Restaurants

Louie's before and after the show

We knew the second the sign went up at Louie’s Grill & Pub that we would add this newest Greenwood restaurant to our dinner circuit. It didn’t matter if we liked the food, really — when you open an eatery that isn’t McDonald’s down the street from the high school, adults will drop in on their way to sporting events and musical performances.

Well, at least that’s what first pulled us in. We had one hour before the curtain went up on the Christmas show, and I simply wasn’t in the mood to hit the Golden Arches and then burp along to Here Comes Santa Claus. So I sat down and ordered a club sandwich and fries in one of Louie’s booths instead. It was definitely a quality improvement move on my end.

But now, thanks to the chips and black bean salsa, we make Louie’s a destination even when we have no obligation at Center Grove High School.

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When my boyfriend David and I are on the Peninsula and craving a tasty burrito, but don’t want to spend a lot of dough, we always go to El Super Burrito in Millbrae.

Located in a converted Arby’s building, El Super Burrito (or ESB) is a well-known Mexican food fave of the locals. There is almost always a line to order at the counter, and for good reason. The ingredients are fresh, the service is friendly and the prices are affordable.

The No Meat Burrito from El Super Burrito in Millbrae.

After an afternoon of running errands, David and I decided that a trip to El Super Burrito was well deserved. When we walked in, we were pleased to discover the line was only two people deep and a mariachi version of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me” by Gael Garcia Bernal from the movie “Rudo y Cursi” was playing over the speakers. Nothing wrong that!

One of the many things I love about El Super Burrito is there are a lot of options, including low calorie and vegetarian dishes. Every time I go in, I tell David that I’m going to order the California Burrito, which features steak or chicken, cheese, avocado, sour cream and, errrr, french fries. Yep, french fries! Of course, I never get it, but today, a teenager in line ahead of was ordering three of them. Apparently, fries on your burrito is more popular than I thought.

The two enchilada plate from El Super Burrito in Millbrae.

I ordered the No Meat burrito, which is pretty self explanatory: black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, rice, sour cream and guacamole. This is my favorite kind of burrito. It’s a perfectly delicious, and I can scoop out the inside with my chips if I’m feeling crazy. David got the two enchilada plate with one beef, one chicken enchilada, refried beans, spanish rice and extra tortillas.

There’s nothing fancy about El Super Burrito. It’s just a great place to get some tasty, well-made Mexican food at a affordable price.

El Super Burrito
780 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA 94030
(650) 583-0487
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

El Sol de Tala fajitas from scratch

I was thrilled when my husband decided to work 4 10-hour days and take Fridays off in 2009. It means I can schedule pool openings, Terminex inspections and the DVR service repair folks when he’s in the house. He now has a day to run to the dry cleaners and pick up his own shirts.

And he’s free to do lunch at El Sol de Tala Mexican Restaurant.

To say I love El Sol is an understatement. I ate at the northside location once a week back in my corporate days. (OK, sometimes twice. The sales department knew if they wanted a deadline extension to invite me to El Sol and spring it on me over chips and salsa.) I was a regular at the Union Station location until it closed. Now only the original restaurant remains, on a downtown street in an area of the city where I don’t want to park and walk to the restaurant after dark, lest I be mistaken for a working girl if you know what I mean.

But the lunch hour is very tame.

So to gear up for Cinco de Mayo, I talked him into a quick meal on Good Friday, because everyone knows Easter and burritos are a natural. This is a restaurant where the hot sauce is hot … not bitter, not tomato-y, but deliciously hot thanks to ingredients like onions and garlic and peppers. They serve them with thicker chips that aren’t necessarily tasty by themselves, but you’ll be grateful for the added fiber to balance out the heat.

Just don’t fill up on the salsa because the chef has a guacamole live station on the dining room floor where he’ll prepare your dip before your eyes and to your taste.

Best lunch in Indy

Best of all, the pork burritos are on special for lunch. We’re talking seasoned pork, black beans, cheese, and topped with gooey Chihuahua cheese, sprinkled with anejo cheese and drizzled with sour cream. The fact that it took 15 minutes to make proves this isn’t your chain “authentic Mexican” restaurant by a long shot, even if they do have the same colorful wooden chairs. My husband never met a fajita he wouldn’t order, so predictably, the sizzling steak arrived at our table, too.

It was the only way to kick off a holiday weekend that features ham, which I can’t stand. In fact, it’s good enough I might consider becoming a working girl if it means I can drop in more often and be first in line for my Cinco de Mayo table.

El Sol de Tala

2444 East Washington Street

Indianapolis, IN 46201

(317) 636-1250

Photography credit: Julie Sturgeon