McAllen Restaurants Serve Smorgasbord of Delightful Flavors
When Netherlands native Marcel Fortuin opened Bistro M on North 10th Street four years ago‚ his goal was to shake up the culinary scene in McAllen.
“I wanted to do something that wasn’t already available – no tacos‚ no steakhouses‚ no bar and grill‚” Fortuin says. “I wanted to create real fine dining.”
So Fortuin put his three culinary degrees and his expertise in French‚ German‚ Italian‚ Belgian and many other cuisines to use and introduced McAllen to Bistro M‚ a classy‚ intimate restaurant that offers delectable European cuisine.
“The atmosphere is very romantic with candlelight‚ soft yellow walls‚ European décor and crystal glassware‚” says Fortuin‚ who serves as executive chef at Bistro M. “And we have an extraordinary wine list with wines from all over the world.”
Diners can be sure that when they open Bistro M’s menu‚ they won’t find anything they’ve seen elsewhere – Fortuin concocts all the menu items himself.
“All our recipes are original‚ and everything is fresh and homemade‚” he says. “We’re well known for our Chilean sea bass‚ which is served on a bed of braised Texas sweet onions and has a buttery apple cider sauce. It’s delicious.”
Another highly appreciated dish at Bistro M is the calamarata pasta‚ which‚ like calamari‚ involves squid. It is served with scallops and mussels.
“And we have a beautiful pasta with braised rabbit‚” Fortuin says. “We braise the rabbit until it falls off the bone‚ and then we sauté the loins and make a sauce from the braising liquid.”
Of course‚ if you’re in the mood for less formal but still tasty dining‚ McAllen has that‚ too. Take The Blue Onion on Dove Avenue‚ for example.
“We have a huge variety of food – Mediterranean‚ Italian‚ Greek‚ Tex-Mex‚” says Dan Price‚ co-owner of The Blue Onion‚ which has a second location in Weslaco. “It’s a real casual atmosphere. You’re talking $8 to $10 a person.”
It may be casual‚ but The Blue Onion doesn’t skimp on quality.
“For our pizzas‚ we make all the sauces and dough in-house. You can get anything from simple pepperoni to Puttanesca‚ which is an old recipe from Italy that’s made with capers and anchovies. It’s really salty and delicious‚” Price says. “We give good portions‚ and we offer some unusual dishes‚ like our pecan-smoked fajita wrapped in flatbread.”
The Blue Onion also prides itself in its house-made dressings‚ such as the fiesta ranch‚ which has a spicy kick‚ and the cucumber onion.
“Our variety is what makes us unique‚” Price says. “It’s real Texas food‚ because we borrow from a lot of different cultures‚ but we’ve made it our own.”
For a south-of-the-border food fix‚ the place to go is Delia’s Tamales on South 23rd Street. Owner Delia Lubin started making and selling authentic Mexican tamales 18 years ago‚ and seven years ago she opened the restaurant. Its popularity caused her to open additional locations in Pharr and Edinburg.
True to its name‚ the restaurant’s main attraction is tamales‚ and they offer 17 kinds‚ ranging from pork‚ chicken and beef to specialty tamales such as a combination of beans‚ cheese and jalapenos. The tamales are sold by the dozen and by the half dozen.
“We serve tamales from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.‚” says Sofia Lubin‚ daughter of the owner. “Recently a guy told me‚ ‘I didn’t know you made tamales for dinner – I thought it was something people eat for breakfast with coffee.’ And I said‚ ‘No‚ people eat them for all three meals.’ ”
On Saturdays and Sundays‚ locals flock to Delia’s for menudo‚ a traditional Mexican spicy soup made with tripe.
Another draw? Every meal at Delia’s includes a free salad bar.
Story by Jessica Mozo
Photo by Antony Boshier
