El Paisano Restaurante - San Angelo

There's been a rash of new restaurants in San Angelo recently and El Paisano is one of the newbies on the block that I've had my sights set on. EPR has set up shop in the same location that has brought you Las Dos Hermanas, and Chilangos right on South Chadbourne in the heart of San Angelo's Barrio. The name sounds kind of "eye tal yin" like a lot of our friends around here but sure enough it's definitely a Mexican eatery.


We were greeted quickly and seated the same way. The ambience here has changed from the quirky and silly (Chilangos) to a more home style approach.
Our waitress got our drinks out quickly and was really attentive to all of our needs. She giggled a bit when she saw Jonah dancing around when some Banda music came on. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that we got a couple of free appetizers with before our lunch came out. Of course Jared asked for: __________ Fill in the blank. Didn't know you were getting a test huh? Hint we are from San Angelo and Jared asked for his usual San Angelo staple appetizer. Anyway, our waitress brought out a couple of bean dips that were simply out of this world. One of them had a lower layer of beans with a warm chile sauce on top that was very tasty and packed in some good heat. Here it is:
It's companion appetizer was also beans with a little picadillo and cheese on top. I think this was our waitresses nice way of getting something for our kids that they could eat. Looks good huh?
I ordered some Menudo and everyone pretty much knows what it looks like so I won't post it here but I do have to say it had a thick, dark orange broth that was very tasty. Only one issue with it was that I didn't get enough hominy. OH and the good thing was that on the weekends it's all you can eat for $6.50. It was served with the traditional accompaniments of lemon, jalapeno, and onions with some very warm and toasty corn tortillas. MMM MMM MMM Menudo Menudo Menudo. Jonah had a plate called the "El Nino" plate and I was sure hoping that it wasn't going to cause any warm, southern wind to come blowing out of him! It consisted of an enchilada, beans and rice. He seemed to like it very much.








My wife had an enchilada plate which looked very nice and the enchiladas were great. Yes I had a taste. She was impressed with it.








Kandra had chicken strips. Kandra said, "Wow, these are juicy!"
Jared had the usual, "Cheeseburger with everything: mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, and no jalapenos."
The fries are fresh and not frozen and tasted home made.


Prices are all very reasonable and are great for trying to save a bit of money.

Service, food, prices, and atmosphere make this a place that could be on your list for at least a visit every two weeks. We enjoyed it very much!

La Playa Restaurant And Cantina

We'd been planning a trip to Corpus Christi for a few months for our friends' wedding and we decided we'd take advantage of an opportunity to also enjoy some time with our children and some of the local cuisine there. My oldest son Jared just so happened to turn 11 on October 9th which is the day we took off. So we did the obligatory stop at Chuck E. Cheese's in San Antonio and spent some time overnight there. The kids got to really enjoy the games and also Krispy Kreme Donuts, Taco Cabana and an overnight stay in a hotel. I was really hoping for a couple of more chances to sample some local cuisine but that didn't really happen until Sunday after we enjoyed some early morning time at the beach. We took a little drive to Padre Island National Seashore Sunday morning after the wedding festivities of the day before. After that we came back to the hotel and packed up and headed for La Playa Restaurant and Cantina.

We arrived early Sunday morning feeling a bit guilty because we didn't go to church, but we were out of town so we just spent some family time together enjoying God's creation but I digress. What I mean by early is that we arrived at around 11:00 am at La Playa. This place came highly recommended by the newlyweds and as we arrived I could see this was a place that was on top of it's game. The atmosphere is very nice and as you can see since we came early we didn't have to wait to get a table. Normally an almost empty place like this would concern me but I knew things would pick up quickly and it was good to see the restaurant almost 3/4 full by the time we left.As we came in we were greeted promptly and seated at a table with ample room and of course being from San Angelo, Jared had to ask for white sauce. San Angelo is the only city where cole slaw and white sauce are part of most Tex Mex restaurant menus. Of course they didn't have white sauce here but they did have some very tasty salsas. As you can see a green and red salsa were provided and neither one disappointed. My wife said, "M, I can't stop eating this. It's so good!" Of course she was right! We went through quite a few chips but not before we ordered our meals.
I wasn't that adventurous on this trip and I had some excellent beef fajitas that came out to the table sizzling. This came with AWESOME, borracho, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, and some of the moistest, most flavorful rice I've had in a while. The fajitas were nicely garnished with some caramelized onions, a slice of tomato and a slice of bell pepper. Excellent presentation and flavor. Tortillas were thin and a little too crispy for my taste. Grandma used to make tortillas really thick and fluffy so I guess it's just a personal bias.
My wife was the most adventurous of us all on this trip. She has heard about a plate that had a deep fried avocado, tortilla soup, two fish tacos, rice and beans so that's what she got. The avocado looked like a big fried ball with a crispy crust. She cut it open and it was wrapped in the breading then a layer of cheese, avocado, and then stuffed with shrimp. She really enjoyed it. Her tortilla soup had onions, cheese, and mushrooms in it and tasted wonderful. Fish tacos were also a hit. They were garnished with some lettuce and tomatoes and a lemony cream sauce. WOW! The bite I had was very tasty. This plate kind of helped both of us meet our seafood craving and from what I could see she really enjoyed it even though she was getting very full because of all those chips and green salsa!

Kandra had the fish and shrimp platter as you can see below. I didn't try it but she was very satisfied.

Jared had a burger as usual and Jonah had some enchiladas from the kid's menu. They both enjoyed their meals very much. Kids menu has a least 8 different things to offer.

This restaurant had moderate pricing, great atmosphere, excellent food choices, and super excellent service so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is down in Corpus. They open at 11 on Sundays and I'm sure they fill up fast. I couldn't find a website but you can find La Playa at 4201 S. Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. I have no doubt that when you are on the road in this area you will love eating here.

GUEST REVIEWS

Please take a look at a couple of great reviews by my secret friend, the mysterious Red Headed Stranger. She really knows food, baking, cooking, and quite a few other great things. She won't steer you wrong pardner. Her husband is a great cook too!

Enjoy!

Pasta Bella Guest Review by The Red Headed Stranger

So I have to be honest, when we go to Fredericksburg we eat somewhere else because I am not a fan of German food and there is really nothing else there to eat. But on my last trip I discovered the town secret. Pasta Bella, is an Italian restaurant on Llano Street off of the main strip and it has to be the town’s best kept secret. My cousin and I were in town for a much needed girls weekend when we pulled a Rachel Ray and asked some of the locals where to eat, one of them mentioned Pasta Bella. We had seen this little restaurant before but never paid it much attention but hey, no one can mess up Italian food, really have you ever had bad Italian? We went to dinner before we took in the show at the Rock Box Theater, which everyone should go to, it’s awesome, but anyway the food at Pasta Bella is wonderful, great and super yummy! I cannot tell you what I had because to be honest I cannot remember its name, but nothing you order will be bad. My cousin had the shrimp fettuccini and she said it was really good. They serve bread with olive oil of course and the salads were good but the entrée’s were really just superb and I guarantee I will be going back next time we’re in town. The prices are moderate at about $8 to $12 dollars and the service was really good, hey the waiter called me young and kept my tea glass full so I was a happy camper! So next time you are in Fredericksburg for a day of shopping take time out and eat at Pasta Bella. I guarantee you will be glad you did.
When you go, just know:
The address is 103 South Llano and the telephone number is 830-990-9778. The hours of operation are Monday-Friday 11:30 to 2:30 and 5:30 to 9:00 and Saturdays from 11:30 to 3:00 and 5:30 to 9:00.

GUEST REVIEW Menard Bakery & Deli - By the Red Headed Stranger

So in your travels anywhere south to southeast in Texas you will probably go through Menard. Most of the time we cruise on through because hey, there is nothing to see or do there so why slow down. But one day this summer we decided we had nowhere to be soon so we stopped to browse an old drugstore on Main Street. After spending a whopping 5 minutes in the drugstore we spot the Menard Bakery & Deli across the street. Our plan to picnic quickly thrown out the window, we decided to have some lunch. Stepping inside we immediately spotted the fresh baked goodies and of course Carlos quickly honed in the “surprise brownies.” If there is a brownie anywhere within a 5 mile radius Carlos will spot it! We were seated and we thought for a minute we would just indulge in something sweet from the goodie case but after perusing the menu we found, of course, something yummy and ordered lunch. I ordered the Chicken Cado Salad which is a salad with avocado stuffed with chicken salad. I am telling you this is a super salad!!! Served with ranch dressing and all the crackers you could want, this tasty salad had carrots, lettuce, avocado, and chicken salad. It was super yummy! Carlos also had the pigs-n-a-blanket and he said they were great. Fresh baked pigs in a warm blanket…yum!!! He finished with, of course, the brownie which he raved about to the owner who came by to chat with us and after which the owner’s mom, the baker, came over to give him the recipe. I love small town friendly people who are willing to share instead of keep the great recipes to themselves. I also had the buttermilk pie which was delicious! The owners Vickie and her mom Jerry were the nicest people and they have great plans for the bakery and deli and hope to be open longer once deer season gets here. Everyone was so nice and it was a treat to just visit with such accommodating people. A town that was once a place most of us breeze through now should be a place you stop in on purpose just to eat at the Menard Bakery & Deli.

When you go, just know:
The hours are currently 7am-5 pm Monday to Friday and 8am-3pm Saturday. The number is 325-396-3333 and the address is 114 San Saba Street in Menard (just turn left off the main drag onto San Saba and you will see it on the left).