Mexican Technically, New England is not south of the border. But several Mexican food masters up North put a potent hot pepper spell on the plate. Phantom salutes 8 GREAT Mexican restaurants.

Tu Y Yo (The Greatest: Flan)
858 Broadway
Somerville, MA 02144
(617) 623-5411
www.tuyyo2.com

Tu Y Yo near Tufts isn’t terribly scenic, but it IS incredibly authentic. Which is why you won’t find chips, burritos, and especially not nachos. The menu is filled with family recipes spanning 100+ years, like stuffed jalapenos, sopes, flautas, tamales, and Phantom’s favorite dessert flan. Prepared “a la Doris”, by an 80-something year old family friend, the incredible caramel custard is decked out in tangy cinnamon cream. A cobalt tiled bar adds a touch of personality, and prices are even affordable enough for undergrads.

Salsa's (The Greatest: Mexican Seafood)
118 Dorchester St.
South Boston, MA 02127
(617) 269-7878
www.salsasmexican.com

South Boston isn’t exactly known for Mexican cuisine, but Salsa's is proving that it’s not all corned beef and cabbage down there. The owner is Fenway’s famed Sausage Guy, but the chef hails from Cuernavaca, not far from Mexico City. She’s particularly skilled with seafood dishes like garlic shrimp with mango salsa, pineapple grilled sea bass, and sizzling shrimp fajitas. Every meal kicks off with chips and salsa, which does the restaurant name proud with a spicy hot garden recipe full of cumin and cilantro. The salsa colored setting is decked out in piñatas and sombreros, and there’s a 2nd location in Hingham.

Andale (The Greatest: Mexican Take-Out)
125 Summer St.
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 737-2820
www.andaleboston.com

Andale is a busy to-go joint cranking out real Mexican food like chicken mole made from 27 spices. Phantom also likes the charbroiled beef with peppers and onions, the meaty portobello enchiladas, and the shredded chicken burrito blended with orange, tomato, and chile sauce. Open Monday through Friday for lunch only, the small 8-seat space is surprisingly big on atmosphere. Clay colored walls, Mexican artifacts, and rhythmic Latin music all add up to a take-out shop you won’t want to leave.

Casa Romero (The Greatest: Sangria)
30 Gloucester St.
Boston, MA 02199
(617) 536-4341
www.casaromero.com

Casa Romero is a hidden goldmine of romantic atmosphere, traditional Mexican cooking, and cool margaritas. Accessible by an alleyway entrance, it’s decked out with imported ceramic tiles from Puebla, tin lamps, and a secluded outdoor patio. Casa Romero’s killer sangria is a sparkling red wine beverage. It’s marinated for a few days in brandy and fresh fruit like lemon, peaches, and apples. On the menu, try specialties like lemony pozole stew or pork tenderloin with oranges and smoked chipotle peppers.

Picante Mexican Grill (The Greatest: Salsa Selection)
735 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 576-6394
www.picantemex.com

Picante Mexican Grill is a tiny taqueria with Boston’s best salsa selection. Customers stock up at the salsa bar on a ½ dozen red and green concoctions that range in heat, smokiness, and spice. There’s Yankee salsa with roasted tomatoes, smoky chipotle salsa, avocado salsa, mango salsa, super hot picante salsa, and fresh grilled jalapeno peppers. Daily specials keep the selections unpredictably interesting, and extra efforts like grilling the burritos add additional flavor and texture. Picante prides itself on health conscious cooking with secret spice blends instead of lard, and they’re also vegan and veg-friendly with options like portobello tacos and breakfast burritos. There’s a second salsa bar in Davis Square, Somerville.

Jose's Mexican Restaurant (The Greatest: Margaritas & Munchies)
131 Sherman St. (Fresh Pond)
North Cambridge, MA 02140-3209
(617) 354-0335
www.josesmexicanrestaurant.com

Hidden in the less traveled streets of North Cambridge (near Fresh Pond), Jose’s draws a rice and beans kind of crowd with FREE parking and fiesta flavor. They stock an amazing selection of 32 tequilas by the shot, plus 10 bottled beers from Mexico. You’ll have no problem picking out the colorful triple decker from the street, and the sombreros and gem-toned walls give the energetic cantina a wide awake atmosphere. On the menu, it’s BIG plates for small bills. You have to sort through Americanized salsa wings and “Mexican” pizzas, but the crispy tacos, flattened tostadas, and stuffed chili relleno will have you in a mariachi mood in no time.

Ole Mexican Grill (The Greatest: Guacamole)
11 Springfield St.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 492-4495
www.olegrill.com

Ole Mexican Grill in Inman Square serves regional dishes from Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Mexico City. Phantom loves their oversized, premium tequila margaritas and the area’s absolute best guacamole en molcajete. Prepared tableside, the awesome appetizer is mashed up in a lava rock mortar with sea salt, onion, tomato, lime, jalapenos, and even the seeds if you can stand the heat. Sunday brunch is equally festive, turning the attention to enchiladas smothered in cheese, huevos rancheros (eggs over beans and tortillas), and Mexican steak & eggs. It’s a cozy, casual space done in bright, blazing colors and beautiful tiles.

Taqueria Mexico (The Greatest: Tortas)
24 Charles St.
Waltham, MA 02453
(781) 647-0166

The family-run Taqueria Mexico has modest digs brightened with sombreros, velvet paintings, and all Mexican tunes on the jukebox. The winning combination of dirt-cheap, delicious food starts with chips and salsa or mountainous nachos piled high with cheese, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, onion and jalapenos. Other favorites include chicken enchiladas and chorizo burritos. Their amazing Mexican sandwiches, or tortas, fill a sweet, delicious roll with any number of grilled meats and seafood. To ease the heat from the spicy dishes, they have blended fruit drinks and horchada, a dairy-free rice drink spiced with cinnamon and almonds.