas, it also contains a few surprises: sincronizadas (corn tortillas stuffed with cheese and a choice or ham, bacon or chorizo, $7.95-$9.95), mulitas (two corn tortillas stuffed with meat or poultry, cheese, onion, cilantro, guacamole and salsa, $9.95-$10.95) and tortas (house-made bread topped with veggies, avocado and a choice of meat, $8.50-$9.75).
Rocco's location leaves something to be desired -- it's situated next to Barry's Baranof Lounge on Gambell Street, just up the road from the Salvation Army McKinnel shelter -- but with only two tables, it lends itself more to takeout anyway. The no-frills interior is clean and well-kept.
My dining companion and I decided we were in the mood for tacos, so we ordered an assortment: carne asada, grilled chicken, carnitas (fried pork) and lengua (beef tongue). All tacos are two for $5.95. and really are a meal -- two soft corn tortillas hold a generous portion of meat, along with salsa and house-made guacamole (asada, chicken and carnitas) or salsa, cilantro and onion (lengua).
Service was swift and friendly, and our to-go order was ready in about 15 minutes.
The tacos were executed perfectly. The meat was juicy, smoky and flavorful, and the salsa lent just the right amount of heat and acidity. Corn tortillas often suffer the fate of being mealy, rubbery or flavorless, but these provided a tender-yet-sturdy platform for the ample filling.
On my second trip, I was eager to try one of Rocco's entrees. Though tempted by the two types of tacos I hadn't tried -- adobada (marinated beef) and birria (slow-cooked marinated brisket) -- I eventually settled on a chorizo and cheddar sincronizada ($7.95) and shredded beef flautas ($10.95). Both entrees came with rice and refried beans.
I tackled the sincronizada first. While it was love at first bite, it proved to be an infatuation rather than the real thing. The combination of rich sausage and melted cheddar tasted downright decadent, but by my third or fourth bite, the oil had soaked through the double corn tortilla and I was left with a congealed, fatty-tasting wedge of meat and cheese.
I had better luck with the flautas. Juicy shredded beef was enveloped in a corn tortilla and topped with lettuce, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Parmesan cheese added an unexpected dose of sharp, savory flavor. I would probably ask for the sour cream and salsa on the side next time since by the end of the meal the tortillas were a little soggy, but I was quite pleased with the entrée overall and would definitely order it again.
Rocco's offers familiar south-of-the-border flavor, along with some unexpected twists. Perfectly grilled and seasoned meats, tasty salsa and rich, buttery guacamole are a few of the standouts. For a hearty and inexpensive meal, diners would be hard pressed to find a better option than this Fairview eatery.
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By Carly Horton Stuart
Daily News correspondent