Nachos!

It’s a casual dream of mine to write a book someday about nachos (and queso dips) nationwide.  It’s kind of silly, but if such a book doesn’t already exist, I think one should.  There are countless reviews of restaurants, wines, beers, steaks, etc… why not nachos?

So as part of this… I’m going to start examining what makes good nachos.  I think this will start as a very random and general concept, but I hope to get some good ideas flowing down the road.

One of the consistantly best nacho plates I’ve found in the Milwaukee area is sadly, at a chain restaurant.  Rock Bottom Brewery has some damn good nachos.  I think there are four keys to their nachos.  1) Refried beans.  Most places will avoid putting beans on their nachos, but I think it is a great way to go.  It adds a good variety to the flavor and also makes the plate safe for most vegitarians.  2) Two kinds of cheese.  Cheddar and Montery Jack in this case.  Too many nacho plates are ruined by overpowering cheddar cheese.  You need to lighten the cheese load up, and I think this is a great way to do it.  3) Yummy guacamole.  Always should be served on the side, but can really add to nachos.  Rock Bottom has just the right amount of seasoning in their guac to make the taste stand out.  I think guac with nachos is really underrated.  4) Meat added last.  Beef or chicken is optional on these nachos, as I almost feel it should be… the most important part is that Rock Bottom’s nachos at least do not taste like they are cooked with the beef (some places will bake the entire platter with the meat, making the bottom chips so soggy you can’t eat them).  I think the biggest key is that the meat isn’t standard.  I like beef with nachos, but I don’t always want it.  Plus there are so many people these days that don’t eat beef, and a lot of places will still charge you full price if you don’t get it.  Doesn’t make sense.