SIOUX CITY — Guanajuato is a central Mexican state that borders Jalisco to the west and Michoacán to the south.
It's also the namesake for Guanajuato Market, a new business at 1001 Court St., that features a grocery store, a pharmacy, a snack bar, a meat counter and a restaurant featuring authentic foods.
The all-in-one market concept is very common in Mexico, according to Israel Mejia, who helps to run Guanajuato Market with dad Ramon, mom Ana and brothers Victor, Arnold and Ramon Jr.
"Such stores were also common in California and Arizona, where we lived prior to moving to Sioux City," he explained.
The unique cuisine from the family's native Guanajuato is what immediately sets the market's quaint and colorful restaurant apart.
"Many Sioux City restaurants serve Tex-Mex, which can be delicious," Israel Mejia said. "But we serve the type of home cooking that a family from Guanajuato would have on a daily basis."
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Guanajuato Market's Israel Mejia shows off a meal served inside of a molcajete bowl. The molcajete is made out of lava and is similar to mortar and pestle. Indeed, Mejia calls it a Mexican blender.
Perhaps the most unique meal at the Guanajuato Market is served in a molcajete, which Israel Mejia describes as being "an old-school Mexican blender."
To be more precise, a molcajete is a mortar and pestle made of fine-grained lava rock. Ubiquitous in many Mexican kitchens, it is used to prepare salsa and guacamole as well as grinding all types of spices and chiles.
The heavy bowl is also used as the serving vessel for Mexican Molcajete, which is a hearty and flavorful dish containing a variety of ingredients like beef, pork, chicken, chorizo, spices, veggies and, even, cactus.
The molcajete bowl is heated at a high temperature before food is added. That is done in order for the food to continue to cook as it is being served.
"I can't think of any other place in Sioux City that serves a molcajete-type of dish," Israel Mejia said. "It catches everybody's attention."
Guanajuato Market's Barbacoa Beef platter is served with Spanish rice, refried beans and a Mexican mac & cheese.
Guanajuato Market's Chorizo platter has the spicy pork covered in cheese because the restaurant's Israel Mejia said everything tastes better with cheese.
Many of the menu items at Guanajuato Market is unique to the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Chile Relleno is one of the most popular dishes at Guanajuato Market, at 1001 Court St.
Other foods that have plenty of visual appeal are the chiles Rellenos (made with roasted Poblano peppers with cheese, dipped in a fluffy egg batter and fried until golden-brown), sopes (a fried masa -- or corn -- maize base, topped with savory ingredients), tamales (served with a variety of meats), and a barbacoa platter that comes with rice and a Mexican mac & cheese).
Many of Guanajuato Market's menu items are made by Ana Mejia, the family matriarch.
"Our mom never uses a recipe because she's been making this food her entire life," Israel Mejia said. "The best compliments that we get is that of food doesn't taste like family food. Instead, everything tastes homemade."
Guanajuato Market's Ana Mejia prepare tamales the same way she did in her native Michoacan.
That include more familiar street food fare like tacos, burritos and tortas.
"If you go to a marketplace in Guanajuato, there may be five trucks making tacos," Israel Mejia said. "And if you sampled food from each of those trucks, you'll find the tacos will all be a bit different."
This is how such businesses survive in a tough economy. They need to stay unique.
The same will be true for Guanajuato Market, Israel Mejia said.
"There are many foods options in Sioux City," he said. "If you want food that is both homemade and authentically Mexican, come to Guanajuato."
