Tex Mex

Mexico Lindo 449 Main St., Melrose 781-662-4056 www.mi-mexicolindo.com Open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Discover, Visa, and MasterCard Accessible to the handicapped After an initial success, restaurants can become complacent. Not so Mexico Lindo, the seven-year-old restaurant in Melrose that still lives up to its "Beautiful Mexico" moniker. The popular place (a no-reservation policy on weekends means you'll be in for a long wait on a Saturday night)

Planet Green is changing course. Its corporate parent, Discovery Communications, announced Wednesday that the cable channel will change its emphasis on nature and ecology and focus instead on the country's spirit and culture under the new name of Destination America. The changeover happens May 28. Destination America will tackle subjects including American cuisine — from Tex-Mex to barbeque — and American mysteries from Jesse James' lost fortune to Area 51. Other shows will visit amusement park thrill rides and Western ghost towns.

Planet Green is changing course. Its corporate parent, Discovery Communications, announced Wednesday that the cable channel will change its emphasis on nature and ecology and focus instead on the country's spirit and culture under the new name of Destination America. The changeover happens May 28. Destination America will tackle subjects including American cuisine — from Tex-Mex to barbeque — and American mysteries from Jesse James' lost fortune to Area 51. Other shows will visit amusement park thrill rides and Western ghost towns.

Mexico Lindo 449 Main St., Melrose 781-662-4056 www.mi-mexicolindo.com Open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Discover, Visa, and MasterCard Accessible to the handicapped After an initial success, restaurants can become complacent. Not so Mexico Lindo, the seven-year-old restaurant in Melrose that still lives up to its "Beautiful Mexico" moniker. The popular place (a no-reservation policy on weekends means you'll be in for a long wait on a Saturday night)

Earlier this month, the Mexican restaurant Jalapeños opened in the former Our House site on Comm. Ave. The local chain, which has locations in Gloucester and Saugus, serves a combination of Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican fare for eat-in or take-out, from fajitas ($13.50-$18.95) and tamales ($13.95) to ceviche ($8.95). But it wouldn’t be a true Mexican restaurant without drinks. The full bar offers 11 special margaritas ($6.95-$10.95), which can be made with any of their dozen-plus tequilas.

WHO: Lisa Fain WHAT: When this seventh-generation Texan relocated to New York in 1995, she began to miss the flavors of home. ‘‘New York was everything I expected except it didn't have Texas food. You couldn't find Tex-Mex or barbecue or chicken-fried steak. For me, it became sort of an obsession, looking for that perfect plate of cheese enchiladas," Fain says. ‘‘So what I did is I started cooking. " In 2006, Fain started a blog, www.homesicktexan.com, showcasing the homemade cuisine of her home state.

Local Bob Jordan The Country That Never Was Sal Magundi ESSENTIAL "Turnaround" A student of Zappa and Dylan and classmates with Michael Hurley, Eugene Chadbourne, and Bruce Hampton, native son Bob Jordan has been twisting up folk, rock, and freak-out music for nearly 40 years. His path through numerous lo-fi recordings and varied concert settings has led to "The Country That Never Was," Jordan's most assured and best-produced album yet. Jordan rides the rails of honky-tonk and Tex-Mex looking for something real among the artificial, and...

Country Tanya Tucker My Turn Saguaro Road ESSENTIAL “Wine Me Up’’ Can Tanya Tucker really be 50? She had her first hit, “Delta Dawn,’’ at 13, then graced the cover of Rolling Stone at 15. She was precocious and got lumped in with country’s outlaw movement, but this new album is traditional to the core. It’s a tribute to her deceased dad, Beau, who once guided her career and turned her on to many of the country classics on this benignly nostalgic but beautifully executed covers record.

Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina 177 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington 781-863-8653 Accessible to the disabled All major credit cards accepted Reservations accepted before 6:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, any time the rest of the week Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday The northwestern suburbs have long been in need of a quality, reasonably priced Mexican restaurant....

POP & ROCK SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS It’s been a good few years for Jones and her classic soul band as critical acclaim has begun to translate into commercial good fortune. Go get sweaty with the gang as they promote their latest album, “I Learned the Hard Way.’’ 7 p.m. May 27. $20-$30. House of Blues. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com GREG LASWELL A singer-songwriter of contemplative tales of mistakes and heartaches, Laswell can go from sweet pop croons to big rock moves in a single bound as evidenced on his sophomore album, “Take a Bow.’’ 9 p.m. May 27. $15. Paradise.

This is the third of four parts. Lasagna may be Italian, but the dish lends itself to other cuisines. Give the standard take on the popular casserole a Tex-Mex twist by layering it with fresh flour tortillas - no need for boiling water, colanders, and stirring - with cooked chicken, salsa, corn, and black beans. Only assembly is required. The dish has other plusses: Snip the tortillas with scissors and you don't need knives. Set up an assembly line of ingredients so the layering takes only minutes.

Serves 6 6 flour tortillas (8 inches) 1 cooked chicken (3 ½ pounds) 2 jars (16 ounces each) mild or medium tomato salsa 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed with cold water 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 3 cups grated mixed Jack cheese and cheddar ⅓ cup sour cream 4 scallions, finely chopped (for garnish) Extra sour cream (for serving)

WHO: Lisa Fain WHAT: When this seventh-generation Texan relocated to New York in 1995, she began to miss the flavors of home. ‘‘New York was everything I expected except it didn't have Texas food. You couldn't find Tex-Mex or barbecue or chicken-fried steak. For me, it became sort of an obsession, looking for that perfect plate of cheese enchiladas," Fain says. ‘‘So what I did is I started cooking. " In 2006, Fain started a blog, www.homesicktexan.com, showcasing the homemade cuisine of her home state.

Earlier this month, the Mexican restaurant Jalapeños opened in the former Our House site on Comm. Ave. The local chain, which has locations in Gloucester and Saugus, serves a combination of Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican fare for eat-in or take-out, from fajitas ($13.50-$18.95) and tamales ($13.95) to ceviche ($8.95). But it wouldn’t be a true Mexican restaurant without drinks. The full bar offers 11 special margaritas ($6.95-$10.95), which can be made with any of their dozen-plus tequilas.

POP & ROCK SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS It’s been a good few years for Jones and her classic soul band as critical acclaim has begun to translate into commercial good fortune. Go get sweaty with the gang as they promote their latest album, “I Learned the Hard Way.’’ 7 p.m. May 27. $20-$30. House of Blues. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com GREG LASWELL A singer-songwriter of contemplative tales of mistakes and heartaches, Laswell can go from sweet pop croons to big rock moves in a single bound as evidenced on his sophomore album, “Take a...

Country Tanya Tucker My Turn Saguaro Road ESSENTIAL “Wine Me Up’’ Can Tanya Tucker really be 50? She had her first hit, “Delta Dawn,’’ at 13, then graced the cover of Rolling Stone at 15. She was precocious and got lumped in with country’s outlaw movement, but this new album is traditional to the core. It’s a tribute to her deceased dad, Beau, who once guided her career and turned her on to many of the country classics on this benignly nostalgic but beautifully executed covers record.

Serves 6 6 flour tortillas (8 inches) 1 cooked chicken (3 ½ pounds) 2 jars (16 ounces each) mild or medium tomato salsa 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed with cold water 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 3 cups grated mixed Jack cheese and cheddar ⅓ cup sour cream 4 scallions, finely chopped (for garnish) Extra sour cream (for serving)

Serves 4 Texas restaurateur Robert Del Grande makes this mac and cheese with elbows, tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar, and poblano chili pepper. Poblanos vary in heat level; smaller, darker ones are sometimes spicier. If your nose stings when you handle the chilies, or if the raw chili tastes wildly spicy when you bite into it, use fewer. This dish comes out flecked with green. Butter (for the dish) 1 pound poblano chilies (4 to 6 chilies)

Local Bob Jordan The Country That Never Was Sal Magundi ESSENTIAL "Turnaround" A student of Zappa and Dylan and classmates with Michael Hurley, Eugene Chadbourne, and Bruce Hampton, native son Bob Jordan has been twisting up folk, rock, and freak-out music for nearly 40 years. His path through numerous lo-fi recordings and varied concert settings has led to "The Country That Never Was," Jordan's most assured and best-produced album yet. Jordan rides the rails of honky-tonk and Tex-Mex looking for something real among the artificial, and ultimately feels like an...

Serves 4 Texas restaurateur Robert Del Grande makes this mac and cheese with elbows, tortillas, Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar, and poblano chili pepper. Poblanos vary in heat level; smaller, darker ones are sometimes spicier. If your nose stings when you handle the chilies, or if the raw chili tastes wildly spicy when you bite into it, use fewer. This dish comes out flecked with green. Butter (for the dish) 1 pound poblano chilies (4 to 6 chilies)