It’s tough to find a reason to brave the cold in Philly – but when Latin American food is on the menu, getting warmed up is easy.
December’s premiere of the AL DÍA Chef Series Event, held at their office on Market Street, featured Peruvian fare from El Balconcito; and for their second installment last Thursday, guests were taken on a tasty trip to Meh-HEE-co for an authentic treat, courtesy of the Marin Group. 
Operating since 1992, brothers Mauricio and Luis Marin have made it their mission to bring authentic Mexican cuisine to the Philadelphia region and beyond, through the unparalleled dishes produced from each of their five authentic family locations: Los Sarapes in Chalfont, PA, El Sarape in Blue Bell, PA, Cilantro in Boston, MA, Los Sarapes in Horsham, PA and Xilantro in Wayne, PA.
If you are expecting some American version of southwest tex-mex, you will be pleasantly surprised instead at the freshness of these dishes. Prepared daily by master chefs, their traditional menu boasts a long history of family recipes and carefully chosen ingredients indigenous to the Mexican region.
Each of the Marin Group’s watering holes offers dishes based on the same classic menu with a focus on unwavering authenticity served in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Los Sarapes actually translates to “a long blanket-like shawl”, and this feeling of inclusivity and warmth is the what the Marin brothers strive to recreate in any and all of their family-owned establishments.
At all of their locations, Mauricio, Luis, and their team of chefs take great care in selecting the finest ingredients – even Mexican delicacy items like the Flor de Calabaza (delicate flowers 
from a squash plant) and Huitlacoche (pronounced wee-tlah-KOH-cheh), a fungus that grows naturally on corn. When they can track down these specialty ingredients, master chefs feature extraordinary specials; the Flor de Calabaza quesadillas are made from the elusive flower which is cooked down with butter and spices before becoming the main player in the classically cheesy tortilla dish. The fillet topped Huitlacoche is another foodie favorite that starts with a premium piece of filet topped with a mixture of this exotic fungus combined with mushrooms and corn, and finished with a bit of cheese.
If you’re ever planning on visiting Mauricio’s Horsham location, you might want to call ahead. Their delicious red snapper is the hottest item on the menu with customers calling days ahead of time to reserve the highly sought-after favorite!
Be sure to stop into any of the Marin Group’s excellent restaurants to experience true Mexican cuisine, and for more authentic Latino gastronomy in our area, be sure to follow AL DÍA on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The next AL DÍA Chef Series event will be held in May 2015 as they continue to spread the flavor and spice of the Latino culture throughout our fabulous city.
