Retired mechanic Gualberto Elizondo, “Weber,”  surprised his grown kids when suddenly his grilling hobby turned him into a local celebrity and internet sensation. He drives Pati through the mountains of La Huasteca in his old car, then to his famous back patio where he and his family treat us to cabrito en salsa and short ribs. But local chef Chuy Villareal of Cara De Vaca wants the world to know that the north of Mexico isn’t just carne asada and he’s putting a Mediterranean twist on his traditional dishes.  

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Don’t complain, don’t ask for the bathroom, and definitely don’t ask for salt. On the river Ramos, two sisters – who didn’t ask for your opinion – have taken a shack that serves one dish, traditional cortadillo stew, and made it into a must-visit restaurant. Just watch out for their parrot, he bites. And about 10 minutes down the road in the town of Allende is another restaurant that uses traditional stews in their famous empalmes, or stacked tacos.

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Much like the deep and bitter divide of Salsa Roja vs Salsa Verde, the state of Nuevo León is divided between two pro soccer teams: Los Tigres and Los Rayados. Pati tries the food at each stadium with stars from each team to be the judge on who wins in the battle of tortas and tacos.

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The man who literally wrote the book on Mexican bread, Irving Quiroz, brings Pati into his workshop in Monterrey to teach her how to make traditional campechanas and rich conos de crema. Then we meet one of Irving’s students, Chuy Elizondo, who is using bread as a vehicle to make his brunch place one of the hottest in town. Finally, we get an up-close look at a key ingredient in Chuy’s famous chilaquiles verdes: chicharrón. Here in Monterrey, we meet the family who owns the butchery known to have the best chicharrón in town.

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The Garza family invites Pati to a once-a-year tradition at their vineyard when they open the doors to the whole community to help make piloncillo, the traditional way. And it takes everyone to help stir because you can’t stop and it’s hard work. Then we’re off to the oasis of Nuevo León, the lush Bustamante magic town, where we meet three sisters who own a famous panadería and make us bread in adobe ovens. Oh, and pizza too!

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Cantinas have historically been bars that act as men’s clubs where men come together to drink, eat and be merry. Or talk about their broken hearts. Pati meets with local author and cantina historian David Canales, who takes Pati to two very different styles of cantinas in Monterrey to have a taste of the stories and food they offer.

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Nobody wants to go to Mexico for Texas-style BBQ! Or do they? For the first time ever in the prestigious Houston Rodeo BBQ competition, a Mexican from Linares placed third. Luis Rivas is bringing all that flavor home with his BBQ restaurant Riv’s. Pati visits the restaurant to taste the difference between carne asada and ‘Texas-style’ BBQ. Then she visits his family’s orange grove where she learns about the “Orange Belt,” the nickname for this part of Mexico known for its orange exports. Riv invites all his family and some friends over for a carne asada on his massive grill setup. Then Pati is off to learn how the original Gloria’s candies are made.

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Chef Hugo Guajardo of El Jonuco is pushing the envelope on Norestense cuisine, researching around the state and finding the best ingredients. First, he takes us to where he sources his carne seca from the family-owned restaurant El Caminante, which has perfected the art of drying meat. Then Pati has lunch at El Jonuco, where she tries his spin on local delicacies and continues on to his home where he teaches her his take on charred chicken.

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Pati’s new mountain climber friends take her on an adventure to see the mountains up close and personal. Then they grab a quick elote snack dressed in wild norteño ways — a concoction popular with climbers. Later, Pati connects with four top chefs in the area and invites them to a carne asada against the backdrop of the gorgeous Huasteca mountains.

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