Cemitas at Dorado Tacos

A cemita is a Mexican sandwich served on a fluffy sesame-seeded egg roll. At Dorado Tacos in Brookline, cemitas are served with black beans,  chipotles en adobo, avocado, Oaxaca cheese and cilantro. It’s stuffed with your choice of pork loin, steak, chicken, chorizo, portabella mushroom, or grilled zucchini and red peppers.

I’ve eaten at Dorado several times – they are known for the baja style fish tacos – but I’ve never tried the cemitas until recently. I chose the house-made chorizo because anything house-made instantly appeals to me (and let’s not lie here, it’s because I really like chorizo).

I've never heard of cemitas until I saw it here!

But before I get to the cemitas, let me get to this first:

tortilla chips with two salsa: salsa verde and salsa fresca (and guac on the side)

When friends asked me what I like most about Dorado, I say the caesar salad (what? Just because it’s a Mexican place doesn’t mean they can’t throw down a good Caesar) and the tortilla chips.  These warm lightly salted tortilla chips with two kinds of fresh salsa make one crunchy plate of goodness. The green salsa is piquant with a very mild heat while the pico de gallo tastes fresh and summery.

And now, the simple-looking Dorado cemita...

... filled with homemade chorizo, chipotles, black beans, Oaxaca cheese, avocado and cilantro

This was one punchy, flavorful sandwich. I was expecting a chorizo patty or chorizo crumbles – this was more of a spread – but it was salty and spicy and herby.  The egg roll was fluffy and filling; even though I usually try to stay away from white bread (because the whiter the bread, the quicker you’re dead), it was well worth the high glycemic index I like the cheese crumbles too, with the black beans and avocado. And I really, really like the chipotles. Everything just worked together splendidly.

Cemitas originated in the Mexican state of Puebla, and they are considered street food. I can understand its appeal: It’s simple, quick, cheap, and easily customizable (check out how to make your own cemita). It’s also a nice change from the usual Mexican fast food options of burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. And I bet if someone starts a food truck just selling cemitas, it’ll be a big hit!

Are there any Mexican foods that you only recently discovered?

Tagged as: Brookline, Mexican, sandwich, tacos