16 years ago
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Tough Beef
After I dropped Andy off at school I drove down the side street towards the main highway. I had never been this way before, so I was paying more attention than usual. I noticed an unusual amount of manufactured homes that butted up against the narrow road. There was barely enough room for two cars, and there certainly wasn't a lane divider. Should another car come barreling towards me I would have to quickly veer off into the high grass that occupied the shoulder.
As I approached the highway I noticed a large group of cars parked off to the right. A few seconds later I could see a large, run down building sitting on a vast parking lot which was partially paved, and partially dirt, but completely dilapidated. The building was white stucco with dark brown wooden trim and featured a red tile roof. The roof line had been purposefully designed to look like some unholy American version of a Chinese temple. "This must be a Chinese restaurant" I thought to myself. I looked at the sign, which was posted on the East wall, as well as on a large post out front. It read "Tough Beef" in exotic, Asian sign calligraphy. I could see a neon sign in the window that flashed "Open" in red.
I was hungry, but not in the mood for Chinese food. For some reason I was compelled to pull into the parking lot, and park near a chain link fence that separated the restaurant's parking area from the storage facility located next door. There were so many cars in the parking lot I just had to go in and see what was going on. "This place must have been here since the early 70's" I thought to myself. Seeing that it had obviously not been updated, I guessed I would be in for a trip down memory lane. I walked in the dual oval doors and was greeted by a small Mexican lady with a toothy grin. "Bienvenidos!" she said as she rounded the corner, approaching me. It was almost as if she was expecting me.
"This is no Chinese restaurant!" I said to myself. "This is a Mexican place." I was ecstatic. The hostess sat me in a booth with a painting of the Virgin Mary hanging watchfully above. The wall was avocado green and the bench was sparkly red vinyl. Like most booths, the bench seat felt low, and when I put my hands on the table I felt like a muppet anchorman reading the news. I ordered chicken nachos, and they were the greatest nachos I had ever tasted. With each bite I noticed that every ingredient was represented in a consistently perfect ratio. And the consistency- the consistency was heavenly.
I listened in on the conversation between two ladies sitting at a table near my booth. "They catered my daughter's wedding." said the woman with her back to me. "It was good, but I don't think I would ever choose Mexican food for a wedding. It's just not very classy." She took a sip of beer. Her friend was nodding her head in agreement as she sipped on her Margarita. For a moment I felt sorry for the woman's daughter, as I imagined her mother's complaints during the wedding weren't limited to the food.
After my meal I asked the hostess about the restaurant. She informed me that she and her husband moved here from New Mexico in 1986 and bought the restaurant.
As I approached the highway I noticed a large group of cars parked off to the right. A few seconds later I could see a large, run down building sitting on a vast parking lot which was partially paved, and partially dirt, but completely dilapidated. The building was white stucco with dark brown wooden trim and featured a red tile roof. The roof line had been purposefully designed to look like some unholy American version of a Chinese temple. "This must be a Chinese restaurant" I thought to myself. I looked at the sign, which was posted on the East wall, as well as on a large post out front. It read "Tough Beef" in exotic, Asian sign calligraphy. I could see a neon sign in the window that flashed "Open" in red.
I was hungry, but not in the mood for Chinese food. For some reason I was compelled to pull into the parking lot, and park near a chain link fence that separated the restaurant's parking area from the storage facility located next door. There were so many cars in the parking lot I just had to go in and see what was going on. "This place must have been here since the early 70's" I thought to myself. Seeing that it had obviously not been updated, I guessed I would be in for a trip down memory lane. I walked in the dual oval doors and was greeted by a small Mexican lady with a toothy grin. "Bienvenidos!" she said as she rounded the corner, approaching me. It was almost as if she was expecting me.
"This is no Chinese restaurant!" I said to myself. "This is a Mexican place." I was ecstatic. The hostess sat me in a booth with a painting of the Virgin Mary hanging watchfully above. The wall was avocado green and the bench was sparkly red vinyl. Like most booths, the bench seat felt low, and when I put my hands on the table I felt like a muppet anchorman reading the news. I ordered chicken nachos, and they were the greatest nachos I had ever tasted. With each bite I noticed that every ingredient was represented in a consistently perfect ratio. And the consistency- the consistency was heavenly.
I listened in on the conversation between two ladies sitting at a table near my booth. "They catered my daughter's wedding." said the woman with her back to me. "It was good, but I don't think I would ever choose Mexican food for a wedding. It's just not very classy." She took a sip of beer. Her friend was nodding her head in agreement as she sipped on her Margarita. For a moment I felt sorry for the woman's daughter, as I imagined her mother's complaints during the wedding weren't limited to the food.
After my meal I asked the hostess about the restaurant. She informed me that she and her husband moved here from New Mexico in 1986 and bought the restaurant.
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