Start sizzlin' with five ragin' tastes Cinco de Mayo

By CRYSTAL PETROCELLI|
GET OUT

According to www.chipotlelovers.com, my favorite Chipotle burrito packs 1,200 calories, 46 fat grams and 124 grams of carbs. That’s sans the sour cream and guacamole.

Mexican food ain’t easy on the body — the chips, the cheese, the lard-laden tortillas and refried beans. It’s not difficult to crush the 1,000-calorie mark during a typical meal.

But how long can an Arizonan really go without a chimichanga, chips and churro? We’re smothered in Mexican restaurants, from high-end to hole-in-the-wall.

With so many choices, there are bound to be some so-so experiences. And who wants so-so when they’re using up half their daily allowance of everything?

Not me, which is why I’m sharing my five favorite south-of-the-border dishes — one for every budget.

RANCHO DE TIA ROSA Plato Baja en Carbohidratos If you’ve had one of the carne plates at this colorful, flower-dotted Mesa restaurant, you know how tender beef and pork can be when the meat is slow-roasted for 10 hours. The finishing touch is a quick charbroiling over an open flame, leaving the juicy chunks of falling-apart meat with crisped outer edges. The $10 Atkins-friendly version of the plate swaps the tortillas with iceberg lettuce cups. Stop whining; you still get a side of sour cream and cheddar cheese. The plate also includes a grilled, tightly packed skewer of white onions and green and red bell peppers. Find it: 3129 E. McKellips Road, Mesa; or http://tiarosa.net

SUSIE’S MEXICAN CAFÉ No. 10 lunch special The old cafe is nothing to look at, service is often slow and smiles are tough to come by, but — wow! — do they cook up some crave-worthy carne asada tacos. Score three of them for $4.95 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The combo, served on a hot plate, comes with scrape-the-plate- clean sides of smooth refried beans with melted cheese and Spanish rice. Each open-face steak taco is built on two corn tortillas and sprinkled with hot sauce, chopped white onion and cilantro. Find it: 2405 E. University Drive, Tempe;

LOS SOMBREROS MEXICAN CANTINA Puerco en Chipotle Bigger on flavor than on size, the Puerco en Chipotle’s tender pieces of pork rest in a shallow pool of tasty tomatillo chipotle sauce. Draped with melted white Oaxacan cheese and served with a side plate of rice and creamy, smoky beans, this dish is impressive — even at $12.95. Find it: 2534 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; or www.lossombreros.com

CANTINA LAREDO Camaron Poblano Asada This dish is so utterly engaging, I dream about it. Succulent sautéed shrimp, mushrooms, onions and Monterey jack are stuffed into a big poblano pepper and wrapped in a grill-marked, thin, tender spiced steak. As if that powerful flavor combo wasn’t enough, the kitchen pours a scrumptious green chimichurri sauce (Mexico’s parsley-infused version of pesto) over the Mexican masterpiece. At $16.99, it comes with rice, veggies and bragging rights. Find it: 7361 E. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale; or www.cantinalaredo.com

MANGOS MEXICAN CAFE Hard-shelled taco deal I didn’t think I had a favorite for less than a buck, but then I remembered my amigos at Mangos Mexican Cafe in downtown Mesa. The popular lunch spot sells its hard-shelled tacos for 99 cents from 2 to 4 p.m. daily. The 5-inch-long tacos are filled with a small layer of either shredded chicken or beef (both are moist and seasoned), shredded lettuce, a tomato chunk or three and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Delivered in about two minutes, they’ll disappear in less, leaving you with a few nice grease/juice drippings and a desire to throw down a few more dollars. Served with a fresh salsa and small side of thick, unsalted tortilla chips, it’s a smokin’ deal. Find it: 44 W. Main St., Mesa;