Se Habla Busters
Jalapeno's applies the latest diet trend to Mexican dishes.
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Pepper your diet with Jalapeno's new sugar-free menu items.
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WHAT: Jalapeno's Mexican Cafe
CUISINE: Mexican
WHEN: Lunch and dinner daily
WHERE: 2320 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 837-6696
CARDS: Major
Bursting with bold flavors, Mexican cooking has the kind of gusto we want in
food today. New Orleans lays claim to several good restaurants offering
definitive south-of-the-border cuisine. But I never expected to find a Sugar
Busters menu at one of them. With all those corn tortillas and other dietary
no-no's in the Mexican repertoire, I hardly imagined eating healthful whole
wheat enchiladas instead of super nachos and tacos when we headed to Jalapeno's
last week.
For those of you who aren't yet in the loop about Sugar Busters,
modulating insulin secretion is the key to the diet, which emphasizes whole
grains and protein and eschews foods that break down like sugar, including both
corn and all refined white flour products. The self-published Sugar
Busters! book, written by three New Orleans physicians and a local CEO, was
first released in 1995 and was a runaway success, with 210,000 copies sold by
word of mouth. The book was picked up for a second printing of 300,000 copies
by Ballantine Books and recently enjoyed several weeks atop The New York
Times' "Advice, How-to and Miscellaneous" book list. Restaurants around
town have been claiming Sugar Busters menu offerings, even though just a
handful -- including Commander's Palace and Andrea's in Metairie -- have
special menus that the authors actually approved.
Three months ago, the homey little Jalapeno's on Veterans
introduced one of the "unofficial" Sugar Busters! menus. (There are other
changes at Jalapeno's, as well. It's the same place that used to have all those
wild murals painted on the walls, but now is demurely appointed with a
trickling fountain and still life prints.)
One of my dining companions, who had just lost 17 pounds on the
Sugar Busters diet, was delighted when she was handed a Sugar Busters menu
insert, and we all consequently decided to sample the fare. There were six
entrees offered that utilized whole-wheat tortillas and brown rice as
substitutes for the "bad stuff," as my friend calls it.
We didn't begin busting sugar right away. First came the
traditional woofing down of corn tortillas (which my friend of course abstained
from), with a hot pot of creamy beans. This came with Jalapeno's delicious,
housemade salsa laced with onions, cilantro and fresh tomato, plus a tangy
guacamole with the added zest of garlic and fresh herbs.
Next we enjoyed several entrees claiming to be Sugar Busters items.
The best of these was the grilled chicken and cheese quesadillas, made with
whole wheat tortillas that are filled with strips of chicken breast and cheese,
then grilled. It looks like a medium-size pizza and arrives in a perfect
circle, cut into triangles and served on a bed of lettuce for a modest $6.95.
In fact, I'd recommend this entree even if you're not on the diet. The
creamy, hot cheese oozes out at each bite, and the dish has a smoky taste due
to the grilling.
My second choice would be the shrimp enchiladas. You get three big
ones filled with medium-size, whole shrimp in a spicy brown sauce. Don't order
this if you can't handle the spice. It comes with a huge serving of black beans
and pico de gallo, priced $8.95. Another good choice is the roasted pork entree
-- even if you don't particularly care for pork. Tender strips of meat are
topped with a spirited lemon-garlic sauce, served with brown rice and black
beans. The special menu also includes blackened tuna steak with steamed
veggies, a mixed grill with brown rice, and Southwest whole wheat pasta topped
with grilled shrimp and chicken breast in a light Southwest sauce.
While the three teenagers in our party feasted on regular menu
items (and Jalapeno's offers the entire hit-parade of Mexican classics), the
two 6-year-olds decided they wanted chicken fingers with fries. Be forewarned:
bring your own ketchup, just in case they run out again. The fries were good,
but the chicken fingers were very tough, with chewy exterior crust and a little
too much spice for our small fry. No matter, they had eaten enough chips to
last a lifetime.
We left Jalapeno's feeling overly full and were able to "doggie
bag" more than half of each entree. The portions here are enormous. When you
go, try to get a table in the little alcove overlooking the parking lot. It is
particularly cozy during a rain storm. With restless children in tow, it's the
perfect place for them to stand up and gaze out through big windows at the
wonders of the world -- a hibiscus tree and all the glories of raindrops
pouring down the windowpane.Diet sensations may come and go, but some pleasures
are eternal.
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