Restaurants Archives - Page 48 of 49

Taco Mamacita-August 6, 2011

August 9, 2011

Saturday night we decided that we were going to go downtown to eat and then pick up groceries at Greenlife after. Our first thought was to go to The Terminal, but because it was Saturday evening we weren’t too sure how long we’d end up waiting if we went to a more “bar-ish” restaurant. We tossed around a couple of ideas and then Philip suggested Taco Mamacita. I had been once, and, to be honest, was not bowled over that first time. Not that there was anything bad, I just wasn’t dying to go back. Since Philip hadn’t been, though, I was willing to give it another try-and I’m glad I did.

We got there pretty early-around 5:30 or so-so we didn’t have to wait at all. We walked right in and got seated, and our server came over immediately, took our drink orders (two waters, of course), and talked to us about the menu. I had tried their chips and salsa the first time I was there, so we ordered chips and queso. They came out very quickly. The chips were hot and fresh, and the cheese sauce was very similar to what you get in more “traditional” Mexican restaurants, but a thicker with a little more complexity to the flavor (look at me throwing out all the fancy terms!). Still, pretty much standard queso-which is not a bad thing.

Our server went over the menu with us really quickly when she took our drink orders. She recommended that if we were really hungry we would probably want to get a salad or enchiladas, which are both a full meal. Philip’s ears perked when she pointed out the brisket rancheros enchiladas (I believe I have mentioned that he has a thing for brisket) but in the end we both decided that the name of the restaurant isTACO Mamacita, so we wanted to get the namesake. We each ordered the two tacos and a side meal.

I decided on the Oy Vey (slow-cooked chipotle beef brisket, topped with ranchero sauce, crispy lettuce, pico de gallo, monterey jack cheese, guacamole, and fresh escabeche), the black bean taco (housemade black bean cake topped with crema, crispy lettuce, pico de gallo, monterey jack cheese, guacamole, and fresh escabeche), and Mexican street corn (off the cob). Philip decided on the Memphis (slow-braised pork, diced white onion, chopped dill pickle, jalapeno corn slaw, dry rub seasoning, and barbecue sauce) and the Taco Royale (double-stacked taco-yes, as in double decker a la Taco Bell-with roasted chicken, salsa verde, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, crumbled chorizo, black bean mash, and chipotle cream sauce) with churros beans, which our server described as beans in a vinaigrette. Those four tacos really just scratched the surface-Taco Mamacita offers fourteen different tacos!

As I mentioned before, I wasn’t totally sold on my first try here. I guess I ordered the wrong thing! My tacos were really, really great today. The chipotle in the brisket gave a really nice smoky flavor, and all the different flavors and textures really worked together. I wasn’t too sure about a “black bean cake” on a taco, but the server recommended it (she pointed out that the shrimp po’boy BLT taco I was contemplating was “pretty fattening.” She clearly doesn’t know me!) and I was willing to give it a try. I wasn’t sad that I did! It was like a great black bean burger, but on a taco. The corn was really good, too….but it was corn. No big news there. Philip’s “Memphis” taco was simply fantastic. I will definitely order it when I go back. It had all the classic barbecue flavors, and the dill pickle really set off the flavor. I didn’t try the Taco Royale, but Philip said that it was really good. The charros beans were very interesting-I’ve never had beans in vinaigrette before. Tasty!

Oy Vey on the left, black bean on the right...

...and again

Taco Royale in front, Memphis in back...

AAAANNNNND again!

By the way, Taco Mamacita serves their tacos on flour tortillas. I really prefer corn, but I guess with all the toppings flour tortillas hold together a lot better (corn tortillas fall apart if you look at them too hard!). I was hoping that they were housemade, but my server checked and told me that they buy them. However, she did point out when she was going over the menu with us that everything is made fresh to order, so if you want them to leave something off (or add something, I presume) they’ll be happy to do so.

I always feel like I should at least mention atmosphere, and with a lot of small local restaurants I feel bad because I am always trying to gloss over the lack of decor. I don’t feel like it’s necessary to judge a restaurant on its appearance, but Taco Mama definitely has atmosphere. It’s brightly (but not eye-jarringly) decorated with large pictures on the wall, decorative tabletops, and pendant light fixtures. There’s also a patio so you can eat outside if you like, but it was so hot that we did not think that was a good idea! There were families with children there, so I think it’s safe to say that it’s a family-friendly atmosphere (the toddler sitting at the table next to us apparently enjoyed his/her food, as it was all over the floor!).

If you are in the mood for Mexican food with an interesting twist, I’d definitely recommend that you try Taco Mamacita. They are located at 109 North Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37405 (the old Durty Nelly’s location). They can be reached at 423-648-6262. Check out their website or Facebook page.

The Sandwiche Shoppe-July 29, 2011

August 4, 2011

The Sandwiche Shoppe in Soddy-Daisy is easy to miss, if you don’t know it’s there. It’s just a restaurant, in a very nondescript brick building, with another store located in the same building. If you aren’t looking for it, you might drive right by! I am not sure how long it’s been around; it started in a different location and moved to this location years ago. We affectionately refer to it as the “sandweesh shoppie” because of the spelling…because we’re silly like that. And we love the Sandweesh Shoppie, so it truly is affectionate!

The decor at The Sandwiche Shoppe is spare….diner-style tables and chairs, a few pictures hanging on the walls, and a few snapshots on the counter. It’s okay. Honestly, I don’t expect a lot of “ambiance” from a restaurant like this. It’s definitely not an unpleasant atmosphere. One thing that I really like is that the food prep area is right in the middle of the dining room, surrounded by a counter. There is no funny business going on, and the proof is right there for you to see! Of course, my favorite part of the decor is the table of desserts that are pretty much front and center….but more about that in a minute!

The menu is very simple. Sandwiches, salads, desserts, drinks, and a very limited number of sides. There are seventeen (yes, seventeen!) sandwiches available, plus a corndog…maybe that fits into the sandwich category? I’m not so sure about that, but I’m not likely to order a corndog there (or anywhere). Four salads are available: garden, chef, teriyaki, or cajun chicken. I haven’t tried the salads, and to be honest, I probably haven’t even looked at the salad menu! Now that I look at it, though, I need to try the teriyaki! Sounds good. But anyway…

The sandwich menu, as I said before, is pretty extensive. It ranges from standards (BLT, Club, Roast Beef) to more unique or unusual, such as the Muffaletta (I know this is not “unique” but you don’t see this on a lot of menus…it includes Genoa salami, ham, provolone, olive salad, and onion), The Pizza Sub (sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ham, bacon, beef, onion, olives, and jalapenos or pepperoncini), and the Hawaiian Hero (ham, swiss, pineapple, mayo, and lettuce on a honey-wheat bun). Choose between 14″ ($7.75) or 7″ (4.95); the price includes the sandwich and a side of chips or homemade potato salad (by the way, potato salad, chicken or tuna salad, and pimento cheese can be bought by the pint or half-pint).

On this visit, Philip decided to try the Manna Sub-kind of a Maid-Rite or sloppy Joe sort of sandwich with a twist. I had eyed that one, but since he decided to order it I decided to take a bite of his and order myself a French dip. The Manna is described as “perfectly seasoned ground chuck with Swiss and special sauce”. It was very nicely seasoned, and the sauce was slightly sweet with an unusual flavor (in a good way!). Philip had the potato salad; I am not really a potato salad fan but I tasted it and it was very good. The French dip is described as “sliced roast beef, provolone, mayo, and au jus dipping sauce”. I had chips (original Lays) with mine. It was great! The cheese was perfectly melted, there was just a little bit of mayo, and the roast beef tasted great. The jus was warm…not too salty, not too oily. The bread on both sandwiches was fresh. We were impressed.

The Manna Sub

The French Dip

On to desserts…on any given day, when you walk into the Sandwiche Shoppe, you will find an assortment of cakes and pies (usually four or five). On the day we were there, there was Key Lime cake, Italian Creme cake, chocolate cake, and Hershey chocolate cheesecake. Some others available are pineapple upside down, red velvet (I must find out when they have this!), and strawberry. They also offer several pies, such as pecan, key lime, and coconut creme. We decided to split a slice of chocolate cake for $3.25. Now, the cakes are gigantic-three layers. The chocolate cake was super-rich. It tasted good, but it was just chocolate cake. I have a feeling I would have been happier with key lime cake-but Philip doesn’t like key lime…oh well. I wasn’t sad that we got it! Whole pies can be ordered for $14.00, and whole cakes can be ordered for $24.00-$26.00.

Chocolate Layer Cake

If you are in Soddy-Daisy, please check out The Sandwiche Shoppe. It’s been around for at least ten years (more, I believe-if anyone knows, let me know!), and to be around that long they must be doing something right. I have never had anything there that I didn’t like, and every time I go I think that I should go more often. They also offer catering services. They do ask for 24 hours notice for catering or whole pies or cakes.

The Sandwiche Shoppe is located at 8855 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. They can be reached at 423-332-0320. Their hours are 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Riverside Food Works-July 14, 2011

July 16, 2011

July 14 was mine and Philip’s 10th wedding anniversary! To celebrate, we decided to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Food Works. It crossed my mind that maybe we should try a restaurant we hadn’t been to, but then there’s always the chance that you’re going to get a dud and be disappointed. Stick with what you know for special occasions! Here’s a picture that our server took of us:Anyway…enough with the shameless celebrating our 10 years of marital bliss! Let’s get down to business.

Food Works is a restaurant that many love, and some loathe. As for the loathers, I don’t really understand. I will say that I have ordered a couple of dishes that I did not like, but the ones that I did overshadowed those that I didn’t. Perhaps if my first experience had been a bad one, I would feel differently. I, for example, would not recommend the roasted red pepper alfredo with chicken added….but I have learned that I never like pasta dishes in restaurants that have chicken added. The chicken always tastes to me like it just came out of the freezer, so I just avoid them. I have, however, heard others say they like this dish, so to each his own. So, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the experience of the night.

Food Works takes reservations as well as walk-ups. We always make reservations just in case we happen to go on a night that the city decided to come out in droves before 7 p.m. You never know. For this night, we decided to go at 5:30. I guess we were feeling particularly elderly (remember that commercial a few years ago-it’s fun to eat at 4:30 p.m.! Anyway….). Lucky we did! From 4-6 p.m., an early bird special is available. With the early bird, each diner gets a starter, entree, and dessert for $20 per person. Not all menu items are included on the early bird menu, but there was a good selection, and we both found what we had in mind.

Philip ordered the Caesar salad (which is his standard salad order, except at Food Works-more on that in a minute) and shrimp and grits. While I generally try to change up my order when we come here, Philip ordered shrimp and grits on our first visit, and he loved it so much he has never ordered anything else. And he won’t order shrimp and grits anywhere else, for fear of being disappointed if/when they do not measure up. The shrimp and grits is sauced with a creamy, slightly spicy sauce that contains small bits of Tasso ham, and rather than spoonable grits, the grits are a cheesy, fried grit cake. I have tasted it, and it is wonderful. I won’t even attempt this at home, because I know I’ll never make the cut. The Caesar salad is good-very peppery, with ciabatta croutons cooked in butter (!) over whole leaves from romaine hearts. Once our salads came, though, Philip remembered that he usually orders the house salad, because even though the Caesar is good, the house is better.

Hearts of Romaine, House Caesar Dressing, Parmesan, Cracked Pepper, and House-Made Croutons

Sauteed Gulf Shrimp, Tomatoes, and Green Onions over a Smoked Cheddar Grit Cake served with a Tasso Scampi Cream Sauce

So, now, let me tell you about my order. I ordered the house salad and the Food Works burger, medium, with cheddar cheese (if I trust my source, I always order my burgers medium. Steaks medium-rare. Mmmmmm.). The house salad here is to die for, and I always order it, even though it’s pretty expensive at $6 and I would never pay that price anywhere else. It’s mixed greens, sliced Roma tomatoes, candied pecans, and bacon with a honey-balsamic vinaigrette, and it is so good. That’s all I can say about it. I’ve never had a salad this good anywhere else. Their burger is fantastic as well, one of my favorites in town, although I was slightly disappointed that mine was more medium-well than medium, but it still tasted great, and the sky was looking pretty ominous so I wasn’t going to hang out to wait on another one. I was still happy. The bun was grilled, slightly charred even, and I thought that really added to the flavor and texture of the burger. The onions were grilled as well, or else they would have been instantly removed from my burger. The fries were nothing special-skin-on, seasoned-but very good all the same.

Fresh Greens, Tomatoes, Smoked Bacon, and Candied Pecans Tossed in a House Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

8 Oz Angus Burger Grilled to Order with Green Leaf Lettuce, Grilled Red Onions, Tomatoes, Kosher Pickles, & Aioli on a Kaiser Roll with Fries

For dessert, Philip was torn between the creme brulee (he loves creme brulee) and the coffee bread pudding, but chose the bread pudding after (a) I reminded him that I would be making it in a couple of weeks when my aunt visits; and (b) our server recommended it over everything else on the menu. He was not disappointed. It was a GIGANTIC hunk of “Heath Bar” bread pudding (he actually brought about half of it home), warm with coffee-flavored creme anglaise (basically a custard sauce). I tasted it, and it really was delicious.

House made Heath Bar Bread Pudding with Coffee Creme Anglaise

I decided on the strawberry shortcake. It was decidedly simple, basically just a biscuit with strawberries and whipped cream. The strawberries were macerated (a fancy word for marinated, maceration kind of breaks the strawberries down a little, softens them, draws out some of the juice and creates a syrup) in Grand Marnier (an orange-flavored liqueur). I could taste the orange; it wasn’t overpowering but added to the overall flavor. The biscuit was warm, which added a nice temperature contrast to the cold strawberries. The biscuits tasted good, but I’m gonna toot my own horn here for just a second and tell you that my homemade biscuits are better.

The strawberry shortcake is not listed in the current online menu, so unfortunately, I have no "menu description" to provide here! See the preceding paragraph for details.

With our early bird special, we got two (usually very expensive) salads, two entrees, and two desserts (we almost always drink water wherever we go) for $40+tax+a 15% tip that was automatically added, presumably because it was the early bird special. That’s never happened before, and we did find that a little bizarre, especially since there was no line for an additional tip when the server brought the ticket back for Philip to sign. Luckily, we had some cash (a rare occurrence) so we were able to leave an appropriate tip for our server, Geoff, who did an excellent job. He was friendly and attentive without being overbearing, and he was very knowledgeable about the food. I was very impressed at the questions that he asked about specific components of each item that we ordered. Plus, he took our picture! I feel very strongly that great servers should get a tip that matches their level of service.

I meant to take some pictures of the interior. Food Works is located in the old knitting mill on Manufacturer’s Road, and I really love the atmosphere. If no one in your party has trouble with stairs, I recommend that you ask to be seated upstairs; it really does make a difference in the ambiance.

Riverside Food Works is located in the Signal Knitting Mill at 205 Manufacturer’s Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405. For reservations, call 423-752-7487. They open at 11 a.m. daily, serving lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. You can read about them and view their menu on their website; they also have a Facebook page.

The Honest Pint-July 9, 2011

July 9, 2011

A few weeks ago, I purchased a “deal” from Living Social that gave me $30 worth of food at The Honest Pint for $15. I have been itching to try The Pint for several months now, especially since I learned that it is owned by the same people who own The Terminal Brewhouse, one of my absolute favorite restaurants on the planet (and one that I must review ASAP!). This deal gave me the perfect excuse.

When we walked in, we were greeted by a sign telling us that we would have to present our IDs, possibly multiple times, as this was an over-21 establishment. Crap. Bet it smells like smoke in there….well, it wasn’t too bad, but when Marcus, who was tending bar (and who happens to be my brother’s roommate) greeted us, he pointed out the nonsmoking section, which is separated from the smoking section by glass doors. Yea! Separate but equal. Sometimes it can be positive. The smoking section is much, much larger than nonsmoking, but hey, technically it’s a pub, or a bar, or whatever you want to call it. I’m not offended. The decor in this place is just great. I think a lot of it is left over from the previous establishment, Parkway Billiards, but they have definitely added their own flair.

The ceiling. Yes, I took a picture of the ceiling. Someday I want tiles like this on my ceiling.

A quick view of part of the nonsmoking section.....

The server, Juliana, quickly greeted us and pointed out their Saturday and Sunday specials menu, which included a selection of Bloody Marys, several cocktails, and some special entrees (I’ll get to those in a moment) as well as a beer menu (extensive, as would be expected, and their beer focus is on Irish beers and American craft beers, although I assure you that there are beers for the Bud lover too), plus the regular food menu, which contains several traditional Irish dishes with an Honest Pint twist (“herder’s” pie, colcannon, boxty), as well as the things you would expect in any restaurant (sandwiches, salads, etc.) but nothing that was just average. Everything has a twist! They describe their style as a “fusion of American and Irish cooking that will both surprise and impress you.” The entrees on the specials menu included corned beef hash, which meant that there was no choice involved for Philip, a quiche whose name I can’t put my finger on, but that contained pimento cheese (yowza!) and came with a side of breakfast potatoes and bacon jam (more on that later), crepes filled with chicken in an apricot mustard sauce, and an “Honest Happy Meal”, which was corned beef hash, a 20 oz. Guinness, and a toy. I got a good laugh out of that. As much as the quiche appealed, my brother (who is a regular) had recommended the BELT sandwich (which I heard the server call a belt, not a B-E-L-T). Since we had $30 to spend, we also decided to get pommes tots, tater tots fried in duck fat and served with curry ketchup, smoked aioli, and sriracha mayo.

That turned out to be a fantastic decision. I can’t even describe to you how good these things are. I am not a fan of duck as a meat, but duck fat is a wonderful deep-frying medium. So good. So very, very good. The sriracha mayo had a good flavor but was a little spicy for my wimpy tastebuds. The smoked aioli was delicious, and the curry ketchup….well, there are no words. Philip and I were both speechless. It was amazing, and we will be attempting to duplicate that flavor at home. I asked the server, who confirmed that the sauces were, indeed, house made. Score.

Smoked aioli on the left, curry ketchup in the middle, and sriracha mayo on the right. I should have REALLY gotten in there and taken a picture of the tots!

One thing that you should know about Philip is that he truly, truly loves corned beef, and loving corned beef hash is a natural extension of that. I make it once a year, as corned beef is expensive and it generally only goes on sale at St. Patrick’s Day. The hash at The Honest Pint consists of shredded corned beef, cubed potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese. Philip died and went to heaven. He was so happy, in fact, that he tried to convince the chef, Philippe, to come out and accept a hug as a token of Philip’s appreciation, but no dice. He even made a remark to Marcus on the way out somewhere along the lines of “it was the best he’d had,” to which, I, of course bristled. He contended that it was “different” from mine. Perhaps because I leave out the cheese? Or I top mine with a fried egg? Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

Corned beef seems to be a much disputed subject. I don't understand this. It tastes GOOOOOOD.

The menu description of the BELT sandwich asserts that “the BLT is the BELT’s girlfriend.” Hahahahahahahaha. The BELT is a standard BLT made with applewood smoked bacon, with the addition of an over-medium fried egg and sriracha mayo, on a pretzel bun (rye is also an option). Again, I ordered this on my brother’s recommendation and also followed his advice and subbed rashers (Irish bacon, which is more like Canadian bacon than what we know as bacon) for the applewood. Good choice-although I am sure that the applewood bacon would have been fantastic too. The sandwiches come with house-made chips, but you can sub in tots or smashed potatoes for a small charge. I went with the chips, though, as I’m a sucker for a good homemade chip, and I was not disappointed. By the way, the chips are delicious dipped in the pommes tots sauces! Now, let me say, this was not lowfat food, as evidenced by the grease on my napkin….but I did not go there looking for lowfat food, so no matter. The sriracha mayo was not overpowering in the least. This is just a great sandwich.

Bacon in all of its forms is good for the soul.

The pièce de résistance of our meal, however, came in the form of a tiny little condiment cup of bacon jam, with a spoon, complements of the chef. Maybe it was a consolation prize for not accepting Philip’s hug? If so….we were consoled. Recently, I saw a show on Cooking Channel highlighting food trucks around the country. A burger truck was putting something called bacon jam on its burgers…and also selling it by the jar. On the internet. I almost bought some, but then I looked up the recipe and decided I could make a lot more for a lot less than I’d pay for that jar, so needless to say, when I saw the words bacon jam with the quiche, my heart started beating just a little faster…and I’ll definitely be ordering that quiche if it’s available the next time I go. Bacon jam is a revelation, my friends. Think of the best things about barbecue-the sweet, the smoke, the salt, the spice-then combine those with bacon, and you have bacon jam. I am glad we complimented the chef!

By the way, The Honest Pint is also a music venue, spotlighting local artists. Philip is hoping to line up a show there soon!

This was one of the best restaurant experiences we have had. Ever. The service was great, the atmosphere was great, and the food was beyond great. The prices also made me happy, since only a very few items topped $10, and we had trouble spending $30…our total was $27 and some change. We will definitely go back-many times.

The Honest Pint is located at 35 Patten Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402. They can be reached at 423-468-4192. Check out their website and like them on Facebook. And if you go, be sure to tell them that Chattavore sent you-we gotta spread the word!

May 8, 2011-El Metate

May 13, 2011

In the week and a half that Philip has been out of town, I have probably eaten out more that I had eaten out in the two months prior. In fact, last night I was supposed to meet my mom for dinner and actually called her and asked her to come to my house so I could cook for her, since I realized that the only non-restaurant dinner that I have had since last Thursday was a Lean Cuisine that I ate Tuesday night before logging on for my class. Alas, she had already invited my brother to meet us there, so I now officially have eaten restaurant food for 8 days straight minus one which was a frozen entree. This is not a good record to be setting. I will be cooking chicken parm at my parents’ house tonight, though, and Philip will be back on MONDAY (cue balloons here) so I am making a grocery list!!!! All that to say, I have three separate restaurant review posts to put up in the next three days. Obviously, I have eaten out at more than three restaurants, but this is a local restaurant review blog, so those are the ones you get!

On Sunday, Philip’s dad was taking his (Philip’s, that is) mom out for Mother’s Day lunch after church. They called and invited me to go along, and his dad (whom I’m pretty certain is enjoying reading my restaurant reviews) suggested that I choose the restaurant so that I could blog about it. I consulted my list, which is three pages long, with each page containing about three columns worth of restaurants that need to be reviewed. I’m going to be busy for a while-but I digress. I just couldn’t decide. Philip and I never, I repeat never go out to eat after church on Sunday, let alone with any type of holiday crowd, so I had a complete freeze-up. So, I gave my list to his mom and suggested that she choose a restaurant. She chose Biba’s, an Italian restaurant near the Publix in Hixson, and we decided that El Metate would be our back-up (they had never eaten there!). When we got there, though, it became quickly apparent that lots of other mothers had the same idea. We opened the door, saw the crowd, and made a beeline for El Metate, where we were seated immediately.

El Metate is mine and Philip’s favorite place-besides our house, of course-to eat Mexican food. I have never had bad service there, and the food is always good. Because we like to gorge on queso dip, Philip and I almost always order just tacos, otherwise we end up feeling like Violet Beauregarde when she turned into a big blueberry and had to be rolled out of Willy Wonka’s candy factory. However, since Philip’s parents and I did not have any queso, I was free to order off of the menu at will.

I chose to have fajita nachos (I think they’re actually called nachos con fajitas or something like that, but it was five days ago, so you’ll have to forgive me) with both chicken and steak. That was actually the special that day. The fajita nachos have queso (see, I got my queso anyway!), peppers, onions, tomatoes, and whatever meat you choose over chips. I have ordered them before and really liked them. One of my friends actually got them with shrimp once. Look for them on the fajita part of the menu, not the nacho part. I ate almost the entire thing-all of the chips and meat, just left some of the peppers and onions. I don’t know if this serving was smaller than what I’d had before, or if I was just much fuller before because of the Violet Beauregarde effect. Anyway, they were fantastic!

Philip’s dad chose fish tacos. Now, if you haven’t had a fish taco before, you may be cringing. Lots of people-the majority of my family included-think it sounds like the most terrible idea ever. In fact, Philip did not take to the idea immediately the first time I made them. Give them a chance! They really are great. Anyway, the fish tacos were simply grilled (or at least I think it was grilled) tilapia, with pico de gallo, a choice of corn or flour tortillas (he chose corn, as would I), and a side of rice and beans (although he decided to forego the rice). Quite different from what I make (I’ll post my recipe sometime soon) but simple and from his report quite tasty.

Now for the big mamma-jamma. Philip’s mom ordered the “special dinner,” which she got for half-price since it was Mother’s Day. The special dinner should actually be called the special dinner for a family of four. It included a taco, a tamale, and enchilada, a chile poblano (also called a chile relleno at some Mexican restaurants), rice, beans, and some other item I can’t recall. Maybe a chalupa or gordita or something like that. Anyway, she had no less than three-that’s right, three plates-in front of her. When they brought the third plate, I was fairly certain her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Needless to say, a to-go box was in her future. Actually, she ate the taco and whatever the item that I am unsure of was, a few bites of everything else, and boxed all the rest of it to take home-for her and Philip’s dad to share! I’m serious, that’s how much food there was!

As usual, the service was great. Everyone is always very friendly there. They are very quick, and they keep your drinks FU-U-U-L-L-L. I appreciate that, as I am always in a race against the clock to make sure I drink enough water, then I feel like Violet Beauregarde anyway, but that’s a different matter. Many of the servers (come to think of it, I am fairly certain that my server at either location of El Metate has always been a man) are jokesters. It’s not a gourmet restaurant, but it’s good food. I definitely recommend it!

El Metate has two locations in Hamilton County (there are others in the Dunlap/Sequatchie County area): By Publix in Creek Plantation Village-5922 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN (423) 842-1400, or by Soddy-Daisy Wal-mart-9332 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy, TN 37379 (423) 332-3190. Their website is http://www.caminorestaurantgroup.com/el-metate-mexican-restaurant.html.

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