We used to come here after meals at Mt. Everest, usually just to check to see if they had any watermelon Jarritos. (They never did - I finally learned how to make my own so we could stop driving across town to The Skeevy Albertsons that stocks it.) We'd always talk about getting some pineapple empanadas, my favourite, but of course those are the plans laid by fools *before* they have a belly full of Indian food.
Everyone was always nice at Mariana's, especially when putting up with my awful gringo accent when selecting pastries. (The bakery staff doesn't seem comfortable with English, which is fine. It's a Mexican supermarket, after all, and it's not hard to point at something and say, "Dos, por favor.")
I never liked the crowds at Mariana's, though. I don't mean to fly the Uptight DINK del Norte flag or anything, but this is not a place for a casual look around. (Which is ironic, considering that's what the crowds seem to do... complete with signature horizontal buggy-block and extra obstacles coming from a cloud of children.) Often my husband and I would wedge ourselves into a corner while we decided what to buy, rush into the throng to grab what we needed, then retreat.
When I read other reviews detailing people's "finds," all I can think is "Um, we have that at my local Albertsons. And Smith's. And Walmart." Mexican limes? Goya stuff? Queso Oaxaca? Done, done, and done. This is Las Vegas, not rural Michigan.
Which is not to say that you can't get unique items at Mariana's - I'm sure you can. Just because I've never had to use the "Sources" section in the back of Diana Kennedy cookbook doesn't mean I won't someday find a recipe that sends me running to a proper Mexican grocer. (They do have Squirt made from sugar in glass bottles. I'll give them that.)
Except... okay, I never really looked beyond Mariana's because it's a good-sized store and has nice sweets and, like I said, I don't even actually have to go to Mariana's to get tamarind candy or bulk pinto beans, and good carne asada is wasted on this vegetarian. True, I thought the tortillas were mealy and disappointing, but Fresh and Easy does a jalapeno/cilantro tortilla that, while not as fresh, has me covered. (Sorry.)
Then one day, just a few weeks ago, one of my students mentioned Cardenas. "What's that?" "Miss, you've never heard of Cardenas?!"
So, the next time after the hubs and I extricated ourselves from the snarl of people at Mariana's, I said, "You know, I heard of this other place..."
Well, the rest is history. This isn't the place for a Cardenas review, but here's the skinny: Cardenas is spacious, pretty, and has the same pastries as Mariana's, but with a self-serve option.
I know there are many who will tsk-tsk that I'm abandoning what might be perceived as the more "authentic" and "human" experience of Mariana's, but people, I just want to shop. I have actual Mexico a day trip away for when I want cultural enrichment.
But if you - in all seriousness - like a more "throng of humanity"-style shopping experience, right down to the parking lot, or if you just need to walk off a samosa... or to send in a pineapple empanada to keep the samosa company, Mariana's is a competent supermercado with all the staples. read more