137318 Mon Mar 29 12:58:42 -0800 2004 4 11 South 0 736258 Norcross. Gaucho's has new wine list. We had a great supper--beef empanada with green olives (nice filling, terrific pastry) and very thin sliced tongue vinegrette; a 'custom' mixed grill of short ribs, flank steak and stuffed pork loin. Gaucho's new wine list is very well priced, the Marques de Riscal white ('Rueda') at $16 was crisp with just a touch of oak, and the Fautso VII Rioja at $17 was an out and out steal--decent complexity and medium/full rioja body. Superb flan and a selection of on-premises prepared puff pastry based pastries were very good. Bill for four was $112, including appetizers, four entrees, two desserts and two bottles of wine. Gaucho's Grill 5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, GA 30093 678-421-0494 Duluth Taqueria at Supermarket Los Rodriguez. Stopped by Sunday for the weekend special of tacos de barbacoa de borrego (mutton) and its consomme. Taqueria is closed. Sigh. Supermarket still open. btw--beef is USDA Choice (not select) explained the very nice owners. Norcross. Supermarket Jalisco With Los Rodriguez closed, went to Supermarket Jalisco for pre-shopping tacos: al pastor (seasoned pork strips cooked on grill) was ok, tamale de puerco fair at best, lengua (tongue) ok. Horchata good. Still miss the Los Rodriguez' barbacoa de borrego. Super Mercado Jalisco 2077 Beaver Ruin Rd NW, NORCROSS, GA 30071 (770) 449-7467 Mon Mar 29 12:58:42 -0800 2004 0 Steve Drucker 1 736264 I have had burrito al pastor at the Smyrna Supermercado Jalisco and was not particularly fond of it. I love their burrito pollo and also enjoy burrito asada. Mon Mar 29 17:10:17 -0800 2004 736258 0 Milt 2 736273 Small groceries and super mercados represent major Atlanta chow potential. The problem is, how to suss out the good ones. Also, things change--witness the loss of Los Rodriguez' wonderful barbacoa up in Duluth. Vigilance, persistence and diligent reporting seem mandated--as no one of us can cover the map, let alone even one small area of town! Especially since Sat/Sun seem the days with the highest probability of scoring estimable chow. Most of these places are at best ok (on a declining scale of excellent, very good, good, fair/ok, poor); meal replacement joints for a hard-working immigrant community that still values cooked food over frozen packaged food. That said, is it just you and me committed to this snipe hunt, or can lurkers be flushed from the thicket to join the reporting? Tue Mar 30 08:03:45 -0800 2004 736264 0 Steve Drucker 3 736291 I've been trying to find places on BuHi north of JCB and along Beaver Ruin for ages. So far only Mi Pilon fits the ticket. Where else is a must? Wed Mar 31 11:03:06 -0800 2004 736273 0 tgo99 4 736295 Costa Del Sol (just south of Jimmy Carter/Buford Hwy). Chicken soup (caldo de pollo) full of a quarter chicken, potato, squash, carrots served with rice and salad. tamales. grilled chicken breast. pupusas. all good, not great. Along Beaver Ruin: so many places remain to be investigated; but in the past have had good taco de ceviche, seafood soup (sopa de sieta mares), chicken soup (more refined than Costa Del Sol) at La Fonda San Carlos, corner Pinnacle Way and Beaver Ruin. Suggest that on a Sat or Sun, around noon or a little after, you cruise. just follow the crowds, and pls report back! Wed Mar 31 12:20:25 -0800 2004 736291 0 Steve Drucker