El Impostor opens in West Allis

Hey, there's a new twist on tacos and tequila in West Allis where a retired Mexican wrestler is the inspiration behind a restaurant with plenty of personality. Brian Krimp is live at El Impostor with a look at the food, the drinks, the atmosphere. Cheers to you, my friend. I'm sure you're not drinking a glass full of tequila this time of the morning. Definitely not, dude. But they did already pour some drinks, and I can't wait to get to those. Casey, congratulations. I know that this is a huge thrill for you guys, you know, coming from down the street, literally like a block, less than a block over from Camino here. You guys have yet another location, so congrats. I got to get the background, though. El Impostor, where does it come from? Yeah, El Impostor. So we wanted to open a place that kind of highlighted some traditional Mexican food with some maybe non-traditional Mexican items. Yeah. Non-traditional foods in a taco or in a tortilla. Yeah, well, I'll tell you this. Last time I was at Camino, you served a really mean fish taco. I think that's probably what gave you guys this idea. You saw people really gravitate towards the other options that you guys have there. You're like, well, let's go all in to it. And you guys have gone all in. I mean, I love the place. I had said to you, it looks like you're walking into a place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a nice little cafe, taco joint. But that's exactly kind of what you guys have created here, isn't it? Yeah, absolutely. So we kind of have like an unofficial mascot. It's a traveling luchador chef who's traveled the world, gathered some recipes, and then came back home and wants to present these recipes on a tortilla. Well, it's interesting, the story, as fun as that is, it really plays into what you guys have, the concept, the decor, as well as the food. As we go over there, as you can see, Jose just put some more on the table. I mean, it's not just typical tacos over here in West Dallas, is it? No, no. We definitely have some traditional things, like the Al Pastor taco, which is right here. that is Jose's specialty. But then we have some other tacos or things that we can put on a tortilla like a cactus taco which is vegetarian. And we have this one which is called the Japanicao which is a shaved ribeye with a wasabi cream and some pickled veggies. Yeah you're going really in depth when it comes to the flavors too. You're pulling a little bit out of the specialties that you guys want to create but also what Chef has been kind of known for also with his heritage. But then we have a pizza and i have no idea what this is right there it looks like uh like a mexican bread yeah sort of it's uh called a bolillo it's um it's sourdough with a um uh roasted corn cream on top and some tahini and um uh and and yeah uh creme fraiche okay now this right over here is uh is he your mascot that is our mascot yes yeah and who is that is that we're calling Jose. So essentially it's your chef when he decides to wear the mask, right? I love it. We're going to see obviously a lot more of the menu here, the drinks. What makes this area special to you and why did you want to make sure you stayed here in West Dallas with this new restaurant? I love West Dallas. There's a lot of great options for food in this area obviously. It kind of always has been. We just wanted to kind of present something a little bit new or fresh. Again, some traditional items on the menu but then also some fun chef-driven items in a tortilla. Yeah, well, Casey, congratulations. I know you've had Camino for 11 years, but this is definitely new for you guys and new to West Dallas. A new taco joint is in town here right around 74th and Greenfield. West Dallas guy has a new taco joint and apparently they're serving some pizzas and some other things. We'll find out more from El Impostor coming up in the 7 o'clock here on Fox 6 Wake Up. Well, how about this? Every restaurant has a story, but not many involve a retired Mexican wrestler and recipes from their travels around the world. Brian Crabb is at El Impostor and covering the story behind the mysterious character who inspired this new restaurant in West Dallas. Hey, Crabb. Yeah, and, Derricka, there's an impostor, I think, somewhere behind us. There he is right there. I don't know. That's not the actual impostor, is it? I don't know. Because I think he's the bartender. I think your chef is the one. Isn't that the story? That is the story, yes. A traveling chef that is also a wrestler? Exactly, yes. Like a retired luchador chef who traveled the world to gather up some great recipes, come back home, open a restaurant, and put these recipes in a tortilla. I've got to be honest with you, Casey. You put so much into the story itself that you've hooked me. Because I know if you put that much into the story, that much is being put into the food as well. And, oh, my goodness, I just want to dive into some of these dishes. thank you for joining us and congratulations i know this is exciting for you guys as a team you know to be right down the street from camino to have this this new kind of vibe and new taco joint but some of the the history of like a taquito over here uh it comes really deep rich recipes from your chef as well yeah so so where does this derive then so tlayuda's uh traditionally from Oaxaca it's um this is kind of our take on it it's almost like a mexican pizza in a way but we used flour tortilla and then this one is actually a vegetarian uh item with uh looks like veggies and and beans and uh and cheese as well yeah he explained it to me like a black bean puree that's the base of it on top of that tortilla that's done up a little bit differently i mean i love it the smell is wonderful i mean then the drinks the way that they're staged and the glasses too i think we're gonna talk to xavier who's the man behind the mask coming up next i didn't i think he moved i just thought he just stood there like that looking all tough some of the sandwiches are great as well and these things look amazing yeah absolutely so we have a great uh smash burger um comes with angus angus beef patties um all your fixings on a telera roll yeah which is nice and we also have a chopped cheese sandwich next to it which is kind of a our take on a chopped cheese instead of ground beef we use uh chorizo i love that you're not afraid to experiment too with with the vessel if you will because uh as explained to me by jose the taco is like a small little suitcase and and you guys have great tacos which we saw in the last segment but also this is something that you're so good at at Camino to bring the two together that's wonderful, I like that you have the chips and how, how hot are we getting when it comes to the salsas we got a salsa verde, we got some, some other ones there as well, yeah so we have the verde and the medium salsa are pretty manageable. This one is a little on the hot spectrum. I would say a 7 out of 10, but still manageable for most people. Super flavorful, too. I mean, it's got that heat to it, but if you're a person that really likes your salsa with that flavor, not watered down, you're going to love that as well. Drinks behind the bar, how high do you go when it comes to the top shelf and tequila? We have some really nice tequilas. We have some of the tequilas that you'll see in a normal restaurant or a bar, But some of the top shelf things that we have are actually small batch, family-owned distilleries out of Mexico that we like to support. I'll tell you what, from tacos and tequila to taquitos, it looks like El Impostor here, 74th and Greenfield, has an entire new vibe in West Dallas. You can check them out starting at 11 o'clock today. That's when they open up for lunch. Congratulations again, Casey. Appreciate your time. Thank you very much. From frozen cocktails to tequila flights, the drink menu at El Impostor is just as creative as the story behind this restaurant. Brian Cramp is live in West Allis this morning, mixing up a few specialty cocktails. You know your girls on Wake Up like their margaritas, Cramp. Show us what you got. I'll tell you what. Well, they got several different kinds, obviously, and the menu is stacked over here. I love the fact that they're leaning into the theme, and Xavier is also leaning into it by wearing the mask. Now, typically, Xavier, do you wear the mask during service time, or do we see your face? You see my face. Okay, perfect. And also on the bar, behind the bar, you can see that there's many different masks as well up there, leaning into, again, that theme of El Impostor. But you guys do a great job. I saw you shaking up that drink prior to the break, right? And I know that it's no ordinary martini, is it? No, no. Yeah, what is it? It's our Banana Espresso Martini. It's one of my favorite drinks that I created myself. You know, it's going to be a banana liqueur, a little bit of coffee liqueur, some fresh agave, and a couple of coffee beans on top. I love that. A banana. Okay, so is that a prominent, like, taste in that drink? You have a little banana aftertaste that, you know, compliments the drink very well. As we go down the rundown of some of the drinks, too, I love the glassware that you guys chose to use, the first one, too. It's got a little tequila in there. What's this one? It's going to be our frozen daiquiri drink. It's La Proverbial Grande. It's going to be Bacardi Gold, a little bit of Agave Simple and Agave Fruitful also. And then a Cinnamon Simple that we use. Yeah, so cinnamon, lime, pineapple, all very vibrant kind of flavors and also reminiscent of, you know, a Mexican type of a beverage as well. Now, the Mule is uniquely different as well. It's not a Mexican Mule. It has some fresh Cazadores reposado tequila, lime juice, also some agave, and a jalapeno fruitful to make it a little bit spicy. Now, that one's the El Burro Borracho? El Burro Borracho, yes. You guys, like I said, you lean into the names, too. Did you help come up with the names of the drinks as well? Yeah, a couple of the names, yes. I created myself. I like to joke around. I say it's some of my wrestling moves that I do. Sure. Back here, but, you know. And by the way, that would be a mask that a wrestler would wear. And the theme of the place, so El Impostor, El Impostor is a retired wrestler who has traveled the world and kind of soaked up all the recipes and now is a chef. But so you're actually not El Impostor. What would your wrestling name be? Have you ever thought about that? El Borracho. Okay. El Borracho. All right. There we go. We got a couple more drinks. And I love the way that you bring in that blue to not only the glassware, but also the trim and the paint, too. What's that third drink? That third drink is a house frozen margarita. You know, you're going to use a little bit of clementine fruitful, agave, and also lime juice. Shake it up real nice, and we freeze it in our icy machine. Yeah, but what's around the straw? What is that? It's a special tajin. Oh, that's a tajin. A tajin, a covered watermelon candy. I love that. And finally, this last one looks like it might be a nice summer sipper, but in the fall it probably tastes good. um we call it el el uh what was it called el corazon corazon yeah it's fun response it um it's uh just a very uh easy drink a couple of um elderflower liqueur yeah a little bit of uh of uh of the champagne that we have right over here well i'll tell you what the prosecco goes in there. This all looks really good. I appreciate you taking the time and also wearing the mask and being in character, if you will, Xavier. It is El Impostor 74th Greenfield. They open up at 11 o'clock. They've been open for about a week or so, guys, but there you go. If you do want a cocktail that's got a twist, if you will, swing on by. Good force, too. Well, a taco might be small, but at one West Dallas restaurant, it's packed with flavors inspired by travels around the world. Brian Kremp is with the chef at El Impostor, exploring some creative takes on tacos and other dishes that go well beyond the traditional tortilla. Hey, Brian. Good morning, Derek. I can go well beyond that traditional tortilla. Some of the flavors that Jose is creating here in the kitchen, I'll tell you what, globally inspired, I will say that. Now, you're making one that's called King of the Ring. The King of the Ring taco that you're going to make for us, the base is what? Shrimp? Shrimp. Okay. Shrimp. Shrimp is a satay baguette. Yeah. and a special sauce a special sauce that you're not going to tell us what that special sauce is all right so when you're starting do a lot of the tacos uh then start on that flat top oh yeah okay show us how you do it yeah now as as we get going here you guys have a good number of different tacos how much from the menu is inspired by your own travels as well i would say half of the menu okay so it's a lot of it's a lot of where you either come from or what you've eaten in the past right yeah now now this one specifically I know that the tacos for a lot of people if they look at the menu they're gonna see tacos that have weird names or fun names king of the ring is the name of this one why did you want to name it king of the ring well I think it's this is the king taco in my opinion it's the best flavor uh-huh yeah and well I buy this and everything is when the chef says in my opinion it's the best taco and because the flavor i think then you probably should get that taco first but also your taco has your menu has different tacos so you know with that many what's the best approach to buy like two or three and kind of try different ones yeah okay i'm gonna try the three one and a steak one yeah with this the ground taco now can we if if we're ordering tacos right off the menu can we substitute certain things off oh yeah okay you have to specialize it because sometimes you know we have certain allergies or we don't like the taste of things what about the heat of this taco is it got a kick to it no it's not really spicy no not spicy at all good to know is a lot of this food that you guys are making spicy or not so much not really okay no it depends if the customer wants it spicier we can do it and you throw some pepper in there you throw some more all right well that was truly flaming up i can see why the it's called king of the ring just from the look and smell of of it alone so you got the the corn tortillas you put those on the flat grill for a little bit as well what's one of the your favorite things on the menu to make back here what's one of your favorite items to make on the menu I would say the El Impostor taco okay you know that we know course yeah the gaucho one and the Japanico is very popular yeah we've seen some of those tacos already I know we're gonna see some more as the morning gets going here that one's almost finished up I can't wait to see what what the finished version looks like. Now, they open at 11 o'clock. The only day that they're not open here in West Dallas is on Sunday, so 11 o'clock for lunch. You can swing on by. This is a new taco joint here in West Dallas from the owners of Camino. If you know Camino right down the street, the same owners. Just a different vibe with a different flavor as well as Jose is finishing this. When we come back next, we're going to see some more tacos from El Impostor, Jose, and the entire team here in West Dallas. Thanks, Jose. It looks delicious. I know it's 8:25 in the morning, but I would eat that. Oh, totally. Two, please. Brian Cramp is in West Dallas seeing how music, arts, and a little bit of weirdness can help create an atmosphere that's all its own. Hi, Cramp. I'll tell you. Yeah, good morning. I was not expecting a DJ booth to be kind of like tucked away as soon as you walk in the door because you're bringing in music. You're bringing in this ambiance that is really unique. And almost online, I think you use the word weird at one point or somewhere in the explanation of it. But global is another word that kind of comes to mind, too, especially when it comes to the flavors of the tacos. Yeah, absolutely. We have different flavors, anything from flavors from Mexico to Argentina to Japan to India. Yeah. We're trying to take some of these recipes and some of these flavors and put them in a tortilla. I don't think that's a bad thing at all. I think sometimes when you go to a taco joint, you kind of get, like, you're done with that first one. And then you go for a completely different thing. You're nowhere near being done with the tacos after your first visit to El Impostor. Like, because you have so many. But they're also, the way that you have them kind of set up on here. So you have, obviously, the chicken from the different types of meat as well. But they are all layered. And this one, a Bang Bang Baby, even with the grilled shrimp. We saw one that chef was cooking up with shrimp called the King of the Ring. But the shrimp is cooked different from taco to taco. Yes, absolutely. We're using different spices, trying to create as much variety as possible with those different proteins. You must have had fun making this menu and working with Jose as well as the team to come up with this and the entire concept as well. Yeah, absolutely. Jose is great, Kelly, Jeff, everyone's collaborated on this idea, and it's just a lot of fun, and we hope everyone loves it. Yeah, and I think it's a great addition to Greenfield Avenue as well here in West Dallas because it is different from just another Mexican restaurant. It's uniquely different because you're offering flavors from all around the world. And the decor is special, too. Where did you find some of this stuff? Did you go picking for it? I mean, how do you curate the space when it comes to a globally inspired taco joint? Yeah, a lot of shopping online, antique stores, Princeton Flea Market in Wisconsin. I mean, you name it, we scoured the earth. Now, you know, we don't get to see, we don't get to hear the music, I should say. I know there's going to be a DJ, so we're not going to get to see him today or her. When is that going to happen? We're going to try that out on Fridays and Saturdays and then also Tuesdays eventually. And just spinning some kind of like retro classics and, you know, some music that people might be familiar with at our age. Yeah. Other than that, though, like what's the vibe like going to be in here? Because you have been open for about a week. You've seen customers and how they're reacting to it. You know, what kind of music is playing? What is the vibe like? We have anything from, like, 80s, anything from 80s, like, new wave to punk rock to, you know, some 90s music. Yeah. A little bit of hip-hop mixed in. So, just some nice variety for people to listen to when they come in. And since you're wearing the hat, is there a Brewers-inspired taco that's going to be available? We're working on it today, actually. Yeah, we have to add something by Friday. Definitely. Well, there's a lot to offer from the menu here. El Impostor, 74th and Greenfield, new to West Dallas. It's a taco joint, guys, but globally inspired tacos from, of course, all around the world. Thanks, Casey, and congrats to you and the team. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.