Howdy Y’all,
As I stated in my last post, I have moved back to Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
I was not planning on being here too terribly long and looks as though the length of time I had planned will even be cut short.
More on that later.
This is mostly fine as I do not really have much fun being back home, I spend a lot of time alone partially because I am a hermit, partially because I am broke and mostly because I am about the only single person I know here.
So when I do go out, mostly to eat, I get to be the weird guy masturdating with a book.
Thus bringing us to today’s topic.
The other day I went on a masturdate to Las Margaritas here in town for lunch. I do not know why I chose Las Margaritas as I usually go to Maya’s.
I think my reasoning was because although owned by the same people, Maya’s is more popular and I tend always to see people I know when I go there.
Again, weird, lonely guy with a book, not exactly wanting to see former classmates and friends.
So, anyway, I went to Las Margaritas and had the Chile Colorado and a Tamale which was pretty fantastic.
While I was ordering, I asked my waiter if they ever had any traditional Mexican foods like Lengua (tongue), Mejilla (cheek meat) or Tripa (intestines, stomach) tacos.
He said they didn’t have them… nor ever had them.
Now before I go any further in this, for those of you reading who are not from Poplar Bluff, we have an almost comical amount of Mexican restaurants… the only thing that may rival them are Chinese restaurants, and now that I say this, I need to count them…
be right back…
We have Maya’s, Tios, Casa Grande, Las Margaritas, El Acapulco, La Fiesta (Mexican Store), Taco Bell x2, (we are counting it, and you’ll see why), and Taco Taco (Kind of like Chipotle or Qdoba)
8 Mexican joints and a Mexican store if Google is up to date.
In Chinese, we have, Beijing, China Wok, 5 Star, China Gardens, Panda Express (this is why we counted Taco Bell)
5 Chinese places
Poplar Bluff is a town of about 20000+ people so one might say we have an insane number of Mexican places.
This comes as more of a fact since every single menu is almost identical, there is a change here and there, they may prepare something different, but almost as a whole, you could trade any restaurant out for any other one.
Maya’s is the one closest to my house, so I go there… sometimes when I am halfway through town, I hit El Alcapulco… interchangeable.
They are all superb, but they are all the same.
So here is my plea.
Please, one of you, start a traditional/bizarre food movement.
It does not have to be on the menu all the time… maybe do it once a month and bring out the adventurous eaters to your restaurant because of your forward thinking ideas!
Bring in some Huitlacoche (a fungus that grows on corn, a delicacy in Mexico), Flying Ant Salsa, Mole dishes (a mexican chocolate flavores sauce), Cactus Flower Ice Cream, Worm Salt, Escamoles (Ant Egg dishes), Chapulines (Grasshoppers), Menudo (Beef Stomach Soup), Gusanos de Maguey (Fried Maguey Worm dishes), Caracoles (Snails) and bring on the damn tacos!
Try it out!
Be different!
Set yourselves apart from all of the other places in town!
You may be rewarded for your efforts and if I am in town, I know you will have at least one customer.
Huitlacoche grosses me out even though I am a devout follower of Andrew Zimmern, one might say the father of the bizarre food movement… but I would try it if you brought it to town!
Take a risk, you may see a reward if nothing else by introducing people to comepletely new foods from your ancestral home.
Chop's Guide to the Galaxy 
I think the reason that the menus are almost completely similar in the Mexican restaurants in Poplar Bluff and why there are no ‘outside the box’ meals offered on the menus may be simply because the citizens of Poplar Bluff wouldn’t be inclined to try anything outside of their normal and safe choices of food. Many people that I know in Poplar Bluff (and I’ve lived in Poplar Bluff on and off most of my life) would never be comfortable to try foods that they are not familiar with. Therefore, I believe that restaurants don’t attempt the more exotic meals for fear of money being wasted on products that aren’t selling.
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I understand that, I did too but it would still be nice if they tried it like once a month to test the waters… but make it well known, advertise it like crazy the first few times
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