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ENLARGE
Marie's interior has recently been beautifully remodeled.
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ENLARGE
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Maria's Crab Enchilada plate accompanied by
a tangy Margarita.
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For Maria Ramos, owner of Maria's restaurant in Grass Valley, childhood summers meant traveling in Mexico with her family and sampling the food specialties of each region.
“We ate special mole in Puebla, chile rellenos and taquitos in Mexico City. My mother, Graciela, loved food and taught us to appreciate it,” Ramos said.
Ramos's mother also taught her to cook all the old family recipes just as she had learned them from her mother, using only the freshest ingredients. “She was a tough teacher. She made you do it exactly right,” Ramos said. Years later, those early experiences and those same family recipes became the foundation of Ramos's successful restaurant, where she offers authentic Mexican food to devoted followers seven days a week.
Maria's restaurant even feels like a bit of Mexico. Friendly staff seated us at one of the wooden tables with high-backed chairs, sunlight reflected off the brightly plastered walls and a Mayan-looking sun mosaic beamed down at us from the second story wall.
The ambiance felt great. But what really impressed me about this restaurant was the food. Her homemade chips were warm and crispy, the salsa spicy yet not too hot. Ramos makes seven kinds of salsa fresh every day.
Maria's offers different luncheon specials daily. Such choices as the Santa Fe Enchiladas — corn tortillas layered with chicken, onion, cheese, olives and topped with fresh verde sauce and sour cream — for $7.95. Or the Poblana Enchilada, roasted chilies blended with garlic, onion and sour cream create the sauce which smothers a chicken and cheese enchilada, topped with avocado, radish and cheese, also $7.95. Or a Quesadilla de Carnitas, filled with pork cooked the traditional slow way, so that the meat is so tender that it shreds apart, topped with sour cream, guacamole and fresh salsa, $7.95.
I chose the Crab Enchiladas, made with real crab. To say they were delicious would be an understatement. The succulent and delicate taste of the crab mixed perfectly with the Mexican flavors, the cheeses and sauces. This dish features a special fish salsa, and costs $13.95. My friend had a giant Veggie Burrito, big enough for two people. The flour tortilla bulged with black beans, rice, cheese, green onions, avocado, tomato, sour cream and was pronounced excellent, at $7.95. Beans and rice come with all the entrees.
I normally wouldn't think about having dessert in a Mexican restaurant, but we'd heard that the desserts here were special, so we planned ahead and took home part of our main dishes. From the many enticing choices, we decided to share the Carmel Fudge Pecan Cake, for $3.25.
Imagine rich chocolate cake, gooey caramel sauce, crunchy pecans, with airy whipped cream on top. The contrasts of all those flavors and textures created a pure pleasure experience.
I also heard rave reviews about the Tropical Chimichanga, a special weekend dessert. Mango, banana, pineapple, cinnamon, sugar and cheeses are rolled up in a flour tortilla, fried, then rolled in cinnamon and sugar again, topped with ice cream, sweet sauces, whipped cream and a cherry. Sounds amazing. I'm already planning ahead for my next visit. If you choose to have a margarita with your lunch, you can pick from many different flavors. I chose tangy lime, a great complement to the food, $5.95
“We ate special mole in Puebla, chile rellenos and taquitos in Mexico City. My mother, Graciela, loved food and taught us to appreciate it,” Ramos said.
Ramos's mother also taught her to cook all the old family recipes just as she had learned them from her mother, using only the freshest ingredients. “She was a tough teacher. She made you do it exactly right,” Ramos said. Years later, those early experiences and those same family recipes became the foundation of Ramos's successful restaurant, where she offers authentic Mexican food to devoted followers seven days a week.
Maria's restaurant even feels like a bit of Mexico. Friendly staff seated us at one of the wooden tables with high-backed chairs, sunlight reflected off the brightly plastered walls and a Mayan-looking sun mosaic beamed down at us from the second story wall.
The ambiance felt great. But what really impressed me about this restaurant was the food. Her homemade chips were warm and crispy, the salsa spicy yet not too hot. Ramos makes seven kinds of salsa fresh every day.
Maria's offers different luncheon specials daily. Such choices as the Santa Fe Enchiladas — corn tortillas layered with chicken, onion, cheese, olives and topped with fresh verde sauce and sour cream — for $7.95. Or the Poblana Enchilada, roasted chilies blended with garlic, onion and sour cream create the sauce which smothers a chicken and cheese enchilada, topped with avocado, radish and cheese, also $7.95. Or a Quesadilla de Carnitas, filled with pork cooked the traditional slow way, so that the meat is so tender that it shreds apart, topped with sour cream, guacamole and fresh salsa, $7.95.
I chose the Crab Enchiladas, made with real crab. To say they were delicious would be an understatement. The succulent and delicate taste of the crab mixed perfectly with the Mexican flavors, the cheeses and sauces. This dish features a special fish salsa, and costs $13.95. My friend had a giant Veggie Burrito, big enough for two people. The flour tortilla bulged with black beans, rice, cheese, green onions, avocado, tomato, sour cream and was pronounced excellent, at $7.95. Beans and rice come with all the entrees.
I normally wouldn't think about having dessert in a Mexican restaurant, but we'd heard that the desserts here were special, so we planned ahead and took home part of our main dishes. From the many enticing choices, we decided to share the Carmel Fudge Pecan Cake, for $3.25.
Imagine rich chocolate cake, gooey caramel sauce, crunchy pecans, with airy whipped cream on top. The contrasts of all those flavors and textures created a pure pleasure experience.
I also heard rave reviews about the Tropical Chimichanga, a special weekend dessert. Mango, banana, pineapple, cinnamon, sugar and cheeses are rolled up in a flour tortilla, fried, then rolled in cinnamon and sugar again, topped with ice cream, sweet sauces, whipped cream and a cherry. Sounds amazing. I'm already planning ahead for my next visit. If you choose to have a margarita with your lunch, you can pick from many different flavors. I chose tangy lime, a great complement to the food, $5.95
When Ramos started out 10 years ago, she did all the cooking herself. As she expanded, she trained other cooks, all of whom are still with her. She now has 50 employees, a real success story.
“At first, you have to do it all yourself, but I trained them in the recipes and now they have it down. I never dreamed I'd have so many people working for me,” she said.
“I used to sit on a sack of beans in the back of the kitchen and cry to my dad, afraid I couldn't do it. Now I can't believe the result,” she beamed.
Her secret to success? “I love to cook. Fresh ingredients, good recipes and consistent hard work,” Ramos said. “Once in a while, I still have to do the dishes,” she smiled.
Ramos has a lot of locals who come in three to four times a week. She will soon be offering a late lunch, Senior Citizen menu, from 3-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, with a special of the day and special prices.
Ramos is carrying on the family traditions, mother to daughter. Her
daughter Gina worked in the restaurant for years and her granddaughter Isabella can be seen wiping off tables on weekends.
Gina beams when she talks about her mom. “She's a special and wonderful lady and has taught me so much,” she said.
Ramos's mother, Graciela, passed away five years ago. Since then,
Ramos has expanded and remodeled, adding a second story.
“I'm so grateful for all that my mother taught me,” Ramos said.
“I just wish she could see this now.” There's no doubt that she would be very, very proud.
_______
Chip Salsa
4 fresh tomatoes
3 fresh jalapeno's
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup thinly diced onion
1/2 bunch of celantro
finely chopped
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Boil tomatoes & jalapenos till the skins start to look loose. Careful not to over cook them (they should be firm). Blend tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, salt,tomato sauce (till semi chunky). Add onion & celantro. Blend for 2 seconds. Add more salt if needed, and a little water if needed.
“At first, you have to do it all yourself, but I trained them in the recipes and now they have it down. I never dreamed I'd have so many people working for me,” she said.
“I used to sit on a sack of beans in the back of the kitchen and cry to my dad, afraid I couldn't do it. Now I can't believe the result,” she beamed.
Her secret to success? “I love to cook. Fresh ingredients, good recipes and consistent hard work,” Ramos said. “Once in a while, I still have to do the dishes,” she smiled.
Ramos has a lot of locals who come in three to four times a week. She will soon be offering a late lunch, Senior Citizen menu, from 3-5 p.m., Monday-Friday, with a special of the day and special prices.
Ramos is carrying on the family traditions, mother to daughter. Her
daughter Gina worked in the restaurant for years and her granddaughter Isabella can be seen wiping off tables on weekends.
Gina beams when she talks about her mom. “She's a special and wonderful lady and has taught me so much,” she said.
Ramos's mother, Graciela, passed away five years ago. Since then,
Ramos has expanded and remodeled, adding a second story.
“I'm so grateful for all that my mother taught me,” Ramos said.
“I just wish she could see this now.” There's no doubt that she would be very, very proud.
_______
Chip Salsa
4 fresh tomatoes
3 fresh jalapeno's
3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup thinly diced onion
1/2 bunch of celantro
finely chopped
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Boil tomatoes & jalapenos till the skins start to look loose. Careful not to over cook them (they should be firm). Blend tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, salt,tomato sauce (till semi chunky). Add onion & celantro. Blend for 2 seconds. Add more salt if needed, and a little water if needed.
