Texas Bucket List

Texas Bucket List

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The Texas Bucket List – Ay Dios Mio in El Paso

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El Paso – El Paso is a very unique city, encompassing and combining two cultures as a border town. In the center of El Paso you’ll find the Five Points neighborhood, and this section of the city now has a place for 5 star tacos called Ay Dios Mio.c

Jennifer Mendoza owns this hot spot in a hot part of our state, and she’s been in the restaurant business her whole life thanks to having a family full of eatery owners. Ever since she can remember her family has owned restaurants, and her first job, as well as those of all her cousins and siblings, were at restaurants owned by the family.

Of course the one thing you can count on in El Paso is Mexican food so Jennifer wanted to do something different. Even though the city has grown a lot recently, it still has a small-town mentality. Jennifer wanted to expand people’s horizons, and not just be any old Mexican restaurant. So she enlisted the help of Enrique Lozano, a James Beard Nominated Chef with experience on shows like Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay.

The duo has worked together marvelously, bonding both as business partners and as friends. Together they teamed to create a restaurant known for tacos, but these are far from your ordinary tacos. As a bar restaurant, they wanted to push the boundaries of what it means to have food at a bar.

Enrique got things started on a massive meal consisting of pretty much every taco on the menu with a side of bone marrow. First up was the marinated pork, followed by steak, bone marrow, octopus, hot dogs and tripas. Some fresh cod gets tempura fried as everything on the grill gets hit with a house-made seasoning salt consisting of 25 different spices.

The tripas get caramelized onion and cilantro. The discada, pico and cilantro. The pastor, grilled pineapple, red onion pickled with hibiscus, and cilantro. The asada, grilled cucumber, pico and garnish. A vegetarian taco gets black beans, mushrooms seasoned with chili oil, pickled red onions and sliced scallion. The fried cod gets togarashi seasoning, slaw, and spicy mayo. The octopus is sliced up with fried baby potatoes, chimichurri and micro greens. The lengua, which is cow tongue that’s braised, gets a glaze made from bone marrow, onion, garlic, all roasted down topped and with cilantro.

The bone marrow taco is so buttery, so salty, so delicious and so tender. It’s almost like taking the finest part of a Wagyu beef steak and cooking it in butter, intense and fantastic. The lengua, asada, tripas and even the vegetarian tacos were all incredible as well, each with their own unique flavor combinations. The carne asada taco is probably the most classic dish on the menu, but it still stands out just based on how well it’s done.

Well, for an incredible smorgasbord of fabulous fun tacos, coming to the Sun City and saying ay dios mio at Ay Dios Mio is definitely well worth a stop on The Texas bucket list.

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s in El Paso

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El Paso – If you’ve never been to the far west side of the Lone Star State, there’s a few things that may surprise you out here. Believe it or not, it takes just as long to get from El Paso to Las Vegas as it does to get from El Paso to Houston, but they are still big on Texas pride here! The other interesting tidbit is that they do Mexican food way different. “Everything that we make, it’s true to the Mexican culture and the cuisine of Mexico,” said Rosa Saenz.

Rosa owns Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s, and her family has been in El paso since the early 1900s. It was her father who first got into the restaurant business, and he established an eatery that most Texans have gone to at least once in the lifetime. “From the money that he made during World War II, he started a little company called Pancho’s on Alameda Street,” said Rosa. “And so we’ve been restaurateurs since 1944. Yes. That Pancho’s. That’s where we raise the flag”

Rosa followed in her father’s footsteps and in the 90’s she bought this old restaurant that had been on the block for some time and needed some serious TLC. “It was in really bad shape,” said Rosa. “We were selling $600 a day. There was no phones, no signage. The kitchen was a terrible mess. But I could see the beauty of this restaurant. I just brought my mom’s and my grandmother’s recipes here, and here I am 30 years later.”

“It’s like tradition,” said customer Edgar. “It’s something that’s a restaurant that’s been here for many, many years.”

Carlos and Mickey’s traditional flavors are what keep customers coming back. In other words, don’t ever say the phrase “Tex-Mex” in this place. “You don’t have to go to Juarez,” said Rosa. “You can come to El Paso and you can feel what a Mexican restaurant feels like, and you can taste it too. I really think that El Paso is the Mexican capital food of the United States.”

Rosa’s grandmother’s recipes are all unique and a lot of them will loosen up your sinuses. “Our food is spicy,” said Rosa. “And this is the way my grandmother cooked. And so you’ve got to be ready. When you do eat spicy, you know it’s good when your tears come out or your boogers come out. Then you know you’re eating.”

The other big hit at Carlos and Mickey’s is their big ol’ margaritas. “30 years, best margarita in El Paso,” said Rosa.

“Number one selling in El Paso,” said Tony Nassri. “There’s a lot of people coming out of town just to get those, man. You got to try one, Mr. Shane.”

Tony Nassri is a manager at Carlos and Mickey’s, and before we could pour a preposterously sized libation, we had to cook some food with him and since this is authentic Mexican, I decided to go with the carnitas. “Tender from the inside and crispy from the outside,” said Tony. “It’s really good. Number one selling carnitas. We marinate it for 24 to 48 hours in a special sauces. We also add some milk to it and some spices. It’s really tender, really juicy. What makes it is the tenderness of all the time that it being sauteed and marinated.”

After being cooked in the oven, the carnitas get some time in the fryer before making their way to the flat top. “Look at those pieces, man,” said Tony. “You see all that? They’re caramelized.

To go with those awesome carnitas, Tony whips up some special sauces. “We have a salsa borracha that’s really spicy,” said Tony. “You like spicy? This is awesome, dude. This one is our homemade guacamole sauce.” Okay. “And this is our borracha sauce. It’s really nice.”

Tony was also really nice and threw in some queso fundido. “This is a real queso for you,” said Tony.

Things got really fun when Tony added chorizo and hatch peppers to the mix. “And a hatch, all the way from New Mexico,” said Tony. Just don’t tell my wife that I know how to cook. Hey, make me some of that queso fundido tonight!”

With the carintas and queso ready to go, there was one thing left to do. Make a massive margarita! “This is the best part, man, of the trip,” said Tony. “44 ounces, brother. We’re going to use a local tequila. It’s called Perro Grande. It’s a chihuahua, but you know here, they’re grandes.”

Well, it’s safe to say you’ll feel like El Presidente here at Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s. While we wait for our plate to cool, we’re going to prep our pallet with this preposterous margarita. Those fresh juices mixed up in there are fantastic. “This is the best place for margaritas,” said Edgar. “That’s why we come here every week.”

All right. We’re going to take on these carnitas. We’re going to shred them up a little bit. One little piece of carnitas, it almost fills up a whole taco. Put a little bit of green onion on there, add the borracha sauce. We’re just going to put a little bit on there because Tony said ‘Just a little bit.’ That is awesome. “First bite,” said customer Nicolas. “I mean, you could tell there’s a difference into the meat, into the carnitas themselves.”

Rosa wasn’t lying about that borracha sauce either, it’s got some serious kick! “Nice and hot,” said customer Jessie.

Time to cool things off with the queso. The chorizo adds in that saltiness and that hatch gives it a little spice. That cheese, I mean, it’s melted cheese. It’s fantastic. “They love the queso fundido,” said Edgar. “I do too, but I try not to eat too much because you’llget big real quick.”

Well, if you’re looking for some excellent eats in El Paso, Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s is a perfect stop on the Texas bucket List thanks to this authentic Mexican meal. “I know that one day I’ll be gone and I just can only hope that it still stays and stands because it’s a beautiful restaurant,” said Rosa. “It has a lot of beauty in it.”

The Texas Bucket List – Ysleta Mission in El Paso

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El Paso – El Paso, the furthest west you can go in the Lone Star State, has history that can be traced way back to the Native American days. This area was first colonized by the Spaniards, and some of their oldest establishments can be found in the Sun City on the mission trial. That includes the Ysleta Mission, boasting over 300 years of history.  “This building has only been here since 1851, but the community, the Tigua community, has been here since 1680,” said Ed Shugert, a former newspaper journalist and El Paso native. Since 2018, he’s volunteered at the Ysleta Mission to help tell the story that starts all those years ago. “As far as I know, it’s the first permanently established community in what is present day Texas,” said Shugart.

In the thick of America’s colonization by Europeans, Spain had a heavy presence in the Southwest where Native Americans were once prominent.  “There were competing European interests all over North America,” said Shugert. “And each of them had their own exploration efforts, settlement efforts. And all of them dealt rather harshly with the Native American populations. They didn’t consider the native populations to be equals in any way. The Spanish, in some ways, were trying to be more accommodating, but early on they weren’t,” said Shugart.

Ysleta and all the missions on the El Paso Mission Trail were settled after the Pueblo Revolt.  Lead by a religious leader named Po’pay, it was most successful uprising of indigenous Pueblo people. “They killed hundreds of Spanish soldiers, civilians, and most of the priests,” said Shugert. “And so the survivors of that initial attack came south to here,” said Shugart.

The revolt kept Spain out of New Mexico for over a decade. “Pope had made certain promises about how their Gods would reward them for doing this, and things didn’t get easier for them,” said Shugert. “And he wasn’t a kind of leader that would help the Pueblo stay united. And so eventually they saw that this isn’t working out so great either,” said Shugart.

Over time, the two cultures came together. “I’m not familiar in detail with how the cooperation began and continued so that they could live together peacefully, but that did happen,” said Shugert. “Certainly, there’s a different perspective between Europeans who live in this area and come from a European tradition and the Native Americans who live here. So there’s still disagreement about some of that history,” said Shugart.

As they say, the past is in the past.  Today the Ysleta people use the mission to tell their collective story. “Nearly all of them are Christian or Catholic. They also have held onto their culture, of course, and a number of the traditions that they have there,” said Shugert. “They’re very much holding on to that part of their history and culture that make them distinct from others.”

The Spaniards took a bit of a different approach after the revolt, and that’s helped maintain the mission for all these years. “They believed these people are God’s children as well, just like they were,” said Shugert. “And so they wanted to bring the good news as they saw it to a new group of people, because that’s what Christians are told in the Bible by Matthew is to go out and spread this message and let people know about Jesus Christ. That’s been the enduring relationship in this particular community, hasn’t been other places. Some places that Native Americans have rejected it because of the very imperfect way that other faith groups have tried to instill Christianity instead of trying to show the love and acceptance of people where they are and let them come to their own conclusions,” said Shugart.

Today there’s even a Native American Saint, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. “She was Mohawk, so of course she was in the Eastern part of the United States,” said Shugert. “The church community here is made up of Native Americans, and so they take pride in the fact that there’s a Native American who was named a saint. That really wasn’t done until recently. It was in the 2000s.”

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha has a presence at the Ysleta Mission along with other Native American touches.  Originally built in 1851, the church sits on the original site of the mission which was actually in Mexico, and the current structure looks like a traditional Catholic Spanish church. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a battle or a treaty that changed things, it was an act of God.

“All three of the churches that you’ll see on the mission trail here were originally built on the southern bank of the Rio Grande,” said Shugert. “But the flood of 1829 was severe enough it actually changed the course of the river, and it left these three churches on the Northern side, which at the time didn’t mean much, but of course today it means the difference between being in the United States or being in Mexico.”

Between the history, the people, and the overall implications this place had on our state and country, the Ysleta Mission in El Paso is a storied stop for anyone with an interest in American, Texan, or Native American history.

“I think it’s important for everyone who comes to this area to know that this was the beginning of permanent European and Native American settlement in this area,” said Shugert. “What a jewel we have in these missions.”

The Texas Bucket List – Overfly (Powerbull) Bats in El Paso

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El Paso – When it comes to the game of baseball, there’s nothing like the smell of the grass and leather, or the sound of bat when it hits a ball or a ball hitting the back of the catcher’s mitt. Here in Texas, you can find some of the finest gloves in the game being made in Nacona. But you can also head out West to find bats being produced in El Paso, of all places.

Kurt Gross runs the Overfly bat manufacturing facility in El Paso. He only recently got into the bat business, while shopping for a bat for his son. “I actually met my business partner, Raul Salazar, when my son needed a bat and when he was just starting his career in high school,” said Gross. “So Raul was making Powerbull bats at the time, and so that was the very first Powerbull bat that I bought was for my son. Then it led to Raul and I becoming business partners in 2018, and then eventually getting our MLB license for the 2019 season.”

Powerbull bats had been in business in Mexico long before Gross became involved, and Salazar’s bat making know-how quickly meshed with Gross’s business prowess. “Raul’s vision was to bring it to the United States and to get our MLB license,” said Gross. “He wanted his bats used in Major League Baseball. He just didn’t have the business sense or know how to do it in the United States.”

The duo’s ability to produce high quality, MLB-ready bats quickly produced into opportunities with major and minor league teams, including the hometown El Paso Chihuahuas. “Being located here in El Paso, we do a lot of work with minor league players,” said Gross. “Obviously we have a great relationship with the El Paso Chihuahuas and the great team that they have there, but those minor league players that come through, not all of them will make it to Major League Baseball, but there’s a lot that will play professionally around the world.”

You may be asking yourself why Gross would decide to open up his bat business in El Paso, and his main reason is the same reason that many avoid the desert city. “El Paso’s a great place to make bats because it’s so dry,” said Gross. “A lot of bat manufacturers have a problem with humidity. They have to extract the moisture out of the air. There are times in El Paso where we have to bring moisture into the shop to maintain our moisture levels here, humidity levels in the shop.”

So the weather makes for great bat making conditions, but El Paso is also lacking in one seemingly important resource for wooden bat manufacturing; wood. “The number one question we get is ‘where do you get your wood?’” said Gross. “Because in El Paso there’s not that many trees. But all of our wood, and a little known secret in the bat business is that all of the bat manufacturers, with the exception of one, get either all their wood or the majority of their wood from the same mill we do in upstate New York, because that’s where it’s a cold, wet, damp winter, which makes a very dense, hard tree.”

Gross makes all the bats himself using a computer-controlled machine called a lathe. The lathe spins the bats at a rate of around 3000 revolutions per minute, and the machine can quickly and precisely shave down cylinders of wood called billets into a bat of any shape or size a player could want. “It goes from billet to bat in about 3 minutes,” said Gross. “Major League Baseball says that the minimum weight that you can use requirement is 88 ounces,” said Gross. “Anything under 88 ounces will be either a youth bat or a fungo for coaches. 88 to 89 ounces is the absolute sweet spot to make a major league bat.”

After handling so many bats during his time in El Paso, Gross is now able to recognize the smallest differences in bat sizes without any need for a machine. “It’s funny, you get to the point where you’re making bats, and I can just grab it and say that’s 24.2 or 22.3. I can be within a 10th of a millimeter, no doubt,” said Gross. “I can honestly say I’ve had my hands on every bat that’s been used at the major league level and to see the players and to know their stories behind the scenes and then have them use our bats at the highest level in Major League Baseball, hit home runs, win ball games, that kind of stuff is incredibly rewarding.”

Gross’ passion for making bats is fueled by his love of the game, and he feels a sense of pride that he’s able to help today’s players succeed on the biggest stage. “I mean, it’s just a cool feeling that we created something here that not just won ball games but made that player successful, made those fans cheer in the crowd and those kinds of things,” said Gross. “It’s a great feeling.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Texas Bucket List – Hallelujah BBQ in El Paso

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El Paso – Blake Barrow is a man with a passion.  A passion for cooking on a pit. “Obviously, I love the barbecue. I have been a student of central Texas barbecue for at least 45 years,” said Blake.

Most days, you’ll find Blake tending his pits in a downtown El Paso parking lot, preparing part of the meal at this heavenly hot spot called Hallelujah BBQ.  But this isn’t Blake’s full-time job, this is sort of a side hustle to his head duties as the CEO of the Rescue Mission of El Paso.

“The barbecue is simply a means to an end. And the end is restoring people’s lives,” Blake explained. “Hallelujah BBQ is our vocational rehab program.”

Blake practiced as a lawyer is the past but back in 1997, he found himself drawn to helping the deprived.  “We’ve got up to 190 beds. That’s 190 broken lives. And I get to be part of putting them back together and helping them become productive. The bottom line is this is a divine calling and God called me to basically quit law and help people who are homeless,” Blake went on.

Those hungry are welcome to a meal at Hallelujah BBQ. There are also plenty of people who are willing to pay for a meal.

Fred Johnson now works at Hallelujah BBQ but first came to Rescue Mission of El Paso in February of 2018 to get help. “I fell into drug addiction and ended up getting in trouble. I got busted and ended up in jail. And the federal judge actually asked, I asked him for help. And he said, ‘well, I’ll send you to a program at the Rescue Mission,’” Fred explained.

“Fred went through our drug and alcohol program. I believe he’s been clean about three years now. He’s reunited with his wife and his two kids, and he’s got his own apartment and his own car. That’s what it’s all about. That floats my boat,” said Blake.

David Myers has also been blessed by BBQ. “It saved my life, this place here, and I know it’s saved countless other lives,” David said.

Hallelujah BBQ has created a welcoming, loving environment that is projected to the people that are homeless who come to the door. When I asked Blake why he thinks God called him to this, he stated simply, “God fills the deficiencies I have. And really, if you want to boil my job description down, all I do is pray and listen, that’s it.”

Those prayers are being answered through the success of the smoked meats and those who go through the program. In fact, Hallelujah BBQ is getting a new home in a 100-year-old building that’s only a few feet away from the rescue mission.

“If anybody is struggling with an addiction and needs help and they really want to change their life around, this is the place to come,” noted Fred.

“I wish we could do this a hundred times around Texas. That’s what we need. This is a model for what a shelter should be. And the food is better than anywhere else,” Blake said.

At Hallelujah BBQ, they’re remedying the feelings of being unwanted and unloved with the richness of soul and spirit, all while serving up some sensational sustenance seeped with holy smoke. This unique mission that serves up some great BBQ is well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List!

The Texas Bucket List – Blue Moon Drive-In in El Paso

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El Paso – Out in the west Texas town of El Paso, we’ve met all sorts of characters and one of the most memorable has been Gary Montelone. His Italian restaurant Montelone’s was our first stop on The Texas Bucket List back in 2019.  While the food was fantastic, it was the phantasms that put this place on the map thanks to eerie feelings, unreal changes in room temperatures, and the occasional unexplainable twisting and bouncing beer cap. So of course, we had to come back for more! But this time, Gary has a new venture, an outdoor drive-in inspired movie theater.

Gary used to work in Hollywood as set designer and now he’s bringing the old school stars of Tinseltown to the sun city at the Blue Moon Drive- In. “I’ve always liked drive-in theaters. And then with my background in Hollywood and stuff, I just really wanted to make it,” said Gary.

“To see something like this coming back into El Paso was awesome,” said customer Michael Hallberg. “I don’t know. Driving down the freeway you imagine to find a drive-in theater, but I think it’s fun,” said customer Lorena Ramos.

Instead of the Hollywood sign, you get to watch under the bright lights of the El Paso star. “The evenings here in El Paso are beautiful,” stated Gary. And the nostalgic feel thrives with old school movies. “We show all the old Bela Lugosi, the Dracula’s, all the old sci-fi. Tonight we’re going to show The Alligator People. It’s a classic,” said Gary.

Now technically you can’t drive your car into the small theater lot, but you can get the feeling of being at a drive-in thanks to its outdoor setting, speakers, and snack food. “It’s got that kind of open-air feel. You’re not stuck in a building. And the speakers themselves, that in and of itself, really brings back the nostalgia,” said Michael.

Going into the snack bar is an experience in itself thanks to Gary and his incredible artistic talents. Painted on the walls are some of your favorite classic movie characters, from E.T, to Gremlins.

Turns out Gary got artistic in the bathroom too! The bathroom has some life size statues of even more infamous movie characters, like Dracula, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman. “That was a little too life sized for me, but that’s pretty cool. Pretty cool bathroom. Best bathroom I’ve been in in a while. I’d say,” said Lorena.

So I just had to ask Gary, why El Paso? “Because we don’t have anything like it…I kind of follow them like Walt Disney. He was there to make people feel good and do good for the community and stuff, and that’s what I like to do,” expressed Gary.

So if you want to experience one of Gary’s great stops but don’t like spirits, only the ghostly reflection off the silver screen, the Blue Moon Drive-in is a stop for you. “That’s exactly what we are all about in El Paso. We’re always trying to do something different that speaks of us here in El Paso,” stated Lorena.

“I’m a kid at heart. Really, I am. Yeah. I enjoy it. And I like to make people happy and have them enjoy it as well,” said Gary.

“You drive to Texas, see the Alamo. You drive to the Corpus, get hot and sweaty. Stop by through El Paso and see a movie,” said customer Joe Rodriguez.

The Texas Bucket List – Lucy’s in El Paso

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El Paso – When it comes to experiencing the culture and flavor of the west Texas town of El Paso, some say that Lucy’s should be first in your line. “That’s what El Paso’s all about. It’s a different blend of flavors and traditions,” said customer Hugo Arreolar.

“The Mexican food here in El Paso, it’s evolved from Chihuahua, Juarez and everybody has their own special types that they do. And, so here in El Paso, all Mexican food is really, really good. I think we should be like the Mexican food capital of the world,” said owner Albert Lepe.

Albert, his five siblings, and his son Josh, are in charge of keeping the family business afloat. You see, it was Albert’s mother Lucy who got this little business started in the 70’s. “She’s very well known here in El Paso. A lot of people know her. A lot of people love her. And, so it’s very enjoyable to follow what she started and keep her legacy,” said Albert.

That Lepe family legacy includes a few of the most famous dishes in the far west corner of our state. “We are the founders of Lucy’s famous Machaca and tacos Antonia.  I think it’s one of the best dishes El Paso has,” said Josh Lepe, Albert’s son.

The Machacha and Tacos Antonia have been bringing in business like nobody’s business since 1978 and since 1981, Lucy’s has been in the same location next to one of the most divine dive bars in the Sun City, King’s X. “They’re iconic. King’s X it’s iconic. They’ve been here for over 60 years. And, so we’re glad that we’re right next to them,” stated Albert. “Back in my college days it was a good place to hang out. We’d come after the football games and stuff like that and it was always packed. We used to have live bands and stuff. It was just a fun place to be,” said customer Karen Mathis.

“It means so much to me. It’s everything about me. It’s my livelihood. It’s kept my family fed for all these years, generations. And, we’re just trying to keep that going,” expressed Josh. Albert’s son Josh got things started in the kitchen with their famosos fine offering. “Tacos Antonio and Machaca, bro,” stated Josh.

First up is breakfast, or lunch, or dinner just depending on when you want the world famous, traditionally first meal of the day. Josh starts us off with the machaca. Once this combination of pot roast brisket, eggs, onions, jalapenos and tomatoes is finished, it’s topped with tons of cheese. We’re not done yet because next up is the Tacos Antonia which starts with the same beef brisket and caramelized onions and the plate is a tortilla that gets hardened up. “Once it flips over, we’re just going to put the special seasoning on the taco shell,” said Josh. Throw on some sour cream, avocado, a citrusy cabbage salad and cilantro and we’re all set.

Once I got a bite of the Machacha, it was easy to see what everyone is so excited about in El Paso. The flavor is amazing. The queso with the beef and the tomatoes and the onions and the peppers make for such an amazing homemade flavor and a great breakfast in El Paso.

As for the Tacos Antonia, named after Aunt Toni, the tacos are an incredible mixture of beef, avocado, and that salad Antonia. Simply an amazing, light, crispy taco. The salad mixes so well with the beef and the avocado and then a little hint of the spice from that taco shell is amazing!

After finishing the tacos, I feel like Tacos Antonia might just be some of the best tacos in Texas. “It’s just stayed consistent. It’s the same, it’s comfort. It’s comfort food,” said Mary Mathis.

Well, this Lucy’s has no explaining to do. For an iconic taste of El Paso and a flavor you’re sure to love, come into Lucy’s to get the tacos Antonio and the Machaca. “We’re going to make you happy,” stated Albert.

The Texas Bucket List – Great American Steakburger in El Paso

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El Paso— During our trips to the western most city in the state, we’ve tried some of the most amazing Mexican influenced food in the state, but this time we felt like something different, because nothing screams El Paso like a steak sandwich.

“The ribeye is the most popular steak and so we said, well, let’s make a sandwich out of it,” said owner Cris Green. Cris isn’t green when it comes to working in the restaurant industry. He has been working for The Great American Steakhouse since he was young man. “I was 16 years old and needed a job and there was a restaurant that was a couple of blocks away from home. So I went and applied, my best friend worked there and so he got me a job there and I’ve just never left,” he explained. “They opened in ’77 and I joined them in ’78…So been in for 40 years.”

All those years later, he’s now the owner and along with his wife, Theresa, they keep up this El Paso tradition of terrific steaks and burgers. “They know how to cook a steak,” said customer, Brookes Coleman. “They’re very flavorful and they’re juicy,” added another customer, Jerry Odom. ”That unique West Texas flavor, West Texas experience,” claimed customer, Gilbert Koppman.
“When we serve a steak, it’s going to be the best that it can be,” confirmed Cris.

Now serving steaks isn’t their only mission in life, they also happen to be on more spiritual mission.  “Our faith is the core of who we are in the restaurant here,” Cris explained.  And it all starts with desert. “It got dubbed the Mission Pie,” he said. Theresa is known for her terrific pies, but the couple’s faith pointed them in another direction when it came to pastries. “She said, ‘If I’m going to come in here and make this all the time, then we’re going to do something with it,’” he explained. So the proceeds from their pie sales go to charity each and every month.
“My wife and I just have a strong faith in God and so we want to include Him in what we’re doing. We…really feel like this is His restaurant, not ours. We’re kind of stewards of it. He wants us to take care of the people that we have. This is family and you’ve got to take care of them,” said Cris. One of the members of the family is Alfonso Sierra and he too started in this industry early. “[Worked here] 12 years already… [Started at] 17,” said Alfonso.

A big bun from a local bakery is grilled up while Alfonso gets to grilling up some ribeye steak. The thinly sliced steak sears swiftly, so cheese gets placed on top and the secret ingredient that makes this sandwich stand out in our stand is revealed.  “Hatch chilies,” said Alfonso. “We use, obviously, Hatch green chilies here in El Paso, that’s part of the El Paso tradition here,” explained Cris.“Peppers is kind of an all-encompassing word, and the long green chilies are a very specific Hatch product,” said Gilbert Koppmann. In El Paso, green chilies are a year-round affair. “Here in El Paso, green chilies go on everything. It’s our life,” said Cris. “Not really that spicy, it’s actually pretty good. It gives a good flavor. Very little [heat],” said Alfonso. “The green chilies up here can only be called Hatch green chilies if they are from the Hatch area… Like champagne… Hey, champagne goes with anything and Hatch green chilies do too,“ added Cris.

The bun is freshly baked, soft and beautiful. That rib eye steak just sitting in there, perfect medium with those Hatch peppers, just layer after layer of fun. With each bite, you can taste the unique flavors of this part of the state. Holy Hatch!

“Big fan of long green chilies, big, big fan,” confessed Gilbert.  The steak sandwich is definitely a food explosion that hatches in your mouth. “Very unique,” added Jerry.  As you go down the line of the sandwich is the steak gets a little thinner at the end and those Hatch peppers get thicker, then you really get into that Hatch flavor, which is just so unique and an amazing flavor, you can find year-round here in El Paso. “They’re generally not hot, excessively hot, but they add just the right amount of flavor,” said Gilbert. “You know when you come and you want to order something that you love, you want to make sure it’s going to taste the same way it did the last time you were there,” explained Brookes.

Well, you may have to go all the way out to the West Texas Town of El Paso to get a ribeye steak sandwich topped with Hatch chili peppers, but if you’re willing to make the drive or the short flight, it’s well worth the stop on the Texas Bucket List. “Before you go, you need to come and experience this,” concluded Gilbert.

The Texas Bucket List – Monteleone’s Ristorante in El Paso

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El Paso—El Paso is known for being the Sun City but it is what happens when the sun goes down that makes a little restaurant in the center of the city an eerie stop with some really good eats.

Now your curiosity will catapult as soon as you pull up to Monteleone’s Ristorante.  The façade of this not so fancy building is covered with crazy things but until you head inside you have no idea what is in store.

“When I brought them here I’m like, ‘Are you guys ready for this?'” said customer, Armando Ramirez.

The first thing you have to check off the list when visiting Monteleone’s is making sure you come in the right entrance.

“Definitely the back entrance, just because it’s the… spookiest,” said Armando.

“It’s kind of creepy,” added another customer, Crystal Villegas.

“Kind of a speakeasy feel to it,” explained Gary Monteleone.

Gary grew up in El Paso and in 2001 the former Hollywood set designer opened up this eclectic restaurant with his wife, Laura, to carry on his family’s tradition of authentic Italian cuisine.

“My grandparents were from Reggio Calabria, Italy. Real close to Sicily,” he said.

Homemade ravioli, the perfect pizzas, pasta, and flowing red wine bring in foodies from far reaches of the state, but so does the possibility of a frightening experience.

“I was never really a believer, but boy now, let me tell you, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of things out here,” Gary confessed.

It turns on Monteleone’s is known for being a hot spot for folks from the beyond, perhaps hungry for one last meal or meddling with someone else’s.

“To experience for yourself, it’s incredible,” he said.

It all started when Gary expanded his restaurant to the building next door.

“We tore those walls down and then that’s when we found the documents from the spiritualist church that was here at one time,” he explained. “They do healings as well as doing seances. Or if you had a loved one you were trying to contact, that’s what they would do.”

Turns out some of those loved ones might have been left behind.

“We had both side blessed…Right off the bat… We felt comfortable with it. But… once we started doing construction… all this stuff started happening. Then it was a different feeling at that point,” he said.

One spirit in particular seemed to cause the most trouble for Gary.

“This spirit or ghost, whatever you want to call it, was strong enough to throw that one pound canister all the way through the door and end up in the middle of the dining room,” he continued, “so that’s what started to begin with, and that’s when we knew we had an issue going on.”

“He threw hot water on one of the ladies in the kitchen…. He threw a hot pan of lasagna at me. Luckily I was able to get out of the way. But that just tells you the strength of this guy. It was incredible,” admitted Gary.

Things were so bad, he didn’t even want to bring the priest back to the restaurant.

“We didn’t want to bring the monsignor back here because we didn’t want to… In case he was to get hurt or something,” said Gary. “I didn’t really know what to do. This went on for three years. We were just thinking, ‘Maybe we just need to sell it and get out of here.’ It was horrible.”

One night a woman came to eat at Monteleone’s Ristorante and claimed she too could sense the suffering spirit that was wreaking havoc on Gary, so she offered to her psychic service of serving the lost soul his eviction notice.

“They did a cleansing, and she was able to push him out,” said Gary. “We still have four adults here, and a little girl that came in with the gentleman that was giving us all the trouble.”

The five remaining spirits still like to have fun with customers and when it happens, it is for all to see.

“If people order a beer… and they want her to come to the table, we’ll give them the cap with the beer… You’ll see at first it’ll start to turn the cap, and then you’ll see it click. And if she’s comfortable with you, she’ll stay there the whole night… It’s uncomfortable to some people, but some people really enjoy it,” he said.

Despite having things like this happen, people still come for the food, and some for the chance of a spooky experience.

“I’ve come here with my daughter before, and we’ve had an experience where the glass slid across the table. And it was mind blowing to me, and it was mind blowing to her because she’s like, ‘The glass is wet.’ And I’m like, ‘There’s no water,'” recounted Armando.

Everything from our batteries to our microphones had issues, but in the end all we left with was full bellies, great stories, and a few goosebumps, making Monteleone’s a marvelous stop for hunger and hauntings on The Texas Bucket List.

“Even if you don’t see anything scary, the atmosphere is awesome… the food is great, and the people here are always so nice,” said Armando. “If you love creepy stuff and good food, this is the place you want to come to in El Paso. Hands down, no lie.”

The Texas Bucket List – Hueco Tanks State Park in El Paso

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EL PASO, Texas – All over Texas there are some magnificent state parks, but some of them get a lot more attention than others. Thirty miles northeast of Sun City you’ll find a fine getaway from the hustle and bustle of El Paso. It’s a site that not many know about, but the spectacular beauty and history of the Hueco Tanks State Park make it well worth a stop.

Ted Pick is a park ranger at Hueco Tanks and it doesn’t take long to figure out why Pick is so over the top about this pretty piece of Texas that has taken millions of years to form.  Turns out, it’s got more to offer than just remarkable views.

“If you’re going with the recreation side, we’ve got some of the best hiking and climbing in this region of Texas, and actually some of the best climbing in the world,” said Pick. “If you’re looking for animals, we’ve got some crazy wildlife out here you usually never find in this region in Texas due to the fact that we are an oasis. Now into the history side, we’ve got stuff that goes back almost 11-12000 years back here. Most of it though, they average about 1000 years old.”

The state only allows 70 visitors into the park each day, so reservations are recommended.  Of course, with so much to offer, it’s hard to pick a place to start. First things first, how did the name Hueco Tanks come to be?

“So, hueco, Spanish word for hollow, and you had all these hollows in the rock. Tanks being all of the water holders or water catchers. So, those hollows in the rocks, it rains, fills up the hollows with water, they become tanks. So we’ve had people been coming out here for thousands of years to drink that pooled rainwater,” Pick said.

This piece of peculiar rock that sits in the trans-pecos almost looks like it dropped out of the sky and landed in El Paso county.  It’s been a haven for travelers for a very long time and they’ve got the cave drawings to prove it, as well as some more modern pieces of graffiti and vandalism that have accumulated over the years.

“You’ve got this 20 foot long white rattlesnake painted on the walls that most people, they completely miss it because they’re just don’t look past the graffiti,” said Pick. “Now, one cool thing about it, is rattlesnakes usually in cave art represent water, and if you follow where this guy points, we’re actually going to be going up into these caves, up in the rocks here, and up there is a natural deposit of water. It’s a natural reservoir or water collection spot, which is pretty cool.”

We headed to just one of the many locations in the park that’s been quenching mankind’s thirst for thousands of years – the Santiago Cooper cave. Once you climb inside, the temperature of the sweltering summer heat drops between 15 to 20 degrees.

The cave also happened to be filled with some unique Native American art, and for a really interesting look at some of the old cave paintings, you have to get up close and personal with a few rocks.

We took a beginner’s approach, sliding over a slab of stone that’s had years of bodies sliding over its surface to create a smooth polish. Once you get to the end, it’s all up from there.

“You can get the nice cool rock against your back and you’ve got that breeze blowing through. On a hot summer day, this is an amazing spot just to hang out,” Pick said. “Up above us here, we actually have three different paintings that we believe they’re of the same figure, but there’s some debate over who this figure is.”

Pick informed us that the leading theory is that the image is of Tlaloc, the Aztec thunder and rain deity. In times of drought when water is life or death in the desert, the rectangular body of Tlaloc was drawn to conjure up a storm.

“It’d have some sort of intricate design on the inside, like checkerboard patterns, zigzags, labyrinthian mazes, and for the top you’d have a head that was usually an upside-down triangle or some sort of square,” said Pick. “He’d have big, wide-open eyes and he’d also have a huge, smiling or grinning mouth like he’s laughing at something.”

The cave art that people come from all over the world to see is masks like this.  With more than 200 painted throughout the park, it’s hard to believe how long they’ve been telling their mysterious story.

Even though getting to some of the cave paintings can be a bit precarious, the payoff is always worth it. While standing in the cave, Pick pointed out a painting just over our shoulder.

“That is desert archaic, which means it’s anywhere between 1000 to 3000. We call it a blanket pattern design,” Pick explained.

While no one knows for sure what some of these drawings mean or what story they tell, they still move us and keep us connected to a people that vanished long ago but still have a voice in this world.

“You come out here, you can walk in the places that people have been walking for thousands of years. You can see paintings that are five, six thousand years old. You can see artifacts and pot shards and arrowheads out here. We have them on display, you can sometimes see them when you’re out walking around, that you get that sense of history and that people were here and it’s a really amazing place, and it kind of just makes you realize how much things have changed and how much we’re missing these days,” said Pick.