STEPH DEROSA: SLOW BURN >>>
Matador
Roasted Habanero Enchilada
Price: chicken/pork $11.95, beef $12.95
Burn Factor: Three-and-a-half out of four Molotov cocktails
“You mean you WANT spicy? Most people ask for the least spicy item!†Server Jessica definitely gave me mad props for ordering Matador’s hottest thing on the menu: Roasted Habanero Enchiladas.
Given the option of enchilada filler (chicken, pork, shrimp, veggie, or beef), there is hardly any way I could turn down the beef. Matador has always dished beef that was tender and flavorful, not ever wavering on quality. These warm chunks of meat came swimming in ooey, gooey cheeses laced with their infamous heated habanero sauce and snuggled in two warm, fresh flour tortillas.
It only took one bite for my mouth to fill up with flames and line my throat with pepper. The burn was intense, yet non-overbearing. Crowning these fiery wraps were accompaniments suited perfectly for a dish such as this. Fresh shredded lettuce, guacamole, and Matador’s chive sour cream cooled down and balanced out the bites as time went on.
If you’re not one to commit to an entire dish that will set your mouth afire, simply add some of Matador’s fresh Pico de Gallo to any meal and prepare to extinguish the flames.
[Matador, 721 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.7100]