Se Habla Español The family-owned La Espiga Panaderia y Taqueria offers no-frills Mexican fare. by Louisa Koeppel should have taken Spanish. I took three and a half years of French, and while it’s a lovely language, I still should have taken Spanish. More and more we’re finding that not every billboard is understood, not every conversation comprehended, because of the recent and continuing increase of Latinos to the Memphis population. They are creating a rather large subculture that includes their own newspapers, dance clubs, markets, and of course, restaurants. One of the most recent additions to the tall list of Mexican restaurants in Memphis is La Espiga Panaderia y Taqueria. Actually, the panaderia, or bakery, has been open about a year. I never took notice of it because it is set off from Summer Avenue in a tiny strip mall between a gas station and the Nagasaki Inn. A few weeks ago, however, they put up a nice big sign on the sidewalk announcing their existence. This sign coincided with the addition of the taqueria (restaurant). La Espiga, which refers to a shaft of wheat, offers a no-frills type of operation. The walls are white, with very little decoration, and there are only six or seven tables. The television sitting in the corner is fuzzy and loud, and on both occasions I was there, it was the center of attention. The people know each other, and they know each other’s families. The tables are large and round to accommodate a host of aunts, uncles, children, and friends. It is family-oriented and family-owned. It is the Medrano family that keeps La Espiga alive. Owner Benjamin Medrano, age 27, came to the United States in 1988, reuniting with his father who had moved here in the ’70s. The elder Medrano had come here as a worker, hoping to raise enough money to bring his family to the U.S. Little by little, sisters, brothers, mother, and children were able to travel from Cuerna Vaca, Mexico, to Memphis to make a new home. When I visit La Espiga, I talk with Eric. Now 16, he has been in the U.S. since 1990. A very pleasant young man, he takes time to talk to me as he serves food to other tables. Although he speaks English very well, we still have a bit of trouble communicating, especially when it comes to spelling. He explains to me that the recipes for the restaurant items have been passed down from generations. I try to ask Eric what makes Mexican baked goods distinctively Mexican, but he doesn’t understand the question. From what I can tell, the pastries are made from an egg-based dough, and the sweetness comes from sugar dusts and frostings. In the bakery are several items familiar to the American eye. Sugar cookies and muffins are available, along with croissants, although they look more eggy than the French style. I prefer to go for the more unusual-looking ones, like conchas and besos. Eric tells me that every Mexican is familiar with conchas. A favorite of their culture, they can come in several shapes, sizes, and flavors. The one I try is about 5 inches in diameter and topped with a hard chocolate frosting. The texture seems more like hearty bread than airy doughnut, but interesting anyway. The besos are lovely round balls filled with buttercream and a coating of sugar, and the troncos are cinnamon breads in all shapes and sizes, some with buttercream and sugar, others with fruit filling. The most interesting cookie to me is the polvorones, which means “like dust.” They are crumbly and delicious. The restaurant side of La Espiga offers the usual fare alongside marinated pork, cow’s tongue, and chicharron, or fried pork skins. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, they offer breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. This menu includes all sorts of egg dishes, including one with chorizo sausage. All that wrapped up in one of their homemade crepe-like tortillas sounds like a good start to the day. La Espiga has several bottled beers and some interesting non-alcoholic beverages as well, but don’t go on Mondays because they are closed. The restaurant is open until 9 p.m. on weeknights, later on weekends. Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment with a Spanish for Beginners tape. Dining Notes by Louisa Koeppel Come and Get It Paulette’s has added another restaurant to its ever-growing empire. Napa Cafe has opened in the Sanderlin Plaza, next to Wild Oats. Chef Shelly Baltz heads up the kitchen, focusing on American eclectic cuisine. Originally from Memphis, she has trained in Breckenridge, Colorado. One interesting point about the restaurant is that the lunch menu and the dinner menu are almost completely different. Some of the lunch items available are grilled chicken and avocado salad, barbecued catfish, and sea scallops in asiago crepes. For the dinner menu, the prices get higher and the dishes more intense, with items such as smoked trout cheesecake with duxelles, bourbon glazed rack of lamb, and salmon wasabi. Their wine list reads like a book, with approximately 70 wines available. Napa Cafe is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weeknights. They stay open later on weekends and are closed on Sunday. – Louisa Koeppel 16 Easy Pieces After leaving their jobs of 18 years, Audrey and Ronald Anderson took a risk. They opened Poconut Pie Factory, a haven for pie lovers tucked away in the alley of Eastgate Shopping Center between Burlington Coat Factory and Radio Shack. Taking on their new roles as “the Pie Girl” and “the Pie Guy,” the Andersons have whipped up 16 different sugary concoctions, including three specialties for chocolate lovers: “Slap Your Momma” chocolate pie, chocolate-chip pecan, and Chocolate Extreme (a.k.a. “the Eighth Wonder of the World”). The factory is named after the specialty of the house, the Poconut Pie, a combination of sweet potato and coconut in a crust. It’s been such a success that the Andersons are in the process of getting a trademark for it. The basic pies are available as well, but call ahead (761-0473) to make sure you’re taking home your favorite. – Meredith Pierce