Food or ambiance - which do you prefer?

When you dine out, are you more attracted to the food being served or the ambiance it is served in?  Not being much of a foodie myself, I vote for the ambiance.

My husband, Wayne, and I recently went to a local restaurant in our hometown of El Paso, Texas,  Our huevos rancheros were a hearty breakfast dish.

Huevos Rancheros

But oh, the restaurant decor.  It had all of the elements of traditional Southwestern style that brought back memories of visits to our neighboring country, Mexico.

Forti's Restaurant, El Paso, Texas

Because we arrived at the restaurant just at opening time, we were the second customers of the day. We had eaten at this longtime, family-owned restaurant several times before, but because the restaurant was almost empty at this hour, it was the first time we felt free to roam around and admire the decorative touches.

Forti's is a large establishment located in an older part of the city.  A palm tree  (yes, we do have a few palm trees in El Paso!) sets a tropical mood.

Entrance to Forti's

Coffee and complimentary tostadas and salsa began the meal as we began to appreciate our surroundings.

Chips and salsa

Tiled fountains are ubiquitous in Southwestern decorating.  We have one in our own courtyard and enjoy the soothing sounds of falling water most seasons of the year.  Fountains and courtyards come from centuries of Arab occupation of Spain through Mexico as the conquistadores came to the New World.  I see many fountains in front yards in El Paso, most of them even without water, a strong statement about the place of fountains in our Southwestern psyche. 

Traditional fountain

Statues of St. Francis of Assisi also often appear in Southwestern landscapes.  St. Francis is protector of animals, which makes me covet a statue for our garden even more.  We found such a statue once in Central Texas at a reasonable price but passed it up, a lingering regret!

St. Francis of Assisi

A replica of the famous Aztec calendar in Forti's reminds me of the civilization that flourished in Central Mexico when the Spaniards arrived in the 17th century.

Aztec Calendar

A round, convivial table in the bar with a mural on the wall takes me back to my younger days

when I ordered Tecate beer with lime and salt or Cuba Libres.  Nowadays I will have to enjoy the atmosphere with club soda and lime but perhaps even more with all senses intact and no morning hangover.

Bar in Forti's

And I had to take a picture of a neon sign for Pacífico beer for old times sake. I remember when I first started trying to recreate Southwestern style and collected several colorful beer signs of different brands of famous Mexican beers.

Neon beer sign

So if you are trying to give a nod to Southwestern style in your house or yard, you may be pleased at how just one of these traditional elements will start you daydreaming about Spain, Mexico and the Desert Southwest. I'm ready to return to Forti's the next time a little escapism from humdrum life is on the social calendar.

Guests arriving soon! What to do?

Canadian friends from the province of Quebec emailed recently with the good news that they will be visiting us for a few days at the end of February.  My mind went into high gear.  Are our guest rooms comfortable?  Will spring cleaning of the yard be completed?  Will the weather cooperate?  (Late winter and spring are notorious in the Desert Southwest for gale force winds.) But, most important of all, how can we entertain our guests with new and exciting experiences?

My home town of El Paso, Texas is a mid-size town located on the United States-Mexico border. 

We are a family oriented town where life proceeds at a leisurely pace. If we lived in Los Angeles like our son, any number of great restaurants, shows, museums, and sports would be available. The entertainment problem would not be what to do, but how to choose among many great possibilities.

I made a mental list of what El Paso experiences we had offered our friends on previous visits. A picnic among the boulders at Hueco Tanks State Park came to mind. We also toured the Magoffin Home State Historical Site followed by afternoon coffee and pastries at Kinley's Coffee House.  A drive up Highway 28 to Mesilla and Las Cruces, stopping at La Viña Winery, gave our guests a taste of New Mexico.  And how could I forget the plate of shared nachos at Rosa's Cantina with Marty Robbins' "El Paso" playing in the background? Yes, that about "does" El Paso!

Maybe we can capitalize on the slogan of El Paso as the "Mexican Food Capital."  Not that I am biased as a native-born El Pasoan, but our local Mexican food is really, really good.  It is so tasty that my husband, Wayne, and I do not dare order Mexican food in any other locale because we know we will complain throughout dinner.

With these thoughts in mind, I can start listing which Mexican food restaurants to invite our friends to.  For a true El Paso experience, the L&J Cafe is tops.  Known as the "Old Place by the Graveyard" because of its proximity to a historic cemetery, the L&J has been serving authentic border food since 1927. This iconic cafe is a place where you can experience the heart of El Paso.  The large bar is often filled with patrons conversing loudly over the music.

And the food.....ahhh.. My favorite plate is Huevos Rancheros, a fried corn tortilla topped with a fried egg, topped with red chile sauce, served with sides of rice, beans, and warm flour tortillas. Service is swift and efficient.   

Another of our Mexican food haunts is Julio's Cafe Corona, which has two locations in town.  We like it because it reminds us of days of our youth spent in the original Julio's across the border in Ciudad Juárez.  The atmosphere here is quieter without being stuffy.  Service is impeccable.  My favorite dishes are nachos, made the authentic way with beans and shredded cheese, and Flautas Oaxaqueñas, an attractive dish of bite-sized flautas topped with guacamole, salsa, and lettuce and tomato. 

If everyone is not stuffed to the gills with Mexican food at this point, we have two favorite Mexican food restaurants located five minutes from our house.  Barrigas Restaurant is about as close as you can come to a true Mexican experience without crossing the border.  Beautiful Mexican music classics, friendly waiters, and an extensive menu with offerings from the interior of Mexico.  And Carnitas Querétaro, another favorite restaurant, we frequent so often that we have our favorite table, our favorite waiters, and our favorite lunch dishes (caldo de res chico for me and pozole for Wayne). We love to be seated with a view of the tortilla makers, patting out authentic corn tortillas by hand.

With all of this eating out planned, perhaps I should also be thinking about outdoor exercise for the group?  A hike in the Franklin Mountains?  A Sunday walk up Scenic Drive?  More realistic, I suppose, is a group collapsed in front of Netflix, vowing never to eat again.

Candlemas - a good reason for a celebration!

If you are looking to chase away the winter blues, look no further than Candlemas, celebrated on February 2nd of each year.  Candlemas is known by many names, Festival of Lights in English and Día de la Candelaria in Spanish. Living in the Southwestern United States with its multiple cultures, I have always wanted to plan a Candlemas celebration.  This year may be the year!

My idea began on January 6th in my home city of El Paso, Texas, where Three Kings Day is celebrated with a special sweet bread, called Rosca de Reyes. 

A small plastic figurine, representing the Baby Jesus, is baked into the bread.  Tradition has it that the person whose slice of bread contains the figurine must host the next get together on Candlemas Day.  In actual practice, bakers usually place several figurines in the bread, I suppose so that more people can join in the fun. My husband, Wayne, and I ate our way through most of a medium-sized rosca without finding the figurine, but I still wanted to plan another winter celebration.

Candlemas was a pagan festival adopted by the Catholic church and given special religious meanings.  What intrigues me about this holiday is that it occurs midway between the December solstice (Do you remember that short, dark day?) and the March equinox, which some consider the beginning of springtime.  Once Christmas and New Year's Day are over, I can barely wait for springtime and gardening season.  Candlemas will remind me that I have made it halfway through the winter.  If I can just hold on a little longer...

Candlemas has several important associations.  For those of use who missed making New Year's resolutions, it is a time for new beginnings. It can be the impetus for spring cleaning or preparing the ground for spring planting.  Candlemas is also traditionally a predictor of future weather, much like Groundhog Day. ""If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight.  If Candlemas brings cloud and rain, Winter will not come again." 

Now for celebration plans.  First, I will turn the electric lights off and light as many candles as I can locate around the house.  Next, the menu.  Tamales are typically served in Mexico.

We still have tamales in the freezer left over from the Christmas season, but we may buy fresh ones from a waiter friend at a local restaurant whose wife is a caterer.  Fresh, warm tamales are a special treat.  My favorites are the green chile and cheese.

If our weather turns cold, I may attempt a Mexican drink known as champurrado that has yummy ingredients like milk, chocolate, brown sugar, corn flour (masa harina) cinnamon and anise. I'm also considering the idea of serving a dessert crepe, because crepes and pancakes, which have the color and shape of the sun, are a European tradition.

  


I am intrigued by the thought of observing Candlemas,  a holiday that has been celebrated for centuries and continues to evolve, acquiring new connections to daily life.  And I have great hopes that planning a party will help keep me entertained during those long, dreary days until March 20, the First Day of Spring finally arrives.



 

Adventurous Dining in the Southwest

Making New Year's Resolutions

It is the time of year for New Year's Resolutions.  Instead of making the usual ones about diet and exercise (often broken by January 15th), my husband, Wayne, and I resolved to try as many different ethnic restaurants as we could locate in our home city of El Paso, Texas during 2018.

El Paso, a border city with Mexico

El Paso has bragging rights as the "Mexican Food Capital of the U.S."  And I do not intend to desert our favorite local Mexican food restaurants.   But El Paso isn't just a bilingual, bicultural border city— it is home to many different ethnic groups and nationalities.  I set out to make a list of culturally diverse cafes and restaurants we can visit in our own home town.

A Google search for "ethnic restaurants in El Paso" brought up even more locations than I had imagined:   Indian, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Greek, Puerto Rican, German, Vietnamese, and Thai.  I stopped looking at this point, although I know we will discover many more now that we are on the lookout for a different dining experience.

I read through reviews on Yelp and Trip Advisor to see if I could choose restaurants to put first on our list, concentrating on the food offerings. Wayne is a carnivore, and I am almost a vegetarian.  Neither of us wants to resort to eating the bread all night because we can't find anything on the menu that suits us (I speak from experience!)  Of course, it was impossible to ignore comments about the atmosphere and service.  And I was impressed when reviewers mentioned that the wait staff or even the owner were happy to answer questions about the menu.

Puerto Rico

The ethnic restaurant I chose for our first dining adventure was the Puerto Rican Sabor Boricua, or  "Taste of Puerto Rico."  The dish mentioned most often was mofongo, a dish based on fried plantains, which you can order with meat or chicken.  The guava sauce was praised by reviewers, as were the pastelillos (little filled pies).

Germany

Peter's German Grill and Bakery also had many positive comments from diners who ordered Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad or Bratwurst with sauerkraut and onions.  The pumpernickel bread and homemade desserts caught my eye.

Italy

Italian food is a bit more familiar to us, but I thought Mi Piaci (translates to "I like you") offered some special menu items.  Pistachio pesto pasta and vegetarian bruschetta looked promising,  not to mention that the pasta is homemade. 

Greece

Zino's Greek Restaurant is a fourth restaurant that may help us expand our knowledge of other cultures. The menu offers some dishes that sound vaguely familiar, like gyros, tabouli, hummus, pita bread and baklava.  Other dishes like falafel, spanakopita, and moussaka may take venturing into the unknown.

Other cultures have held a fascination for me since I was a child.  I probably won't have the chance to travel to every country I would like to visit, but a pleasant evening spent in a new ambiance with interesting local dishes may curb that travel longing for a short while.  I wonder how long it will be, though, before I just have to have a plate of huevos rancheros from my favorite El Paso Mexican food restaurant, the L & J?

L and J Cafe, El Paso, Texas

How we fight Old Man Winter in the Southwest

I'll be the first to admit that fighting Old Man Winter in the Southwest takes less effort than confronting him in other locales.  A friend who lives near Quebec, Canada wrote to me several weeks ago describing their swimming pool as a Popsicle.  And I regularly check the daily high temperatures of a friend in London, England, which are hovering in the 40's (F). 

Here in the Desert Southwest, in El Paso, Texas, we have yet to experience a killing freeze.  The outside plants do look a little chilly, I must admit. They shiver through the cold nights (cold=in the 40's for us), but they soon perk up as the morning sun warms them.  Then the 70 degree daytime temperatures make them forget how cold they were the night before.

As we are warned in "The Game of Thrones," winter is coming. Every day I consider bringing the more delicate plants inside.  But I postpone that unpleasant task.  One of these nights I'm going to be forced to throw on a heavy coat and rescue them from certain death. Then the plants can huddle inside the house around windows, searching for light and heat until mid-March.

The colder nights in El Paso, however, do give us an excuse to spend more time outdoors.  After all, our summers are so hot that sitting outside is not a pleasant option.   In  autumn and most of winter, all that is needed is a little extra warmth. Free-standing chimeneas (chimneys) are readily available and inexpensive in the Southwest.  We bought this chimenea to place by the jacuzzi so that bathers can move quickly from the warm water to a warm chair.

Chimenea by spa

We were so proud of our first chimenea that we bought another to put in the main courtyard.  It occupies a sheltered spot where you can have a hot drink and listen to the soothing sounds of the fountain.

Chimenea in main courtyard

My husband, Wayne, and a good friend built this kiva fireplace many years ago in what we call the barbecue courtyard.  Cooks and diners alike can keep warm while waiting for the brisket to come out of the barbecue pit.

Kiva fireplace in barbecue courtyard

Or Wayne may prepare breakfast in his cook shack on an old-fashioned stove.

Cook shack stove

But my favorite heat source for frosty evenings is an old wood-burning stove that heats an outdoor room that we call the bunkhouse.  No cowboys bunk here, but many a game of cards or dominoes has gone long into the night, thanks to the gentle warmth from the stove.

Bunkhouse stove

You can see why autumn and winter are my favorite Southwest seasons.  The blazing sun of summer has passed on, and the wailing winds of spring are yet to come.  As long as we can give Mother Nature a little help with creating heat for chilly nights, we can look forward to cozy evenings spent in the outdoors.

The Chico's Tacos Experience

Chico's Tacos, El Paso

I had not had a plate of rolled tacos at Chico's Tacos, El Paso, Texas for probably fifty years when my husband, Wayne, suggested recently that we go there for lunch. 

Chico's Tacos is synonymous with the true El Paso experience.  Many native El Pasoans have memories of their youth eating at Chico's after carousing on Saturday night or with the family on Sunday afternoon.  Out of town college students make a beeline for Chico's on their first visit home.  And family members returning home for the holidays make Chico's a regular stop.  It's THE THING to do.

Chico's knows it has a faithful clientele.  They don't have to make constant menu changes or pamper customers to keep El Pasoans coming.   And it is important to be aware of the rituals at Chico's if you don't want to be spotted as a tourist. 

First, Chico's instructs customers to line up to order.  A large red sign directs you to one of two lines.  Chico's is ready for a barrage of customers!  

You want to make sure that you have cash in your pocket.  None of this newfangled electronic banking business.  Chico's wants cold hard cash.

The menu is on a large board.  Rolled tacos are the first item.  Reading no further, we ordered two single orders (three rolled tacos), an order of French fries to share, and two iced teas.

When your order is ready, the man behind the counter calls your number in English and Spanish.  You collect your tray and find a table.

Ah, the tacos looked just as I remembered them. Meat tacos topped with shredded cheese, swimming in sauce (more about the sauce below!)

Extra napkins are already provided at the table.  They definitely come in handy.

Finishing my three tacos, I was in the process of completing the meal when Wayne said, "Are you drinking the sauce right out of the bowl?"    "Sure, look around at the other diners," I said.   It is de rigueur at Chico's Tacos to slurp up the last bit of sauce. And, I might add,  I think it is the best part of the dish.

As we left the restaurant, it felt good that we had successfully participated in a local ritual.  

Now if I could just convince Chico's to offer a vegetarian version of the rolled taco plate.  But who would want to mess with over fifty years of success?

From the Southwest to the Pacific Coast

If you have never been to the American Southwest, you may picture it as one vast desert offering only cacti, cowboys, and chile for entertainment.  But one of the joys of living in the Southwest is its geographical location within the United States.  A two hour flight from El Paso, Texas to Los Angeles, California takes you so quickly from the desert to the coast that it is hard for the mind to adjust.  

My husband, Wayne, and I took such a trip recently and pronounced it one of our easiest travels ever.  Leaving El Paso about 8:00 am, we were sitting at the Farmer's Market in Los Angeles, having a delicious crepe for lunch, that same afternoon.

Farmers Market, Los Angeles

 A major league baseball game at Dodgers Stadium on Saturday night provided us with a once in a lifetime experience in the big leagues.

An we weren't the only attendees at the game!  Great opportunity for people-watching!

Crowd at Dodger Stadium

Sunday morning found us at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles catching the Amtrak Coast Starlight train to Portland, Oregon.  We slept one night on the train and most of our waking hours were spent oohing and aahing over the scenery viewed from the large picture windows in the parlor car or our roomette.   

Coast Starlight rounding a curve

The ocean views, so close at times, were a delight for us desert dwellers.

Ocean view from train

And then we were treated to scenes with lots of greenery.  Another unusual scene for our eyes!

View from train

Arriving in Portland, Oregon all too soon, we admired the train station before catching an Uber ride to our hotel.

Portland, Oregon train station

A gondola ride high above the city gave us a chance to take a panoramic picture of Portland.

View of Portland, Oregon

We also enjoyed walking along the Willamette River, a special sight for those of us from a climate with only nine inches of rainfall in a good year.

Willamette River, Portland

Just imagine needing several large bridges to cross the water in Portland.  In my home town of El Paso, the Rio Grande is a mere trickle most of the year.

Bridge in Portland, Oregon

We found many enticing eating establishments in Portland, including Mother's for brunch.  But our favorite was a traditional restaurant, Huber's, where my husband ordered (and raved about for days) a full turkey and ham Thanksgiving dinner!

Huber's Restaurant, Portland 

In less than a week, we were back in the Desert Southwest, basking in the constant sunshine and craving Mexican food, but the realization that we can experience another part of our country with such ease is going to be a comforting thought when yearly spring dust storms make us long to be any place but home.