White Cranberry Margarita

When October ends…November is next! And what starts in November?! Holiday cheer! Our Partida White Cranberry margarita has the perfect touch of holiday!

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! Check out the full recipe here:

Partida White Cranberry Margarita

In a 22 oz mixing cup:
½ oz Partida Blanco Tequila
2 oz White Cranberry Juice
1 ea orange wedge, fresh squeezed
3-oz Sweet and Sour
Fill mixing cup with ice
Shake in metal shaker
Fill a sugar-rimmed 16 oz glass with ice
Pour ingredients over ice
Garnish with orange slice and float 4 cranberries on top

And, that’s that! There you have it! Our White Cranberry Margarita, easy enough to enjoy at home!
Available in all Arizona Macayo locations until November 24th!

October Margaritas of the Month!

October is just a few days a way! Which means our new Margaritas of the Month are almost here!

Enjoy our Fresh Strawberry Margarita for $7.99 and the Cadillac Margarita for $8.99. The Fresh Strawberry Marg is even easy enough to make at home!

Sauza Blue Reposado Strawberry Margarita

In 22 oz. mixing cup
2 Tablespoons ¼ inch cut fresh strawberries
1 ½ oz. Sauza Blue Reposado Tequila
¼ oz. Triple Sec
4 oz. Macayo Sweet and Sour
Fill cup with ice
Shake in metal shaker
Pour into sugar Strawberry syrup rimmed pint glass
½ Fresh strawberry, with leaf for garnish
And, enjoy!

Chile Harvest 2014!

Our annual Chile Harvest celebration is just around the corner!
 
As the story goes…when the Spaniards entered New Mexico in 1598, they brought with them a hardy vegetable that was the foundation of their distinctive cuisine – the green chile. Today, chiles are the base for the entire Mexican food industry.
 
In 1972 a chile shortage inspired Woody Johnson to create his own source of chiles. An important ingredient in many of our Macayo’s recipes, his vision would become the Fiesta Canning Company in McNeal, Arizona.
Today, our manufacturing facility farms approximately 1,000 acres and is known as one of the largest chile producers, canning over 30 million pounds per year! Fiesta’s field and manufacturing plant workers, 300 strong in season, are trained and supervised by an executive team that stresses quality, consistency and cleanliness through each phase of the operation.
 
The moment the trucks of glistening chiles arrive from the fields, they are sorted to quality standards and then shot through fire-roasting jets at an even 1,500 degrees. The chiles are then seeded and shipped to customers throughout the country where they will become the base for the tastiest Mexican food.
Fiesta Canning stands for superiority in ready to use products. Fiesta del Sol and Cochise Farms are the brand names of the product lines designed by Fiesta Canning for food service.
 
After the harvest, we celebrate our Fiesta Canning Company, who provides the ingredients we use every day throughout the entire year with our in-store special menu, Macayo’s Chile Harvest. These year’s menu features items such as: Harvest Sampler, Salsa Trio and our guest’s favorite…Tres Rellenos Especial. Take a look at the recipe of our Green Chile Stew, another guest favorite, with delicious, roasted Anaheim chiles.
 
PORTION INGREDIENT
8 oz. Liquid butter
4 lbs. Pork sirloin, ½ inch diced-braised
2 lbs. Fresh Anaheim chiles
1 lb. Kernel Corn
2 lbs. Red Potatoes
16 oz. Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
4 oz. Sergio’s Tomatillo Salsa
1 tbs. Cumin
2 oz. Salt
2 tsp. Crushed Red Peppers
½ gal. Water
6 oz. Flour, Roux
 
PRODUCTION/ASSEMBLY STEPS:
1. Fry 2 lbs. fresh Anaheim chiles until skin is blistered. Place chiles in cold water, remove skin and seeds. Chopchiles ½ inch by 1 inch
2. Place stock pot on high heat and pour liquid butter in and add pork. Braise pork with liquid butter, cumin, salt and crushed red pepper – approximately 4 minutes
3. Add water, corn, potatoes, tomatillo sauce, tomatillo salsa, chopped Anaheim chiles
4. Reduce heat to medium. Cook till pork is done – approximately 10 minutes
5. Add pre-heated roux and stir into mixture for approximately 2 minutes

National Guacamole Day!

It may not seem like the most important day…but it is an important one to us! When Mexican food comes to mind, we assume you are just like us and start to daydream about delicious salsas and guacamole. They have become some of the most important aspects of a real Mexican experience.
 
Guacamole was made by the Aztecs during the 16th century. The name comes from an Aztec dialect; Nahutl, which literally translates to avocado sauce. Guacamole is one of the most dynamic and easiest foods to make. When originally created the recipe called for avocados and sea salt. Now, today you have recipes that include tomato, onion, garlic, jalapenos, spices and seasonings. You name it…and we are sure someone has tried to add it to their guacamole.
 
As we are always trying to improve and evolve with our guests’ tastes we have decided to mix up our guacamole recipe! Bringing our guests a new, bold and even fresher flavor! We are very excited to share it with you!

MACAYO’S MEXICAN KITCHEN

GUACAMOLE RECIPE
10 lbs Avocados, mashed
1 lb Red onions, 1/8 diced
1.5 oz Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1 oz Whole garlic
3 oz Serranos peppers
5 oz Lime juice, fresh squeezed
1 oz Cilantro, finely chopped no stems
 
Come in and try it today! Celebrate National Guacamole Day with us! Tuesday, September 16th!

How to Make the Perfect 1800 Marg!

National Tequila Day is just around the corner! Thursday, July 24th enjoy a delicious 1800 Margarita! Whether in the comfort of your own home or dining in with us!

1800 Reposado Margarita Recipe

In a 22 oz plastic mixing cup add:
1 ½ oz. 1800 Reposado Tequila
½ oz. Patron Citronge Triple Sec
4 oz. Macayo Sweet and Sour
Fill mixing cup with ice
Shake ingredients in metal shaker
Fill a 16 oz. salt rimmed glass with ice
Pour ingredients over ice
Garnish with a lime wedge

THAT’S IT! That is the simple recipe for the perfect 1800 Margarita!

Join us through the rest of July! This amazing margarita is on special for ONLY $7.99 at all Arizona locations!

June 2014?!

Half way through 2014 already?! Before you know it, 2016 is going to be upon us and we will be celebrating our 70th birthday! Woody and Victoria would be so proud.

As the time passes and we approach another outstanding milestone it makes us think back to the days when this all began and the history the Macayo family has witnessed.
All the way back to 1946 when Woody first opened Woody’s El Nido on 37 W. McDowell. There may have only been six tables in that restaurant but look what it started!

Or how about 1952, when our Central location was opened on 4001 N. Central Avenue. That year Macayo’s was visited by celebrities such as; Liberace, Fleetwood Mac, Bill Cosby, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Nabors, Alice Cooper and Elvira.

Then there was 1959 when Macayo’s crossed the Arizona and Nevada state lines and opened Macayo’s East Charleston Vegas. Macayo’s West Las Vegas and North Las Vegas then followed and opened in 1974 and 1975 respectively.

One of our biggest accomplishments comes from the year 1972. The chile shortage that caused Woody to find his own source for the product found in so many of his recipes. The farm he opened quickly took off and turned into Fiesta Canning Company, now the 3rd largest chile producer canning 30 million pounds per year.

It has been one crazy ride in the years after the first 30. With new locations opening all over the valley and out to parts of Tucson and even Prescott, our Macayo family has definitely seen many exciting times.
OPENING YEARS FOR LOCATIONS:
1952: CENTRAL
1959: EAST CHARLESTON LAS VEGAS
1968: PARADISE LAS VEGAS
1971: WEST CHARLESTON LAS VEGAS
1972: FIRST SCOTTSDALE
1974: WEST LAS VEGAS
1975: NORTH LAS VEGAS
1979: THUNDERBIRD
1982: DEL NORTE (TUCSON) and MESA
1987: DESERT SKY
1989: DEL ESTE (TUCSON)
1991: DEPOT CANTINA
1994: SECOND SCOTTSDALE
1997: AHWATUKEE
1998: BELL ROAD
2002: PRESCOTT
2003: GOODYEAR
2004: SURPRISE
2007: CASA GRANDE

It is because of our loyal guests that our Macayo family has seen so much success over the years and continues to be a Mexican food tradition across Arizona and Nevada. We would like to say THANK YOU to all of our guests that have dined with us through the years. Looking forward to many, many more!

Summertime Salsa!

As the month of May comes to an end and the summer approaches, we know your calendars become flooded with holidays, pool parties and nights spent indoors just trying to stay cool.
You may be looking for an activity to do with Dad for Father’s Day, or thinking ‘what should I bring to that pool party next week’? Well, we have just the answer! It may spice things up and actually add heat, but salsa is the perfect contribution to any event!
Listed below are two delicious salsa recipes! One you may have already tasted, Sergio’s award winning Green Tomatillo Salsa, which is available at any Macayo’s. We put Chef Sergio to the test for a delicious summer salsa and he passed with flying colors with the Mango Jicama salsa. The final product turns out beautiful!

Sergio’s Green Tomatillo Salsa 


Ingredients:
32 oz Grilled Tomatillos
3 oz Grilled Serrano Peppers
3 oz Grilled Anahiem Green Chiles
3 oz Grilled Jalapenos
1 oz Cilantro (finely chopped)
1 oz fresh Garlic
½ teaspoon Cumin
12 oz Water
2 oz. Yellow Onion (finely chopped)
2 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
Roast tomatillos on broiler one side only.
Remove tomatillos from broiler place in a 200 pan and place pan back on broiler to finish cooking
Roast Serrano peppers, Anahiem chiles and Jalapenos on broiler.
Remove peppers from broiler and only peel the skin off the Anahiem chiles.
Add all roasted peppers, garlic, cumin, cilantro, salt and water to blender. Mix ingredients by flash blending 4 times (Do not puree ingredients) .
Add chopped onions to blended salsa.

Mango Jicama Salsa

Ingredients:
½ cup Jicama
½ cup Mango
½ cup Avocado
½ cup Black Beans
½ cup Red Bell Pepper
½ cup Green Bell Pepper
½ cup Corn
1 teaspoon Mint (finely chopped)
5 sprigs Cilantro
1/3 cup Red Onion
½ of one Jalapeno (finely diced)
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic

Simple Directions:
Dice all ingredients and mix together thoroughly

Don’t forget! You can always pick up our fresh chips and homemade salsa from any Macayo location!

The History of our Chimi Fiesta!

Today marks the start of our 2014 Chimi Fiesta! We are sure you are all just as excited as we are! This annual specialty menu is one of our favorite times of the year. It allows us to share a few Chimi Fiesta favorites and bring out NEW items!
As you may know, Macayo’s relationship with the Chimichanga goes back a long time. Legend has it that our founder, Woody Johnson, invented the Chimichanga when he accidentally dropped a meat-filled burrito into a fryer. Luckily for all of us, this small mistake turned out delicious and has turned into a staple Mexican food item across the Southwest.
The Chimichanga de Macayo is one of our main menu items. During our Chimi Fiesta we love adding a spin to this traditional favorite and spicing it up with new and unique flavors. Our best example, created by Woody’s grandson, the Bubba-Q Chimi! This chimi brought back by popular demand!
Our Chimi Fiesta dates back all the way to the early 1980’s and the excitement behind this promotion has increased each year. A major factor to that has been because of a reason separate from the menu and food. The Chimi Fiesta grants us the opportunity to do something that truly touches our hearts; give back to the community. We have always looked to connect with the community in some way and help out a charity with the sales of our chimis.This year we have partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks, providing us the unique opportunity to “Give Back”. For every Chicken Poblano Chimi sold through our Chimi Fiesta, $1 will be donated to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. The funds raised will go towards purchasing baseball equipment for those in the foundation.

The Chicken Poblano Chimi, created by Woody’s granddaughter in 2013, was a great choice by the Arizona Diamondbacks for this fundraiser.
A farm fresh poblano chile stuffed with seasoned chicken then wrapped in a crisp tortilla. Topped with our homeade “Sedona Red” sauce and our signature Baja sauce. Served with refried beans.


This chimi is only available during Chimi Fiesta! Come try one today!

The 30th Annual My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge

On Saturday, March 8th we partnered with the Arizona Hemophilia Association to put on the 30th Annual My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge, held at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. The Salsa Challenge is something that we really look forward to each year and love to participate. Not only is it a really fun event, but the Salsa Challenge also benefits the Arizona Hemophilia Association; a volunteer-based organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for people with inherited bleeding disorders, a truly great cause.

We are VERY proud to announce this great event as another success. Thanks to Chef Sergio and our catering staff, we now have 3 more trophies to add to our collection!

In the restaurant competition, our Macayo’s Mexican Kitchen submissions won 1st Place Hot with Chef Sergio’s delicious Black salsa and 2nd Place Mild with another fantastic Green Tomatillo salsa! Our sister company, Victoria’s Catering, won 3rd Place Hot with a unique Chile de Arbol salsa as well! For a full list of the 2014 awards follow:http://bit.ly/salsaawards

Other exciting Macayo news! Do you have your own salsa recipe?! Here’s your chance to put it to the test! Our annual Macayo’s Salsa Recipe Challenge is currently underway! Check here for results: Salsa Recipe Challenge Winners.

A Tequila Lesson!

As this month continues, we begin to approach some very exciting dates! February is host to two of our favorite holidays; Valentine’s Day and National Margarita Day! In honor, we would like to give you all a little lesson on one of our best subjects…tequila! With a little extra knowledge, you can only imagine how much more you will enjoy your favorite tequila or margarita!

Blanco, Reposado, Anejo – You have all heard these words before, but may have not known exactly what they mean. We’re here to break it down! Blanco, Reposado and Anejo are three of the various types of tequilas. What they stand for is the type of aging process that the tequila has been through. Similar to other alcohols, such as wine, the length of aging makes all the difference in the taste and flavor of this spirit.

Blanco, or Silver: Unaged and bottled immediately after distillation

Reposado, or Rested: Aged for a minimum of two months, less than a year

Ajeno, or Vintage: Aged for a minimum of one year, less than three years

Now, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, here is a recipe that is sure to sweeten up your holiday! Our Prickly Pear Margarita is one of our February Margs of the Month, on special for only $8.29! This margarita features Cazadores Reposado Tequila, providing a delicious taste with hints of cinnamon, lemon, fig and spice. It only requires a few ingredients, so this is definitely an easy drink to mix up at home!

Prickly Pear Margarita!

1 ½ oz. Cazadores Reposado Tequila

1 oz. Monin Desert Pear

¼ oz. Patron Citronge

4 oz. Sweet and Sour

Garnish with lime wedge and orange slice

ALSO! Join us for National Margarita Day on Saturday, February 22nd! We will be celebrating with $2 Margaritas all day long! Join our VIP E-Club or Like us on Facebook to receive this offer!