Chef's Corner - San Angelo, TX

After much hullabaloo on Facebook about Chef's Corner from lots of different people (not mentally challenged or psychotic people, but people with differing tastes) I decided it was time to take the proverbial plunge.  I figured I would give them a good amount of time to get over opening jitters which usually causes a few issues when first opening a restaurant. Once a place gets in their groove you can get a good idea about how they are going to cook, serve, and generally wow the customer.  Unfortunately, for Chef's Corner, there seem to be some major issues.  Now if you don't mind trash on the floor, lack of atmosphere in the way of decorative pictures on the walls, slow service, and some unfriendly wait staff then Chef's Corner is definitely for you!  I'm almost certain I've talked about this before but there is a stereotype in the restaurant business that Hispanics (namely Mexican Hispanics in my experience) don't tip well and I just wonder if maybe that is some of the reasoning behind the way we were being served.  Who knows?!?! At any rate let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start . . . uh yeah. 

We came in just after their Saturday lunch rush and there were at least 9 tables empty in the restaurant with 3 waitresses.  Since there were 3 rooms I assumed that the waitresses were assigned 1 to a room.  This restaurant had maybe 4-6 tables per room from what I could see.  Another young lady (more than likely the owner's daughter or granddaughter) was dutifully cleaning tables and helping in whatever way she could which was a sign to me that this place is family owned and that this child was learning the ropes which I find really great.  I am impressed with young kids working hard at their family restaurant.  My daughter has helped me with catering jobs and parties on numerous occasions so I have a very soft spot in my heart for these young 'uns learning the trade.  One of the things that struck me in the restaurant was the vibrant Southwestern style colors on the wall with white trim.  This was nice but there were no pictures or decorative touches to distinguish this restaurant's style and I think I know why.  When we received the menu I noticed they are serving 3 types of cuisine: Mexican, American, and Italian.  One of the biggest mistakes you can make when opening up a restaurant or doing catering is to do too many things.  Three types of cuisine (plus a breakfast service) give this place a multiple personality disorder.  I wanted to give this a chance to see how they would pull it off.  Our drink order was taken quickly but I sensed a bit of tension from the first waitress. She asked if we wanted an appetizer and as is our custom we ordered one to get the full experience of the restaurant.  I noticed some chips and salsa on other tables so I assumed we would get some which we did not. Another one came over and asked if our drink order was taken and she seemed a bit friendlier than the first one although she did tell us the wrong special for the time of day we were there. Our drinks came out and we waited for our appetizer.  We waited. Then we waited some more.  In fact I'm still waiting for my appetizer.  It never came out.  The waitress that asked us if we wanted it never brought it out.   Her attitude just plain stunk.  No smile. No personality.  In fact when she came back to refill drinks she was very curt and as I stated before no smile on her face, no kindness in her voice.  She practically barked at us, "DO YOU WANT ANYTHING ELSE TO DRINK?" Uh, yeah.  We had not had any refills yet so it was a definite yes.  In stark contrast the friendly waitress smiled a lot and although she was inexperienced I could tell she was trying hard.  Here's a professional hint for those people desiring to be wait staff though:  don't make excuses about this being your 4th or 5th day on the job, don't tell me I didn't get my appetizer because you didn't know that we had ordered it, don't tell me every time I see you that your new.  I don't care if you are new.  A head waitress can train people to do the job that needs to be done unless you are just not meant to do this kind of work.  You usually know that after 3 or 4 services though.

I ordered beef fajitas, Kandra and JJ ordered Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Jonah ordered a bean burrito (surprise surprise) and my wife ordered an enchilada plate.  Service was VERY slow.  There were more than 9 empty tables in the restaurant which should have meant that we would have our food or refills very quickly.  At many points during the hour and a half we were there I didn't see either of the waitresses for 5-10 minutes at a time.  When we did get out food I was pleasantly surprised by the presentation.  Beef fajitas were served with grilled onions and bell peppers, beans and rice.  My first bite was tasty but the meat was very rubbery.  There were some pieces that were not cut very small which didn't make for a good taco as the meat was too stretchy to bite off.  OH I see this fajita meat was not cut across the grain for maximum tenderness so there's part of the issue.  Luckily I still have fairly good teeth and was able to chew it up with the tasty guacamole and slightly bland pico de gallo.  Rice was tasty but had a few clumps in it.  Beans were bland and dry.  My son loved his bean burrito that benefited from a good amount of cheese and the fact that it was wrapped in a tortilla which helped his beans to retain their moisture.  My wife stated that the enchiladas had a tomatoey type twang to them and that's not something she particularly cares for.  My other 2 children decided on the Chicken Alfredo pasta and my daughter being the resident connoisseur of this particular dish was quick to praise the presentation and the flavor of the toasted bread that came along with it.  The pasta sauce itself didn't look creamy but looked more like what would happen the day after you have this dish, where it sat in the refrigerator overnight,  and then been reheated it in a microwave.  She whispered in my ear that it had no flavor so basically the Alfredo sauce was more like a paste keeping the noodles together.  My wife's enchiladas didn't come out til JJ was almost done with his pasta and after Jonah had been sitting there for a pretty long time.  That is a kitchen issue.  The food should come out at the same time and therein lies the multiple personality disorder problem that this place has.  If anything the enchiladas should have been first out. 

Prices here are very good (you get what you pay for in my estimation) and I think if they focused more on the Mexican food they could really be a better restaurant.  I'm not even going to put down any of the regular ratings I normally put in my reviews because my own inclination is to stay away from this place for a while.  I'm seriously hoping that they will hire a good head waitress to train the rookies.  Here are some tips in case YOU are the one that is going to train them:  1) PERSONALITY - Smile, speak kindly, listen, I said LISTEN to the customer and what they want. 2) Promptness - greet your guests quickly. 3) Pop in regularly - don't be gone from any of your tables for more than 5 minutes at a time.  4) Pride - take pride in what you do i.e. don't make excuses for mistakes you are making, just make it right! 5) Privacy - The fact is that unless a person is generally interested in seeing you (waitress) on a personal basis we don't want to know your business, where you came from, how you came to work in this restaurant, or what you did last night with your boyfriend.  6) Proficiency - be proficient at knowing specials, be able to answer questions about the food, study the menu and know what the price is, the ingredients (to some extent), if substitutions can be made.

Until necessary changes are made in atmosphere, wait staff, and deciding on what cuisine they want to focus on I can't in good conscience recommend this place. 

Casa Bella-San Angelo, Texas

In the last few months I haven't eaten near as much Mexican food as I would like as I'm trying (rather unsuccessfully) to drop a few pounds in an effort to become more healthy.  The one place that I frequent quite a bit is Casa Bella. Because I am at Angelo State on Tuesdays and Thursdays it is very convenient.  AHHH but convenience isn't necessarily the only thing that draws me to this place.  I genuinely enjoy the food and service.  Lets face it this restaurant is new and it is growing.  What it lacks in atmosphere it makes up for in some of the best food and service San Angelo, Texas has to offer.  The gentlemen who own this place are slowly but surely adding the atmospheric touch but the food has been on point since day one.  I've had a number of different plates including Mia's Plate which consists of a small Ribeye topped with grilled onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos along with rice and beans.  Rice is very aromatic and not dried out as many restaurants tend to do because of a long stay in the oven.  Refried beans are also very tasty and complete that particular plate out very well.  The appetizer chips come out to the table warm and with a very fruity red tomato salsa with a slight kick.  Nothing overwhelmingly burning about this salsa so to each his own.  They have daily lunch specials that are also very appealing.  Will's plate is one that comes to mind but I haven't gotten to try it again because I'm not there during the time it is served. Fajitas are another solid entree here and again very tasty and tender.  One of my favorite offerings of Casa Bella is the Caldo De Res.  This translates to Beef Soup in case you didn't know.  If I'm guessing the ingredients correctly of course you have some beef which seems to be chunks of tender roast along with cabbage, carrots, onions, cilantro, a little potato, and a small piece of corn on the cob with a little tomato sauce in the broth.  It is one of the best things you can have on a cold day and it is lovingly served with a side of your choice of corn or flour tortillas, some lime wedges, and some rice.  Although it needs no addition of anything to add to flavor I love to drop a little red salsa in for just a little more tomato and pepper flavor.  Cheese enchiladas are also very solid here as my wife has attested to.  A quote here from an old Cheech and Chong recording. Cheech on the phone with a prospective date asks the question: "OH you don't like Mexican food?" Apparently he gets a reply and then says,  "OOHHHHH ju don't like Mexicans!" Well I love me some MexiCANS and Casa Bella has quite a few of those because they can and do many things quite well.   Well if Mexican food isn't your thing then try the chicken strips.  My daughter told me they are some of the best she has had and she particularly liked the gravy.  Jared eats burgers everywhere and he was very satisfied.  Jonah is the bean connoisseur of our family and maybe even in San Angelo in his age bracket.  In speaking with one of the owners (as well as careful observance) it is very evident that the team concept prevails and is instilled in the staff here.  I mentioned to him that everyone is very attentive and it all boils down to the teaming concept.  Regardless of who you "belong" to as far as wait staff is concerned you will still be greeted, helped, and waited on by a slew of different people all trying to give you the best experience.  I have yet to be mistreated here in any way.  I asked the owner about their desserts and whether they were made in house because I had just consumed a delectable piece of Tres Leches cake and it was amazing.  Although this dessert was not made in house it is prepared in a local bakery and brought to the restaurant on a daily basis.  If you have a family and you are on a budget then obviously this place can meet your Mexican food craving and still keep your pocketbook intact.  There's not really anything on the menu that is very expensive which makes this place even better in my book.  If you are looking for a restaurant whose cuisine is just a little bit different than what's out there in San Angelo then stop by and see Will and the rest of the staff.  I'm sure that they can prepare you something that you will enjoy. 



Food: GREAT FOOD!

Atmosphere:          Atmosphere not quite there yet but they are working on it.

Prices: Prices for what you get here are most excellent.

Service:  From top to bottom service is some of the best ANYWHERE.

Overall: 1/2

For one of the newer places in town they are one of the shining examples of what hard work and determination can do.

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