Stampace area is one of the four historical districts in Cagliari. Tourists who want to enjoy an authentic Cagliari-style day can’t miss a stroll along corso Vittorio Emanuele II. The avenue, which is a pedestrian area, is crowded with cafés and restaurants, where you can stop by for a happy hour, lunch or dinner, and then continue your walk, to the end of the avenue. When we reach the end of the street we turn left and in the parallel street, via Mameli, we find El Burrito: taqueria mexicana. 

The staff, all Mexican people, welcome us with a smile on their faces. Behind the counter the chefs cook the courses to the rhythm of latino music, which is playing in the background. While we take our seats among sombreros, surrounded by summer colors and the scents from the kitchen, we feel like we are in Mexico.

The menu has one main purpose: to present you with the real Mexican taco. As the name “taqueria” suggests, this food is the main character in each course, or, as in the Taco Salad, is the dish itself.

Our first choice couldn’t be anything but a tacos trio. We don’t receive just the usual crunchy folded taco that we’re used to, but a corn or wheat soft tortilla, with meat (beef, pork and chicken), vegetables and dressings (don’t miss out guacamole and pico del gallo).

Our personal favorite is the de cochinita pibil taco, filled with pork – typical of southern Mexico – seasoned with a mix of herbs and oven cooked for four hours inside a banana tree leaf, matched with red onion and obviously some habanero peppers.

The crunchy version of tacos are the taquitos fritos: three fried corn tortillas, filled with chicken or potatoes – if you choose the vegetarian option – and matched with the fresh taste of lettuce, feta and sour cream.

Alongside the de cochinita pibil taco, we also tried another dish that needs a banana tree leaf for its making. We are talking about tamales: some steamed corn flour rolls, filled with stew – you can choose between chicken or pork – and vegetables. Otherwise you can choose tamales de rajas, a completely vegan option.

And then we get to it, to the dish that gives the name to the restaurant: “el burrito”. The options for the filling are so many: pork, beef, chicken are matched with different condiments while the vegan and the vegetarian versions consist of a burrito filled with vegetables or vegetables and cheese. 

At El Burrito we discovered another version of this street food, filled with the same ingredients of the classic burrito, with the only difference that this is also deep fried. We introduce you to the chimichanga! 

We continue our Mexican culinary experience sharing a big “fajitas res”. Beef, beans, peppers, cheese and guacamole sauce are served on a corn tortilla “dish”.

Another traditional recipe that we couldn’t resist are the enchiladas: three corn tortillas simmered and filled with chicken and different dressings, based on the version you choose.

We end our experience with the sweet variants of the dishes we already tried: tamal with a sweet corn mixture and chimichanga filled with fruit in syrup, sugar and cinnamon.

But there are new arrivals coming soon at El Burrito: nachos with fish ceviche, shrimp cocktail and a bar counter to match the courses with Mexican drinks.

Photos by Alonso Crespo

Lo sapevate? Da cosa deriva il nome del canale di Mammarranca che a Cagliari tutti conoscono?

Pochi sanno che Mammarranca, il nome di uno dei canali che circondano la città di Cagliari deve il suo nome a una vecchia leggenda. Scopritela in queste righe.

Mammarranca (o “mamma branca”), indicava un essere fantastico che si credeva abitasse nei pozzi e nei canali e che, con braccia e unghie lunghissime, afferrasse i bambini incauti che si sporgevano. In campidanese branca, farranca, farrunca significa “branca”, “zampa” e il verbo affrancai, affraccai, affarrancai, affarruncai significa “abbrancare”, “afferrare”.

Questo essere era noto anche con la denominazione di “mariavarranca” e di “mamma de funtana”, mamma del pozzo. Mammarranca era quindi un essere inventato dalle mamme che volevano spaventare i figli per evitare che giocassero vicino a luoghi pericolosi quali pozzi e canali.