Jonathan T.
Yelp
I have a dilemma with spicy food. On one hand, spice can amplify the flavor of a dish and turn an ordinary meal into an almost religious -and sweaty- experience. On another, after eating spicy food, I usually go through three phases of discomfort: 1) sitting on a couch writhing in pain while desperately scarfing down Tums (and ignoring the recommended dosage); 2) crying on the toilet; and 3) passing out on a bed from the agony experienced from phases 1 and 2. Each time I go through these three phases the discomfort becomes progressively worse (perhaps due to age), however, somehow, my belly seems to always tell my brain not to worry.
I haven't been to La Hacienda since my undergraduate days at UW-Madison, and I'm sad to read below that the quality has gotten worse. In the past, if I rolled with a hungry and rowdy crew, I could always depend a La Hacienda to fill our bellies with delicious and spicy food.
Well after several years, I made my return to this restaurant while visiting some close friends in Madison (shout out to Soupy and Monica). To celebrate the occasion, we ordered horchata and asked the waitress what was her favorite dish. She gushed about the "parilladas" (which is most likely the incorrect spelling), which has an assortment of spicy or non-spicy meats (chicken, beef, and pork) grilled on a metal plate cooked above a flame. The meats are eaten with either corn or flour tortillas. For our meal, we made half of the dish spicy and ordered both types of tortillas.
I have to say, this was probably one of the most memorable Mexican meals I have ever eaten. The spicy meats were full of flavor -although I can't say the same with the non-spicy meats- and I loved both types of tortillas. I couldn't stop my inner carnivore from eating this crack meat, despite knowing that my night would eventually end in doom. Even though the cinnamon and banana flavored horchata quelled some of the heat, it could not put stop my inevitable fall into spicy hell.
La Hacienda's parilladas and horchata were both amazing and it made me relive some great memories I've had here in the past. At the end of the night, of course, I went through the three phases of discomfort which quickly ended my night. When I woke up the next morning, I proceeded to eat the left overs. So worth it.