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The Gossiping Gourmet: Savoring tastes, traditions at El Cholo

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One evening in 1922, a young man named Alejandro Borquez pushed back his chair and said to his beautiful young bride, Rose, “You are such a good cook, we should open a restaurant.”

Thus began a dynasty of Mexican restaurants that has lasted for five generations. Its latest installment is on South Coast Highway in Corona del Mar and bears the name El Cholo.

The owners have taken over the space that was once Landmark Steak House and given it a makeover with a casual décor that has hints of Mexico. Inside is a large separate bar area and three dining rooms, and the walls are covered with old family photographs and paintings. A new patio is still under construction.

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As my companion and I perused the menu, a basket of warm, fresh chips and a dish of a mild salsa arrived. Two types of guacamole are available: the house version and the molecajete style, which consists of fresh avocado and seasonings brought to the table and put into a stone bowl (molecajete).

Our server, in making the guacamole, asked which condiments we would like added, as well as the degree of spiciness. Then he mashed everything together. We requested it spicy, but it had almost no heat. It was very fresh tasting but rather bland, so we mixed it with the salsa and that was a big improvement.

I had a small bowl of tortilla soup that was very good. The thick tomato broth had hints of spiciness as an aftertaste and was really flavorful. It was enhanced with bits of avocado, tender grilled chicken, olives, cheese, roasted poblano chilies and strips of crispy tortillas. It was a really tasty version of this classic soup.

I couldn’t resist the Sonora-style enchilada that first appeared on El Cholo’s menu in 1923. It was nicely presented. Layers of overlapping corn tortillas were topped with chicken and a runny fried egg, and all rested in two delicious sauces, one tomato and one cilantro. Both were excellent. The finishing touch was a light cream sauce drizzled over everything. I will definitely come back for this one.

Other dishes dating to 1923 are also available, and they are some of the best items on the menu. They include albondigas soup, tostada compuesta and green corn tamales.

My dining companion ordered A Taste of History, a large plate engulfed with food, including a cheese enchilada, rolled beef taco, chile relleno and pork tamale. Of course, there were refried beans and Spanish rice.

We almost couldn’t identify the chili relleno because the outside was bright yellow and fluffy. It had way too much egg and very little flour. Much better was the pork tamale, which had well-seasoned stuffing and a very good red sauce. The rolled beef taco had finely minced beef inside but needed a bit more flavor. The cheese enchilada was simple but quite tasty.

Also on the plate was a fried tortilla cup filled with guacamole. Chopped tomato bits could be added as desired.

Currently, the only dessert is a flan. It had all the density of a really good flan but was resting in a very sweet sauce that lacked the caramel taste one would expect. It was still quite good, and a big dollop of whipped cream came on the side.

The wine list is still a work in progress, but your waiter can give you some suggestions. Of course, the margaritas you can choose from are probably better suited to Mexican food than wine. We quite enjoyed the La Flaca margarita, recommended by our friendly waiter. The service here is very good.

TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.

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El Cholo

Where: 3520 East Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar

When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Prices:

Appetizers: $1.35 to $19.95

Soup or salad: $4.95 to $12.95

Entrees: $11.55 to $26.75

Desserts: $3.95

Wine:

Bottles: $28 to $49

By the glass: $8 to $13

Corkage: $10

Information: (949) 777-6137 or elcholo.com

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