Tortuga’s Mexican Village in Princeton

By Leslie Mitchner // Tortuga’s Photography by Andrew Wilkinson

How sad indeed that most people know Mexican food only as purveyed by restaurant chains and franchises. The first of these, of course, was Taco Bell, founded in Downey, California in 1962 and now a multibillion-dollar international business and the sixth most successful fast-food chain in the country. Then there are the higher priced alternatives with their wider menu selections and predictable kitschy decor: Acapulco, Burritoville, Chili’s, Chipotle, On the Border, Qdoba (which we now have in Princeton), and many others. I have to admit while disparaging these places, however, that if I am forced to eat fast food of any kind, Mexican or Southwestern inevitably would be my choice. Perhaps that is because I grew up in Los Angeles, where the combo platter of enchiladas, tacos, rice, and beans was a mainstay and Casa Cienega was our neighborhood restaurant.
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