The Flore Family's El Charro Cafe Cookbook: Flavors of Tucson from America's Oldest Family-Operated Mexican Restaurant (Roadfood Cookbooks)

A RoadfoodT Cookbook

The colorful history of El Charro Cafe and the 150 recipes for vibrant,exciting Mexican food make this book as unique and entertaining as the80-year-old restaurant itself. It is rumored that in the 1940s, founder MonicaFlin would sit on the El Charro patio, sipping martinis from teacups and playingcards with John Wayne, who was in Tucson to film westerns. Today the restaurantis run by Carlotta Flores and her husband, Ray. The El Charro Cafe, America'soldest family-operated Mexican restaurant, is located in a house built in the1890s by Monica's father (who was also Carlotta's great-grandfather). Therestaurant's signature dish is Carne Seca Beef, a Tucson passion. The beef iscured high above the restaurant's patio where strips of thin-sliced tenderloinhang in an open metal cage.

Old favorites and creative new Mexican dishes that are enjoyable to cook andto serve fill the book.

The greatest restaurants in America are its wonderful independent regionalrestaurants. And there are no greater experts on America's regional restaurantsthan Michael and Jane Stern. "Coast to coast," said the New YorkTimes, "they know where to find the freshest lobster rolls, thefluffiest pancakes, the crispiest catfish." Rutledge Hill Press is launchinga new series of RoadfoodT Cookbooks, each with recipes, pictures, and the historyof one of America's greatest regional restaurants.