My Old Town

Last week I ventured to Highlandtown with my best foodie friend Lauren and two bodyguards. Lauren read about an authentic Mexican restaurant, and we figured it would be worth traversing this country's second most dangerous city (sorry for ya, Detroit) to see if its authenticity was a lie. It was not.

Mi Viejo Pueblito (a simple google translation will show it means My Old Town) is not in the best part of Baltimore, but its super sunny in and exterior brightens the block. MVP is BYOB and conveniently shares a wall with a liquor store. We grabbed a few Coronas and Modelos, escaped the family of drifters loitering outside (pictured below) and went in.The place was bright yellow and totally empty. Luckily our adorable hostess/waitress had some mariachi blaring to offset the silence, so we settled into a sunny little corner and began pouring over the extensive menu. Our waitress brought over a bottle opener and limes, and we all fell more in love with her. Happily sipping our festive brews and chowing down on FIVE different types of salsa and homemade tortilla chips (make sure you ask for all of the salsas) we finally decided on our meal.

I am a notorious regretful orderer. I typically chose my meal based on the sides...if there are fries or chips involved I'll order the most boring sandwich on the menu and later stare longingly at my companions' food, cursing my soggy, salty starches. I can think of two occasions in my life when I have ordered the very best thing on the menu, and this was one of them.Okay, that picture shows Lauren's food, but I swear mine was just as delicious-looking. And for the record, that massive display of Mexican goodness is an appetizer. Not knowing what we were in for, I ordered two appetizers, mauled the chips, salsa and queso and regretted it when my food arrived. (May I suggest eating like a lady so you have room to sample all your food.) I got some kind of corn-based wrap stuffed with cheese, chicken and lettuce, and soft-shell pork tacos and was able to get through about half of it. Every person at the table had to request take-home containers, lest we burst open like pinatas.Four hungry people ordered half the damn menu and the total cost was $55. AND we all had plenty for lunch the next day. MVP has only been open for six months, so I suggest going now before word gets out. It's the perfect place to take a large group- bring a case of beer, order a bunch of appetizers and enjoy festive, communal dining.

We did see a tween march down Conkling street with a butcher knife and small gang, but we'll assume she was on the hunt for the vagabond drifter family.