Seek and Ye Shall Find, By Accident

We didn't intend for this trip to the US to be a multi-state search for Mexican (or Mexican-inspired) fare. But somehow, over the last couple of weeks, that's what it's become.

First came the squash blossom quesadilla, carne asado tacos, and grapefruit-and-jicama salad at Mijita, an ever-so-slightly precious, rather pricey, but very attention-to-details purveyor of undeniably delicious Mexican dishes in the San Francisco Ferry Plaza. Then came our brief guided tour of Oakland's taco trucks, serving more down-to-earth and considerably cheaper (but no less tasty) food. A few days later, we landed in the vicinity of East Lansing, Michigan, home to our undergraduate alma mater and Dave's parents.

If you imagine that the United States is a homogenous whole, try tracing that same path - from San Francisco and the East Bay, where the crowds jamming the entryways of all the anything-but-economy restaurants appear oblivious to the latest financial headlines, to Lansing, where it seems at least two front lawns on every block sport 'For Sale' signs (and at least two more houses are 'For Rent'). The streets of Lansing's attractively restored Old Town are nearly empty, many storefronts vacant. Driving me past the Oldsmobile plant where he earned astronomical sums as a college student - or what remains of it; demolition is in progresss - Dave remembered the days when you couldn't find a spot in its football-sized parking lot. Economic doldrums don't begin to describe the state of things in this part of Michigan.

But we found, quite by accident, a local story of economic success. One morning, after following a few Mexican food leads that ended up leading nowhere at all, we happened upon Handy's Mexican Deli. The sign that opens this post spoke to us. It said, 'Get your fix here.'

For thirty-six years Handy's Mexican Deli was Handy's Market, your average mini-grocery with a deli counter. Then a year or so ago Carlos (above right) and a friend purchased the place and turned it into a Mexican grocery cum takeout joint. The friend's wife Claudia (above left) signed on as cook and cashier. Handy's shelves are now lined with cans of Goya black beans, nopales, huitlacoche (corn smut, a rude name if ever there was one for something so deliciously earthy tasting), dried corn husks and pinto and black beans, masa Mexican brown sugar and pinatas.

 

The refrigerator case stocks tubs of Claudia's zesty red and whallop-packing green salsas, made fresh every couple of days. And the deli case displays all manner of burritos and tacos and tamales and enchiladas and even plastic containers of menudo to take away or eat standing or sitting in your car out front (for now tables are just a twinkle in Carlos and Claudia's eyes; we hope for major progress on that front within the next twelve months). The original owners of Handy's, who weren't ready to retire when they retired, are still around. Peek through the door behind the checkout counter and you'll see them in the back, chopping jalapenos or tending to other chores. Handy's old and new owners seem like one big happy family.

Business, Claudia says, is great. That has something much to do with the food, we know - but also, we suspect, as much to do with the new owners. When we walked into Handy's, full from a pretty decent but not 'wow' kind of lunch, we found them were ready to talk Mexican fare in Lansing. We bought a couple small items - a dulce de leche bar and a coconut treat, and Carlos shared his recommendations for decent Mexican in the area (Mongo's on Saginaw, he says, has 'good authentic food'. Unfortunately we couldn't fit Mongo's in on this trip.) Then Claudia asked if we'd like to try her salsa. When we responded in the affirmative she handed over a gallon-sized ziploc bag of housemade chips and a cup each of red and green.

'Um, can't I pay for this?' I asked.

With a great cook's confidence she replied, 'That's OK. You'll be back.'

And so we were. Business was indeed great - when we entered we found a thicket of patrons waiting in front of the deli counter for their orders.

With chips still left over we grabbed some red salsa (Claudia was fresh out of green, but obligingly dumped a pile of chopped jalapenos into our tub of red) and settled on a pulled beef burrito and a couple of servings of menudo. Plain and simple best describes the burrito, and that's not a bad thing. Tender, intensely flavored shredded meat combined with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and chopped jalapenos - no cheese, no sour cream (though they're available on request) - filled this soft, thin flour tortilla wrap, and it was spectacular.

And I couldn't help thinking, as I spooned up Claudia's menudo, that this was a dish a pork-eating Malaysian could love. Except for the posole (pleasingly chewy kernels of dried corn), all the ingredients are familiar: chilies, cumin, cloves, cilantro, pork, and tripe. Its fragrant brick-colored broth, not overly fiery but just nipping at the tip of the tongue, married flawlessly with the the tripe's subtle funkiness. Spare parts poetry in a cup.

Thank the God of Good Mexican Grub for serendipitous finds.

Handy's Mexican Deli, Willow Street (near Walnut), just up the road from Willow Plaza Shopping Center, Lansing, Michigan. 517-482-1156.

Comments

[a]

Looks great. Huitlacoche. Damn, that is very good stuff indeed. Today I spent the late afternoon at an early dia de los muertos celebration in East Oakland. I was blown away at the size of the party. Much like you didn't intend to turn your trip into a search for Mexcan fare, I had no intenetion of doing the same thing on my blog, but time and again I am drawn back to the taquerias, taco trucks, and roving tamale vendors. There's certainly more to "American" food than the Mexican/Latin American inspired fare, but right now it's difficult to pay attention to anything else.

[Jennifer]

Man! That is one pretty little burrito. I like them smaller, not SF-sized, and that looked really, and yummily, delicate!

[Susan in HK]

Oh, all of this sounds so good... we don't have much good mexican food in HK.

ttyl,
susan

[Barbara]

Wow, the chips (is that how they're called?) in the first picture looks really crunchy and the salsa looks really yummy. We also don't have a lot of good Mexican restos here in the Philippines. Too bad.

[Kirsten]

Hey, it looks great, delicious, delicate, yummy...!!! I love burritos!!!! And I love your post!!!

[Elaine]

Every time I drop by your blog I am awe-struck by your pictures. They always feel so poignant to me. :)

One question though, isn't Menudo a Mexican vegetable soup/stew? I am just surprised that they put meat in it.

[Robyn]

a - if I were in your position I would certainly be focusing on Mexican/Latin American fare, if for no other reason than that those taco trucks may be the closest thing to street food in your area.

Jennifer - this was a good one. I don't need 'everything' on a burrito - just good stuff.

Susan - then the situation hasn't changed much since we lived there in the early nineties, huh?

Barbara - the chips are excellent - freshly made, thick, very very crunchy. Perfect dippers.

Kirsten - thanks!

Elaine - I've always known menudo as tripe stew (or hangover food). Perhaps there are regional variations?

[nova bennett]

Robyn I didn't know you went to Lansing... this year.. We live there.. !!!! We are student at MSU... is Dave from MSU too??? It's been so long I didn't read your blogs... congrats on become #2 blog... Thanks to you my misery from missing my country ( Indonesia ) some how cure :) cheers for you and Dave!!! Happy New Year!!!!

[Gabrielaskitchen]

"Spare parts poetry in a cup." Very well stated. Menudo and/or posole is a fabulous comfort food. Although I've never had Malaysian cuisine, Pho is something that comforts me the way Posole does. Truly comforting and soul nourishing food.

Also- I'm so very glad I stumbbled upon your blog. Asian food, vast and varied, is cuisine I yearn to know. (growing up in NM, I had very little opportunity to dine on authentic Asian of any variety- moving to L.A. then NYC I'm slowly eating my way through hole in the wall resturants). Thanks again!

[Robyn]

Nova - Yes, we both grew up in MI and went to MSU for our undergrad degrees. What a small world it is. And thanks for the congratulations.

Hi Gabriela, and welcome to EatingAsia! More small world-ness: my parents live in NM and so we're there at least once a year, gobbling up every Mexican and Southwestern food we can lay our hands on! Good luck in your Asian food explorations.