El Rancho Grande

As un mariachi once sang, "alla en el rancho grande, alla donde vivia, habia una rancherita, que alegra me decia." In English this means, "go to El Rancho Grande, that's where I live, in the small room in the back, under the stairs." Freddie Fender and Roger Creager have similar stories (check a lyrics website).

So, like my parents taught me, I obeyed the random mariachi and went to El Rancho Grande (spanish for "The Ranch Big"). Mi esposa y yo decided to check out The Ranch Big on a recent Friday evening. As many of you may remember, I'm somewhat of a fan of its neighbor, El Asadero (spanish for "the Asadero"). So I had low expectations for The Ranch Big. I'm happy to say that it easily surpassed that low bar.

I'll start with the chips and salsa because it was probably my favorite part of the meal. If you like the greasy nature of Mexican Inn chips, you'll like these. They're greasy but regular sized. They're also thin and crispy. The salsa is also very good and has un piquito spice. It works well with a Bohemia (is there a way to get paid for plugs like that?).

Mi esposa had the fajita nachos and they were good. If you haven't had fajita nachos and need a description... stop reading this blog.

Just kidding. I really need the attention of hits.

I ordered the comida de los perros. Others call it Carne Guisada, but I'll admit, they look similar. Just recently I became a fan of comida de los perros. When it is spicy, a couple chunks of that tender meat on a soft corn tortilla is pure heaven. When its not spicy, you can add some hot sauce and it can still be good. When its not tender though, you might as well eat dog food. The guisada was tender here. So I ate it. My only complaint was that it was a little bland. It was actually too bland to be fixed with the hot sauce. Plus, the beans were a bit bland.

However, I must admit that Carne Guisada is not the best test dish for a new Mexican restaurant. I'm a strong believer that beef enchiladas with the restaurant's chili/red sauce, rice and beans are the perfect test. The reason being is that you can always trust beef enchiladas and if a restaurant can't make them, it can't make anything. You should always trust a place before eating Carne Guisada because "carne" does not mean "beef". Always remember that.

Anyways, the Carne Guisada sufficed but I would probably not order it again at The Ranch Big.

What did set this place apart from all others was the service. Our waiter was attentive, caring and ridiculously happy. I used to work at a Mexican restaurant and even when I was stealing food, I was never as happy as this guy was, just serving us. Of course, I can understand. Its probably quite an honor to serve an anonymous blogger who has nothing of substance to say.

All in all, I'd eat at El Asadero if somebody gave me the choice, or if I was near it, or if it was open and I thought about it randomly, or after I had finished eating at The Ranch Big. But if a group of people wanted to go The Ranch Big, I wouldn't complain. The food is decent, the service is great and the carne appeared to be beef.

The Ranch Big is located on Main Street, just south of Awesome (El Asadero) and has cops there on Friday nights. I don't know why that last part is important, but it probably is.

Let me know if you agree/disagree.

Cafe Piola

Are you in the cultural district and reading this on your iphone? Are you hungry? Are you having trouble deciding whether to go to a restaurant or going into somebody's home to eat? Problem solved.

Cafe Piola is at the corner of Mattison and Haskell and actually takes up the space of an old house, as well as its back yard. I'm not sure what the inside looks like, but the patio is terrific. Its a large open space, partially covered by a pergola. There is also a bar in the back and a fountain on one side. Among all of this, are tables spread out just enough to have some privacy but close enough to make the place look packed when people are there.

Mrs. FWHITW and I ventured over to Cafe Piola one night last month when we were fortunate enough to have a cool evening. We were unfortunately joined by a gang of bugs that initiated a war on our legs.

The restaurant is italian, but with a grown up menu. They have chicken parmigiana and a form of fettuccine but its all updated. The fettuccine has seafood and the chicken parmigiana no longer comes with a red solo cup (get it...? No? You're too old).

The wife got seafood fettuccine and said it was terrific. Fettuccine is one of her favorite dishes and she really enjoyed the twist. But then again, she likes me so there's no guarantee on her tastes.

I had the veal involtini on a recommendation of our waitress. The veal is wrapped around asparagus and mozzarella, cooked, and then served with a lemon type sauce. I was a bit skeptical about the mixture of lemon and veal because I watch a lot of top chef. But I was pleasantly surprised. The veal was a bit tougher than I expected but the flavors were delicious. Also, the wine told me I loved it.

We also had salads and they were good, but I don't remember much about them. I think there was some greenery and maybe a nut or crouton. They were good though.

This seems like a really good place to go with friends and have a glass of wine and some appetizers. It could also be good for taking out of towners, or dates. Don't take kids. Not because they wouldn't like it but because I wouldn't like them there. Just kidding. Sort of.

But seriously, the unique style of eating in a restaurant right in the middle of a residential area, that also has a great patio and great food is really cool. I'll go to Winslow's Wine Cafe soon and let you know which one you should go too.

If you've been, let me know what you think.