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Carlos o’Kelly’s by Rich Belmont

Carlos O’Kelly’s is a curious name for a Mexican restaurant, By the way, did you know Sauce and topped with more Fuego Sauce and . isn’t it? Well, not really when you consider this restaurant are never It comes with 2 sides: Black Beans, Traditional Mexican , does not serve Mexican food as defined as the food of twice fried? Most of the Cantina Fries or Papas O’Kelly. Papas is the Mexican Spanish Mexico. The people who love Carlos O’Kelly’s go there often time the beans are not fried word for potatoes and these are mashed with a fabulous because it serves , the regional style of at all. The name refers to 4-cheese blend. cooking of the US state of New Mexico. sometimes red or black beans but usually Darrel and David Rolph started in the restaurant business as beans that are possibly fried Hut franchisees in Coralville, IA and formed their parent or baked but almost always company Sasnak Management in 1975. Even though they were stewed. The name is based making Darrel had a passion for Santa Fe style on a mistranslation: in Mexican Spanish the prefix “re” is an cooking. He was always inspiring his cooks to try new recipes informal emphasis meaning “very” or “well” which has been for food we now call the cuisine of New Mexico. confused with the English “re” indicating repetition. Therefore frijoles refritos actually means well-fried beans not fried- again beans and is still a misnomer since frying is not the usual cooking method. At Carlos O’Kelly’s the pinto beans are Do you recall I said New even includes burgers particularly tasty because they are stewed then mashed with and pastas? So how about a Cantina Burger of two quarter- special seasonings and even a little bacon. pound patties layered with Chili con Queso, sautéed onions, bell peppers and topped with fried jalapeño bites and thick The Fajita Cheese Crisp is excellent! A fried flat is sliced bacon? Or Pasta Diablo: grilled chicken mixed with rotini coated with butter and sauce, topped with delicious pasta, green peppers, onions and Diablo Sauce and topped grilled fajita chicken and Monterey Jack cheese, baked with Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, chives and sour cream? pizzeria style, then garnished with tomatoes and chives. Carlos O’Kelly’s Fajitas are There are so many wonderful more examples of legendary So it was no surprise when the brothers opened their first entrées to choose from and I New Mexican cooking. The Carlos O’Kelly’s in Marion, IA in 1981 and their second one can only mention a few. El Prairie Fire Fajitas are either in Iowa City in 1982. Today, Sasnak Management is run by Guapo’s Brisket are grilled chicken or marinated Co Founder and Chairman David Rolph, and his son Jon sensational. Two flour top round steak (not the Rolph, President. They currently operate 21 Carlos O’Kelly’s are placed in a typical tougher skirt or flank restaurants serving inspired Mex in several states including stand, and then filled with steak) basted in Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Virginia. roasted Mexican Beef sauce and served on red Brisket, Monterey Jack, diced and green bell peppers, New Mexican cuisine is not the same as Mexican or even Poblano and Hatch Green yellow and red onions and Tex-Mex foods preferred in and . Perhaps one of Chilies and Poblano Cream immensely flavored with its most defining characteristics is the dominance of several Sauce. The sauce is made a proprietary blend of varieties of New Mexican chili peppers which are either red in-house from chopped seasonings. The Fajitas contains a large number of or green depending on their stage of ripeness when picked. poblano peppers, cilantro, sour cream, butter and milk. The broiled Chipotle-basted shrimp served sizzling with fajita Carlos O’Kelly’s only uses Hatch Green Chilies grown in the tacos are oven-baked and the resulting cheese crisps on top veggies on the side and garnished with Southwest Slaw, Hatch Valley along the River near Hatch, New are just outstanding. El Guapo means “The Handsome One” lettuce, jack cheese and . Mexico. Most of the varieties of chilies cultivated in the Hatch and the name is meant to honor the late Darrel Rolph. I Valley have been developed at New Mexico State University suppose I should not mention it was also the name of the bad The Delight Size items on the back of the menu are smaller, over the last 130 years. guy in the 1986 Three Amigos movie! lunch size portions of most of the dinner entrées.

Another attribute of Santa Fe cooking is the liberal use of Chili Desserts include typical Con Queso. When New Mexicans refer to chili they are talking Mexican Fried Ice Cream about spicy peppers or sauce made from those peppers, not and Brownie with Ice Cream the concoction of spices, meat and/or beans known as Texas and Fudge. These are good Chili-Con Carne. Chili con Queso is actually a yellow cheese but I definitely recommend and dip. Other notable features of the cuisine are you stick with the New more expensive cuts of beef, burgers, pastas, potatoes and Mexican cuisine favorites lots of yellow cheese instead of white. of Cheesecake (ehm-pah-NAH-das) fried pastries with cheesecake filling or The Dubuque Carlos O’Kelly’s opened in November, 1999. Sopapillas (soap-ah-pee-yas) which are fried pastry pillows John Digman was there right from the start. He helped with a hint of honey and cinnamon. open the store and was Kitchen Supervisor for one year, then Kitchen Manager for another year. He was promoted Carlos O’Kelly’s is intricately involved in Dubuque to General Manager and sent to the Waterloo location for Community events. It is partnering with Resources Unite for two years. He returned to Dubuque and has now been the The Shrimp, Chicken or Steak Picados (pee-cod-os) are very the Foster Care Families of Dubuque Christmas Dinner. It is Dubuque restaurant’s General Manager for 12 years. popular dishes. These are grilled with sautéed green peppers also hosting the annual Toy Drive benefitting the Dubuque and onions and melted Monterey Jack. The chicken has a Community YWCA Shelter. And it is especially honored to This is a great place to go for Happy Hour from 3 to 6 pm butter garlic sauce, the grilled skirt steak is placed in an oven be donating and preparing food for the Donna Ginter Annual Monday through Friday; appetizers are half-priced, 22 ounce with Chipotle Diablo sauce and the shrimp is blended with . domestic draft beers are $2, premium and import drafts are Poblano Cream Diablo sauce. $2.50 and Jumbo Margaritas are only $3.00! Now that it’s cold outside there is no better time to visit Carlos Did I mention the sauces are first class? Diablo is a butter garlic O’Kelly’s. As soon as you taste your first Margarita close your In fact, Margaritas are a sauce laced with Chipotle peppers and Fuego is a eyes and suddenly you are in cozy warm Santa Fe, New Mexico! house specialty. Choose based (Fuego means fire) containing atomic . the 12 oz. Mugo’Rita; classic 16 oz. Real Gold Tequila The Fiesta Sampler and the Cinco Sampler are delightful and Legendary Mix; or the opportunities to experience a myriad of flavors. I like the Carlos O’Kelly’s Legendary Large Jumbo. Fiesta because it includes a Beef with Red 1355 Associates Drive, Dubuque, IA 52002 Order Lemon-Lime, Sauce, a Pulled Chicken Enchilada with Poblano 563-583-0088 • CarlosOkellys.com Raspberry, Orange-Mango or Strawberry and have one your Cream Sauce, a Ground Beef Enchilada with Cheese Enchilada Facebook.com/CarlosOKellys way: neat, on the rocks, frozen, salted or unsalted. Sauce and a Ground Beef & Bean . Hours: Sun–Wed: 11 AM–9 PM; Thu–Sat: 11 AM–10 PM I recommend you try one of the hand-shaken Margaritas made Dining Style: Casual • Noise Level: Conversational with your choice of 100% Blue Agave (ah-GAH-vay) premium Recommendations: Jumbo Margaritas; Loaded ; tequilas like Don Julio Blanco, Sauza Tres Generaciones or Fajita Cheese Crisp; Chicken Fiesta Salad; El Guapo’s Patrón Añejo. I prefer mine straight up with salted rim. Brisket Tacos; Fiesta Sampler; Burro En Fuego; Seafood ; Prairie Fire Steak Fajitas; Shrimp Fajitas; The appetizers are a great Shrimp Picado; Sopapillas, Empanadas way to begin a fiesta New Liquor Service: Full Bar; Legendary Margaritas Mexican style. They are all Prices: Lunch: $5.99-$12.99; Dinner: $7.99-$14.99 rather large and shareable. Pay Options: Cash, Check, Debit, Visa, MasterCard, The Loaded Nachos are corn AMEX, Discover chips topped with made- Accessibility: Front Door & Restrooms from-scratch refried beans Kids Policy: Menu; High Chairs; Boosters. Kids eat for and ground beef garnished half- price on Tuesdays with jalapeños, sour cream and fresh made . The Reservations: Call ahead for groups of 6 or more Naked Nachos Grande is the same thing only the tortilla chips As much as I like the Sampler I just love the Burro En Fuego. Catering: Yes • Take Out: Yes • Delivery: No are served on the side: good for carry-out orders because the The Spanish translates to “Donkey on Fire”. Mexican Beef Parking: Large Private Lot chips don’t get soggy. Brisket is rolled in a large with Spicy Fuego

November 2014 365ink Magazine Dubuque365.com