Cincy's Best Tacos - Mazunte

Have I mentioned yet that I love food? And that trying new foods is one of my favorite things? Well it is. I haven't always been adventurous with food, so I'm trying to make up for lost time. Another not-so-secret secret of mine is that I am extremely unfamiliar with the city in which I was born. I've lived in Cincinnati 19 years of my 24, and I know NOTHING about it. It's sad, I know. That being said, I'm from the West Side, and Cincy west-siders are notorious for never crossing to the other side. Since we don't have kids yet and can still venture out on a whim, the hubs and I decided it's time we explore this crazy town a bit and it's been a whole lotta fun.

A friend of ours posted this article on the 9 Best Tacos in Cincinnati. We decided it would be fun to make this a double date challenge and go try them all! They are scattered around the city, so we are even going to new places while trying some delicious food. Half way through our first experience (hence half eaten tacos and almost empty drinks), I decided I'll do a blog review of all of them to share our collective thoughts on the places! So here is our first visit, and man did it live up to that "best" rating.

Mazunte Taqueria is located in Madisonville, about 15 minutes from downtown. It is in a little strip mall that will come out of nowhere while driving down Madison. In fact, we almost missed it. Everything inside is made in store, including the tortillas. The owner, who was fed up with sub par tacos, went to Mexico himself with the sole purpose of learning how to make the best. He definitely brought back something special.

The inside decor. Photo by Kaley on www.urbanspoon.com

The set up reminded me a lot of Chipotle with the industrial decor and layout. You walk in, stand in line to order, then sit down and wait for your food to be brought to you. The standard order is 3 tacos with your choice of meats depending on the dish you get. We got some queso and chips while we were waiting, and it was gone in maybe 5 minutes. The chips were homemade and were amazing. I could have eaten them without any sort of dip.

Seriously, that cilantro!

Our food was brought out and immediately the smell of cilantro was wonderfully overwhelming.  I got the sangria marinated skirt steak tacos. Oh my goodness, words cannot describe the burst of flavor these little puppies packed. The spicy salsa along with the fresh pico de gallo added a great color, and the goat cheese was simply genius. I've never thought to put goat cheese on tacos before, but I was a huge fan. The nutty cheese mixed well with the cilantro, and was pretty intense. My husband raved about the fish tacos, saying they may be the best he's ever had. Our friends both preferred the pork tacos.

Apart from tacos, you can get enchiladas, tostadas, tamales and other main dishes. Even with many options to choose from, the menu remains simple, which I love. When we go back, which we will, I will definitely try other things...and maybe get more steak tacos as well :) Their mango salsa and guacamole looked fantastic.

The hubs ate his too fast for me to get a pic....

Oh, and I must mention the Margaritas. We all agreed that it was by far the strongest marg we've ever had. You could really taste the fresh squeezed lime, and no awful tequila bite. Definitely worth trying at least once.

Danger...

So yes, I'd give this place a 9/10 (-1 because a staff member was incredibly rude to me, but oh well). The food was amazing and the spot is definitely a hidden treasure away from downtown. I've heard that Mazunte serves it's tacos at Neon's a few times during the week, which is another restaurant we'll have to try sometime!

An awesome map of Mexico made with Cincinnati eats!

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Take Inventory!

Sorry for the hiatus. Life happened, as it always does. I'd like to say that it was for something other than "I was tired," but it wasn't. I'm covering for another facility while their RD is on medical leave. Needless to say, I crash when I get home.

So back to meal planning. (Woo! Meal Planning!) There are so many ways to do it, and hopefully you find the way that works for you. I'm going to share what works for me, starting with inventory.

I do believe this is the MOST IMPORTANT step in meal planning.  I always start my meal planning process by taking a look through my kitchen and seeing what is there. Chances are, you have more in your fridge and pantry than you think. The best part is? Those hidden treasures will help you save money at the grocery store! Also, it cuts down on food waste. I hate, hate, HATE throwing out food. The other thing that drives me crazy? Buying something that I already had, but forgot. Thankfully, both can be avoided.

Because my father was/is obsessed with Excel, I was raised on spreadsheets and continue to use them quite often. I came up with a spreadsheet I use to keep track of what is in the kitchen. I might seem a little excessive, but it has saved my tush a few times. I basically write down what I have, how much, and when it goes bad. I (try to) update it weekly.

Now, I know it seems like a lot of work, but it really does get easier the more you use it. I print it out and stick it to my fridge. After I go shopping, I'll write in what I got and cross things off when I use them.  Once your list is established, it takes a lot less time to fill out and see what you have in your kitchen.

Then we use what we have to make our meals! In food service, inventory falls under cost control, which is exactly what I use it for in my own kitchen.

I've uploaded the sheet onto Drive, so feel free to download it and use it if you'd like! Here is the link.

And as always, if you have any questions or comments please leave them below!

Thanks for reading :)



P.S. I have to adjust those margins a lot when I print out a blank sheet, just in case you were wondering how to get it down to 1 page

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