Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Pan-Latino'.
-
For those of you who drive through the 28/29 area, you know what I'm talking about. They've literally been constructing at that site for years. The only signs say "Cooley Electric." My wife called the Cooley phone number and they said it will be a mexican restaurant. I've heard a rumor that each level will be progressively higher scale than the one below (there are three levels). It's built to have views of the mountains in the far distance with balconies on level two and three on the west side. Is any of this even true? Any idea when it will open, what it will be called, if it's local or a chain, or anything at all about it? -
Last weekend, after a truly frustrating afternoon at Lowes, we finally got around to checking out Samantha's (according to the Post's website, it does have the apostrophe). We found it only by memory and luck ("I think it's on University"). It has a nice casual, family-friendly vibe. We were starving, and demolished the salsa and chips. The salsa was pretty good-- it's thicker than most (not too drippy or runny). We started with the chicken tamales (billed as a Salvadoran "treat") and the ceviche. I thought the chicken in the tamales was a bit dry, but I think almost all chicken is dry (except at Palena Cafe). Nonetheless, the tamales had a great cornmeal flavor to them, and had garbanzo beans and mushrooms, and we really liked them. This was certainly not a mass-produced glob of cornmeal, as tamales can be. The fish ceviche was also excellent. It reminded us that we need to get back to Costa Verde for their huge ceviche appetizers.... For entrees, I had the mariscos saltado, which was shrimp and scallops, assorted vegetables and onions in a "peruvian" broth. I didn't think it all came together that well (I am kind of picky about veggies and I didn't realize the dish would be predominately veggies so it was my own fault), but the sauce was nice. My husband had a dish that was chicken stuffed with peppers, mushrooms and spinach, which was recommended by the server. He was quite pleased with his dish-- everything was very fresh and flavorful. For the price point (low teens for entrees) and the authentic cuisine, we would definitely return. [edited to add a detail that I had forgotten] -
Yeah, both good choices. I've worked in Falls Church (just over the line) for 14 years so I know both of those places well. Caribbean Grill has OUTSTANDING side dishes -- their yuca is superb, and their plantains melt in your mouth. While their chicken is very good, I've often just gotten side dishes for lunch. This was actually my first time trying any of the eateries in Lee-Harrison (other than Dogma for my pups). Pietanza looks interesting too, but also a bit pricy. Then there's Sushi-Zen. Any 411 on either of those? I'm guessing "Oriental Gourmet" is as bad as you'd expect from the name? -
With a tittle like that, maybe you are expecting tuxedo shirted waiters and mariachi music in the background {ala Samanthas) and you oculdn't be more wrong. First off, instead of a brightly painted home like interior, the place is brightly lit in the middle of an Asian owned Mercato in a strip mall on Ennalls Ave in Wheaton {even thought the card insists on Ennalls Eve!}. The staff is a varied roster of very friendly, if English limited Latina's usually presided over by one of the owners. The menu, up until the printing of trifold cards with the menu printed on both sides, consisted of bad pictures on the wall. There is no sign outside with any name, and before the aforementioned cards, I heard it called only Juanita's Kitchen, and that was only once. We are the only folk I have ever seen int he place who were neither the owners nor Latino. Lots of Older Latino Dad's being taken thee by their sons. Women, almost exclusively, cook there {aside from Kay}. The food: Spectacular! Better than any of the myriad other choices serving up DC's signature combo of Salvadoran, Honduran & Tex Mex. Last night, we pointed to one of the pictures, labeled enchilladas, with another non readable name which turned out to be a huge pile of chicken fried to a golden brown with skin as crispy as that of the roast pig at Din sum, if not more so, atop a massive amount of fried plantains smothered in shredded cabbage and doused with mayo,ketchup and salsa. Had I known what it was, I would have never ordered it and my life would be lessened for the lack. If course my life may be lessened anyways from the cholesterol! When I was growing up, my teen years were spent delivering furniture for my Dad's furniture store in South Central. One highlight was the occasional trip to Queen Bee's {or was it aunt Bee's} near the infamous corner of Normandy & Florence where massive amounts of food could be had for a pittance and the dishes came either plain {with 2 sides} or smothered {with two sides and something to cover the main dish}. Inthe case of the fried chicken, it was smothered in cole slaw with a touch of salsa and the dish last night approached the memory of my last meal at Bee's! We ahd one pupusa "revuelta" or mixed cheese and pork. The pupusas are patted by hand and griddles to order. They come out greaseless {all the lard stays in the dough where it belongs}, crispy on the outside with burnt spots and a lush, incendiarilyy hot filling. Kay ordered a sopa di res that was completely untouched because of the massive amount of chicken. Two Tamarindo and a tip that brought wide eyes and big smiles from the ladies for $25. Other amazing dishes include: Sopa di Pollo when they have it. Carne Asada provided you have good teeth and the willingness to chew in order toget a gamy seasoned tough pieceof steak down the old gullet {accompanied by massively good black beans and crappy rice}. Lengua al Guisada is amazing: stewed till tender tongue with beans and rice. Not my style was a hugely rich and greasy balliades which is a sort of cross between a turn over and a quesadilla: a rich doughy tortilla/pastry folded over melted white cheese, black beans & avocado slices with chunks of meat. We spend between $15 and $25 for dinner for two. We gain insight to another culture thru the Novellas or the talk/talent shows on the TVs and we have a great meal in the bargain. 2521 Ennalls Eve {sic}, Wheaton MD 20902 301-933-5843 Hours approximately 6am 'til 10pm but they have been known to be closed by 9:30. -
Late last week the following message was posted to our U-Street area email group: Some questions were answered at last night's ANC1B meeting on the application for a new restaurant at 1825 14th Street. The placard described the restaurant as "serving Mediterranean fusion cuisine with a focus on Latin and Asian Tapas." At last night's meeting attorney Andrew Kline disclosed that the restauranteur is Richard Sandoval and the chef is Kazuhiro Okochi. Here are links to explore on each of these partners: Richard Sandoval: www.modernmexican.com Kazuhiro Okochi: www.kazsushibistro.com Sandoval already has a presence here in DC with Zengo in Gallery Place. Capacity is estimated at 140 and will also feature a sidewalk cafe with seating for 25. CSNA review of the application will be on the April 9th agenda. The concept -- "Mediterranean fusion cuisine with a focus on Latin and Asian Tapas" -- sounds pretty circa 1995 and I wouldn't have paid much attention had I not seen Kazuhiro's name attached to the project. Now all of the sudden it sounds interesting. Anyone know anything about it? -
So I need to find a new chicken place now that we have moved... I also would like to find a place for Saltenas and Empanadas. (I really miss being close to Caribbean Grill, it was one of my favorites, we also had a Crisp and Juicy right there.) I don't mind going down Route 1 a bit, as that can be on Hubby's way home. I have been to Edy's at Bailey's before, and it's fine, but not special to me and can be crowded to get in and out of that shopping center. I have been to the chicken place by David's Car Wash, again not bad, and much easier to get in and out of. Where do you Alexandrians get your chicken fix? Where would you get Saltenas? -
I haven't posted much recently because I haven't had many meals that have been inspiring one way or the other. That changed last night. I went to Benito's Place by myself and had a delightful experience. The mole guerrero was a brilliant ruby red, with incredible depth and a lovely kick, accompanied by beans, rice and fresh tortillas. The pupusas were gooey and much lighter than most pupusas I've had in the area, which I've found to be mealy and dense. Service was lovely, space was quiet and friendly. All for $20 + tip. Highly recommended on a cold winter night or, really, any night. WaPo had a favorable write-up of it last year: Feb 13, 2018 - "Benito's Place Restaurant: a Fantastic Food Tour of Latin America" by Gabe Hiatt on washingtonpost.com-
- 3
-
-
- Logan Circle
- Pan-Latino
- (and 1 more)
-
My husband and I wanted to grab an early dinner around 6:15 pm Saturday to make up for the anniversary dinner we had to cancel earlier in the week (it's a long story that involves a concussion - and said concussion is making husband very sleepy, hence the early dinner). We figured it should be no issue showing up at Himitsu at 6:15 to grab two seats either at the bar or a table. I figured that most people wouldn't be eating or even out yet on a Saturday at 6. Wow. I was wrong. The wait was over 2 hours long when we arrived so we decided to head elsewhere and got in the car to try our luck at Izakaya Seki. However, as soon as I turned down 8th st from Upshur we saw a new restaurant, that had a few tables, and figured, why not? The internet suggested that it was a new Asian street food restaurant (an old Prince of Petworth article), but when we looked at the menu in the window it was clear it was a Pan-Latin place. Since my husband and I both work in Latin America and travel there often we figured, again, why not? I asked the very nice hostess how long they had been open -- she said three weeks. We were seated immediately - the room is cool - lots of Edison bulbs, wood, exposed brick, plants hanging on the wall, central large bar. We both really liked the space. Service, throughout the night, was fine. A little distracted (menus sat on the table most of the meal until I asked for them to be taken away, long waits for water) and just a little inexperienced. But, hey, it was week 3, and the server was perfectly nice and did his job. Polish will come. The menu is broken down into four categories and includes a variety of drinks and dishes from Peru, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. One category is appetizers, which had empanadas, fish tacos, quiejo coehlo (A delicous slab of cheese with oregano that you eat on the beach in Brazil) and some other items. There was also a ceviche section with 4 or 5 choices, a section of sandwiches (a chicken milanesa, a choripan - which is a grilled sausage sandwich, and a Cubano), and a main course section with chiles rellenos, a carne asada hanger steak with yucca fries and chimichurri, a fish special of the day (a seafood stew on Saturday), an Aji Huancaina (Peruvian yellow chile sauced chicken) and a couple other dishes. We had the queijo and fish tacos as appetizers and both were very good - as good as or better than the versions we usually eat in Latin America. I had the carne asada for my main and it was fine. I liked it, but could make it at home with the pre-marinated carne asada from Trader Joe's. My husband had the seafood stew which had octopus, clams, fish, and mussels in a really nice broth. It was great. We didn't do dessert. The wine list is heavy on Chilean and Argentine Malbecs and Pinot Noirs, but I had a very nice glass of a Bolivian!! Tannat that is a rarity. I would have liked to have seen more Uruguayan wines on the menu, as I think they are great and under-represented. The cocktail list is also nice - my mole Old Fashioned was really great on a cold night. I think this is a nice new addition to the scene! -
A friend just wrote and asked for the best Ceviche in the DC area - I had to think about this for a moment, but my guess was China Chilcano - can anyone come up with other ideas? I thought about Fiola Mare, but didn't see anything on their online menu. One other question: I tend to spell this "Ceviche," but have seen numerous spellings of "Seviche" - what are the roots of these variants?
-
Now open in former Black Finn space. "Tapa Bar Opens in Bethesda" by Aaron Kraut on bethesdamagazine.com -
I first tried out Seoul Food's offerings at the DC Grey Market a few months back. They're now a full-blown food truck and received a nice writeup in yesterday's Good to Go column. They make their way to Courthouse once every week or two, and Rosslyn, Clarendon, and Ballston are among their regular stops. So far I've tried a couple of different dishes and find that they are tasty, filling, and a pretty good value. As the article notes, the bibimbap is a little different than the usual restaurant version, with shredded fresh carrots and radishes and salad greens included. The beef and the tofu version are both good, especially with the spicy chili sauce on top mingling with the runny egg yolk. The Superbowl tends more Latin, but is also loaded with good flavors and fresh ingredients. -
Caribbean Grill is on of our go-to take out places (although there are a few tables inside). It is on Lee Hwy at the intersection with George Mason Rd. in the same shopping center as Saran. (You know the place that is really difficult to get in and out of) The chicken while very good, just isn't as good as El Pollo Rico; however, the sides more than make up for difference in chicken seasoning. I think the Cuban rice is very good. Not overly spiced, but very comforting. They have fried, baked and stewed yucca. The fried is my favorite. Nice texture that stands up against the ride back home even. The plantains have nice flavor and you get a reasonable portion. They also have steamed veggies, non-Cuban rice and a nice selection of beans. This place is quick, tasty and pretty affordable. I hear they have a really good Cuban sandwich, but we always get chicken. Will have to try it sometime. They also have a lot of Cuban specialties I have also not tried yet. Ordering a whole chicken provides days of food for me, so it is just so hard to pass up, especially when the whole place smells like roasting chicken. The ladies are always very nice, and you can almost always get a table.
-
I ate dinner last weekend at Sin Fronteras. My Mother and her SO has been raving about the place, so I was glad to get to check it out. The parking lot of this place was packed, which has to be a good sign. My Mom really likes the Margarita Salmon. She told me to get the Chile En Nogoda which is- A toasty poblano pepper, filled with seasoned ground brisket beef combined with raisins and sweet plantains, topped with our delicious, homemade cold creamy Nogada Sauce served with white rice. It was delicious- it had a really good mix of flavors and was savory, but fresh. I thought the combination sounded a bit strange, but it was really good. Not a huge portion, but just right with the chips and salsa and everything else. My Mom got a seafood soup that I tried which was also delicious- it tasted like a latin version of a bouillabaisse. SO had the tilapia which was also very good from the bite I stole. The guac had more cilantro than I like, (but I don't like any cilantro) but was good. The margarita I had was more than acceptable in size. I loved this place, the interior is a bit like a sports bar/diner cross in feel, very casual. The owner was so nice and wanted to make sure we liked everything, which we did. They take a lot of pride in their restaurant and food.
-
Hard to believe, but their is a new restaurant in Tyson's, next to BJ's and Neisha Thai (in ythe old Bertrutti's space) Paladar Latin Kitchen Claudia and I were looking for a quick meal on Saturday night and decided to give it a whirl. While the remodel was nice, this has all the indications of a chain. That being said, we had a couple of seats at the bar and ordered a few mojitos and a few of their latin street foods. The mojitos were pretty good, lots of fresh mint and lime. The first item to arrive was a wonderful bowl of guac with some house made chips. Really nicely done, fresh, good sized portion and at $5 bucks a bargain to boot. We then when on to a couple of braised beef tacos, another winner, nicely dressed and the beef was fantastic. The trio of salsas was "ok" nothing really special, and the seafood ceviche was ok as well. The service was very good and friendly. Decent for Happy hour, we will return to try a few more items. -
I will accept your thanks in advance as I am now full and can't breath. I caught wind of this place on the cesspool that is Fairfax Underground and decided to check it out on my way back from DC today. The old Fairfax institution Arthur Treacher''s has gone the way of the dinosaur. Gone are the days of frozen deep fried fish and chips. Instead lets say hello to the days of fresh deep fried fish and chips. I showed up at 1 this afternoon and there were about 5 tables filled. Since this was a scouting mission, I jumped on the grenade and over-ordered. See the things I do for this community? Fish and Chips - Fries - a solid 6, but nothing special. The fish. A solid 8 +. Light batter and the fish was fresh and firm (that's what she said...) They use Cod. Tarter Sauce is homemade and good. Hushpuppies - two gripes - they should throw a couple of these in an order of fish and chips. Also, these would be better with some kind of butter or honey butter which was not offered. Regardless, I got the appetizer and they were actually good. Crispy, fluffy and not greasy. Of course, they sell tacos so I got two of those. Come on. I dare you to name a single fish and chips joint that does not also sell authentic mexican street tacos.... Anyways, I had the Carnitas and Barbacoa. Both were actually very good and the fresh tortillas were nice as well. The Carnitas had a good flavor and were not dry. The Barbacoa was spicy and tender. They also do chicken, chorizo and fish. Now I am full thanks to you guys. I would write more but I am going to hit the treadmill to see if I can regain some of my self esteem. In the meantime, if you are in the area and need a cheap lunch - skip Chipotle and check them out. When I go back, I don't know what I will get because everything I ordered was a standout.- 76 replies
-
- 9
-
-
- Fairfax
- Fairfax Circle
- (and 6 more)
-
Yes the general consensus here is that Banana Cafe on Captiol Hill is crap...so why start a thread you ask, because there is new found proof that even crappy restaurants can produce a good dish and I have found that dish at Banana Cafe: The plantain quesadilla! The tortilla was perfectly golden brown and crisp, the plantains meltingly soft and delicious...a light smear of sour cream set it all off. Conversely the stuffed yuca with chorizo, carrots and olives off the "tapas" menu was a disgusting mess. -
Ah, yes, I've been to their food truck - they had a tasty Chicken Milanese. I even found a couple of pictures - I'm not 100% sure this is them, but I'm 90% sure (there were two food trucks that parked in that shopping center, but I'm pretty sure La Chiquita furnished these, or at least one of them).
-
I'm not sure when Sol y Mar closed, but Gisele's Creole Cuisine, a Haitian place, has apparently opened in the Royal Mile space per Robert Dyer's blog. -
Warren Rojas is one of our area's most underrated restaurant critics. He first wrote about La Caraqueña here, in the October issue of Northern Virginia magazine. Take a look at those pictures of the arepas. Todd Kliman than picked up on it in Washingtonian here, and between the two positive reviews, I felt negligent for not having tried it myself. La Caraqueña has a bright new sign outside, but sits in the parking lot of what can only be called a fleabag motel. As I drove into the parking lot, I said out loud to myself, "God this place is a dump." That impression went away the moment I walked into the restaurant - a completely empty restaurant at 12:45 on a weekday. Warren's review was on the wall, and a gentleman was standing behind the cash register, all by himself. "Do you do carryout?" I asked him. He handed me a menu, which I began to look over. Then I looked up at him, and asked, "Do you make your salteñas here?" The look I got was a curious mixture of politeness, frustration, and what amounted to almost complete dismissal. "Yes," he said. "We make everything here." "I'll take two of them to go." I stood around waiting, and after a moment, he said, "It's going to take about fifteen minutes. You might want to have a look at the paintings on the wall [for sale], or have a seat." So I went out, made a quick call, then came back in, grabbed a menu, and sat at a table and waited. I read that all items are cooked to order, and that this is not fast food - they don't even have a paper carryout menu. After a couple of minutes, he came back out to the register, and asked me if I'd ever been in before. I told him no, but that I liked the salteñas at El Pike in Seven Corners. He perked up. "You've been to El Pike?" he said. "Yes. I don't like the ones at Luzmila's [down the street] as much because they use a lot of sugar." That was all it took. He became animated and engaged in the conversation. "Salteñas are all over Bolivia," he said, "and you can't find the real ones here. Wait until you try mine." "Are you the GM?" "No, I'm the chef." It was Raul Claros. After a few more minutes, he went back into the kitchen, then came out and handed me a bag. He said, "Here you go, sir. You're about to have salteñas like you've never had before." His confidence bordered on cockiness. And he was right. El Pike's have been very good in the past; La Caraqueña's were fantastic - the best I've ever eaten. And yet, the dining room was empty. My friends, I cannot vouch for the rest of this menu, but after Warren and Todd raved about the arepas, can there be much doubt about them? I propose a $20 Tuesday, sooner rather than later, at La Caraqueña. I am utterly intrigued from what little I've seen, am going back for a more thorough exploration very soon, and have a feeling that this little restaurant is doing something very important, in a small-scale way. Please try it and give us your impressions. Cheers, Rocks.
-
Walked by last night to what looked like a fully kitted-out restaurant in a cute space; was told it will be opening next week. http://tabledc.com/about/ http://www.popville.com/2012/10/new-restaurant-from-chef-frederik-de-pue-table-coming-to-shaw-looking-to-open-nov-3rd/- 39 replies
-
- 1
-
-
- Shaw
- Modern American
- (and 2 more)
-
Guarapo Lounge closed on Nov. 12 (ArlNow article, Guarapo's Facebook post). -
I've been driving down Georgetown Pike for twenty years or so, and don't ever remember Kabob Place not being in downtown Great Falls, although it has changed ownership fairly recently. It's now operated, I believe, by the Ternisky family (if you've ever come across a pediatric dentist named Ternisky in Fairfax County, that's the father). These folks also own Romantica Pizzeria next door, and I suspect they might have taken control of Kabob Place from the previous owners, who were Persian, due to its proximity. Kabob Place used to be extremely expensive for what it was - in fact, I believe it might have been the most expensive kabob house in the DC region, even more so than Shamshiry, despite it being a tiny little dive. When I visited this time, the prices didn't strike me as being particularly high at all, so they were either lowered, or time caught up with them. What did strike me, however, was the preponderance of Latino cuisine - not on the regular paper menu, but written on sheets of paper, as specials, and taped to the walls. The kitchen workers appeared to be Latino, so I went with the flow - thinking I'd be getting a kabob when I pulled up in the parking lot, I ended up dining south of the border, and I'm glad I did. They were advertising pupusas, and I asked the gentleman working the register (who had very much of a managerial presence to him) if the owners were Salvadoran. He pointed to the grill cook working the flat-top, who turned to me and smiled, and said, "She's from El Salvador." I immediately ordered a Pupusa de Queso ($2.25), and had a Diet Coke (.99) while I waited. For my main course, I ordered Carne Asada ($10.50) and decided to eat in the restaurant rather than get carryout. The pupusa arrived just before the carne asada, and it was wonderful - I suspect this cook has made many a pupusa in her day, and you should remember this when you come here. The carne asada was (not surprisingly) cooked to well-done, with a good char to it, and served with thoroughly pounded refried beans and rice - the seasoning was all just about perfect, and the only decision to make was "hot sauce or not sauce" - the flavor of this dish was good enough where I didn't want to taint it with any chili sauce, so I enjoyed it by itself. Shortly after getting my meal, the gentleman came up to me and told me he'd forgotten my tortillas (I didn't know I was getting any to begin with), and I told him the pupusa was more than enough for me, and we could let the tortillas go. Taken as an ensemble, the beefy meat and the cheesy pupusa were a delicious combination, and just the right amount of food. I finished my meal, and walked out pleasantly full and very satisfied. There is nothing at all fancy here; just solid Latino grill-work at reasonable prices - Kabob Place is worth knowing about the next time you're hankering for Latino food in or around Great Falls. I'm sure the kabobs are fine too, and maybe I'll try them next time ... or, maybe not.
- 1 reply
-
- 1
-
-
- Great Falls
- Persian
- (and 5 more)
-
My son says I need to watch 'Narcos', & I tried Arepas Capitol down in Woodbridge & it was awesome-fresh & delicious. My only experience was years ago at La Caraquena, & this topped it! --- I lucked out again yesterday- I had to meet a friend down in Woodbridge (she lives in Montclair) & I picked Arepas Capitol off of Yelp. It was awesome, & I don't understand why it was not packed at lunchtime yesterday. Next to BJ's, small storefront- I ordered the Reina pepiada (chicken salad w/ avocado) arepa & the empanada pabellon (shredded beef, cheese, plantains) . They were both amazing, delicious, my friend got a regular shredded beef & cheese empanada, but then ordered 2 empanada pabellon for dinner that night. Service & food were excellent, & I'm looking forward to heading that way & trying out more stuff (but I think I ordered the perfect items, if that makes sense). -
Arepas Pues joined the Downtown Silver Spring dining scene in April, replacing a Quiznos Sub on Fenton Street (next to Sushi Jin). After seeing some online reviews that seemed to show inconsistencies in both food and service, we decided to give them some time to iron out the kinks before we visited for the first time. Today, we gave in and decided to stop in for lunch. We stopped in during the middle of a quite busy lunch service. In addition to several groups and couples dining in, there was quite a bit of takeout orders being picked up. A good sign. Tajadas: Fried sweet plantains with salty cheese Empanada de Carne La de Pernil Arepa (foreground): Roasted pork shoulder, tomato slice, spicy sauce (the spicy sauce!!!) La Safrina Arepa (background): Chicken, mayonnaise, avocado, cheddar cheese - served cold, it was like a delicious chicken salad Sancocho de Cola: Oxtail soup slow-cooked with potatoes, cassava, green plantains, served with rice & avocados. My wife LOVED this - it reminded her of her mission trips to the Dominican Republic while in pre-med! We really enjoyed our lunch, and will definitely frequent them in the future. Arepas Pues 8555 Fenton St (next to Sushi Jin) Silver Spring, MD 20910 (240) 670-8020 | Facebook
- 3 replies
-
- 4
-
-
- Silver Spring
- Columbian
- (and 3 more)
-
First, let me say that there are two El Rancho restaurants in Northern Virginia: One in Backlick Plaza in Springfield, and a second on Columbia Pike in South Arlington. They used to be under the same umbrella, but as you can see, that is no longer the case: The website for the South Arlington restaurant is here, and the website for the Springfield restaurant is here. To put into perspective just how similar the two restaurants are, the South Arlington restaurant still uses a menu that refers to Springfield's website - the ownership change must be fairly recent. Anyway, this thread is about the South Arlington El Rancho on Columbia Pike. I've been here several times, and it is definitely a working-man's restaurant (and I say "man" with a purpose, because you do see a lot of Latino workers here, refueling after a long day on the job). The Pollo a la Brasa is decent, but on my most recent visit, I got Carne Asada ($11.69), a grilled steak platter with choice of two sides - I ordered Yuca Fries and Black Beans and Rice, and it came with a tiny plastic tub of pico de gallo and some of the pink dipping sauce for the yuca (*) If you've been to area Salvadoran-owned restaurants (**), you can probably picture pretty much exactly how this food was, except that the portion sizes are more modest than you'll often see (a lot of times when you order Carne Asada, you have leftovers for the next day; not so in this case). The steak is invariably cooked to well-done, the yuca is often somewhat mushy in the center, and the black beans and rice are always good. And so it was. I'm really straining to come up with something interesting to say about this meal, but this was food that you eat; not food that you dine on. It's tasty, satisfying, filling, and (fried yuca aside) not at all unhealthy. The problem, of course, being that other than beans and rice, most other sides at these restaurants are either "fried" or "saucy" or both, so you'd have to double up on the rice and beans in order to make this a healthy meal, and even then the beef was pretty darned salty. Well, I managed to write a few paragraphs about not a whole lot. El Rancho is a perfectly decent Pan-Latino restaurant that's clean (not always the case, mainly due to age), and has very polite employees who don't speak a lot of English. For me, if I'm hungry, and in the area, and don't feel like analyzing what I'm eating, it's a repeat. (*) I was busy looking at my computer screen while eating, and dunked a yuca strip into the little tub of pink sauce. The sauce was viscous enough where the entire thing (tub and all) clung to the yuca, and I put it in my mouth. (I mean, I caught it right at the entry point, but it was heading in that direction.) (**) I believe the owners here are from Ecuador.
- 2 replies
-
- 2
-
-
- Arlington
- South Arlington
- (and 3 more)
