Chronicles of the Mass Exodus : Episode 1 - A New England Mexican Restaurant review

So let me begin by saying that I understand that everything and I mean EVERYTHING from here on will be judged on the LCNM scale of life. Yes, I’m spoiled. Yes, I’ve got a one track mind but it’s my track and so na-na-na-na-na-na. When I go to a convenience store here in New England and all they have is roller hot dogs, no hot burritos, no toquitos, no chips with cheesy goodness, it is a fail, sorry but it’s my blog and that’s the way I’m going to judge it.

So Saturday, the DW and I went to a new, Mexican restaurant in town and my guess was that it was going to get the old “but it’s not in Las Cruces” judgment but I approached it with an open mind and stomach. A few notes on the experience.

Décor – it was done in New England Mexican, which means it was authentic if they wear sombreros in Taiwan. The walls were done in fake brick, hand troweled from a kit but I don’t go to a restaurant like this for the décor. It is all food and flavor, all the time. By the way, I have no idea where all the Mexican wait staff and hostesses came from. I think Worcester’s entire Mexican population was at this place. Hearing the Spanish gave it a very nice feel however, cause I’m all about the decor and culture. Oh, maybe not, but it was a nice reminder of LCNM.

Food – I said in the Chronicles of Las Cruces that “Nachos (are the) the first big test of a Mexican restaurant” so being true to the word, that was what we ordered. They brought us chips and salsa which were excellent – fresh, warm chips and spicy, “tomatoey” salsa. To drink, a Dos Equis ON TAP. Another positive. We were already feeling full when the nachos supremos arrived. Flavor wise they were a 9+ but there was a problem – the menu said “piled high with cheese, beans, shredded beef, sour cream and guacamole. Sorry but these were not piled high, the plate was large the chips and fixin’s were flat and this was a bit of a disappointment. Flavor wise 8, presentation a 5. We got the enchiladas, a mistake. Bill Zees in LCNM were outstanding, My own last week were excellent but these we a bit bland, a little runny and thin on the sauce with pedestrian beans and rice. We got the Mexicano, 3 enchiladas done three ways – red sauce was good, mole sauce a bit too sweet and the green chile sauce, disappointing. Overall a 6 maybe. (Mine were a 9+, Bills an 11 on a scale of 1-10).

New Englanders in a Mexican restaurant – FAIL. Two stories; First, WHY WOULD YOU ORDER BUD LIGHT WHEN THEY HAVE DOS EQUIS ON TAP!!! You must be kidding. Second, as we were leaving an older gentlemen approached us and asked the following question (to be fair, this restaurant is in the place of an old New England standard, ROM’s, which essentially went out of business. But to be even handed, Rom’s had been closed for more than a year and the outside motif of the place is Mexican…)” Do they have baked haddock here?” My DW gently told him, no, that it was now a Mexican restaurant but I don’t think he believed her and he went inside to ask himself. Can you make a burrito look like baked fish?

Thus ends the restaurant review. Ok, let me say it – it is not LCNM! IT IS NOT LCNM!

IT IS NOT LCNM!

Thanks for letting me get that out of my system. Oh God, do I miss El Comedor’s in Mesilla…