Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Mexican Embassy moves to Valley View
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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Don't you just love commercial packaging? The folks who run the Abuelo's aren't just operating a mere restaurant. No, it's more than that: Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy. I'm surprised the local GM isn't referred to as "your ambassador." Well, it's a silly observation, but sometimes I just have to amuse myself.
Actually, the Abuelo's is a well-thought out affair, featuring spacious booths on the outer perimeter of the dining room, all facing into an vast, open dining room under a domed ceiling, with wispy clouds and blue skies. The weather's always perfect at Abuelo's.
I found Abuelo's food tamer than some of our non-chain Mexican restaurant fare. Locally owned Mexican restaurateurs tell me that they've made bows to our rather tame tastes (spicy-wise) in these parts. True Mexican is presented much differently than we're accustomed to.
Aside from the lovely open dining area at Abuelo's, there's a paneled bar off to the side, serving up marvelous margaritas and mixed beverages. There's a large outdoor patio with umbrellas for the warmer days ahead just off from the lounge.
Our service was right-down bubbly and fun, our waitress full of boundless energy and equally boundless suggestions. We listened to her (she was more interesting than we were, anyway) and took her suggestion for a "new" appetizer. As none of us had ever been to an Abuelo's, everything was new to us, but no matter. They're currently featuring a three-dip appetizer, served with warm chips. The dips are spicy cheese, sour cream and guacamole, and a chili sauce. I prefer my chips saltier than these, but overall we were pleased.
I ordered an enchilada and taco combo. The taco had ground beef and the enchilada melted cheese and chicken (my choice), with refried beans on the side and chopped tomatoes sprinkled about. It's a nice luncheon portion for less than $7.
A fellow diner tried the special for the day: tilapia, scallops and shrimp and yet another had a substantial bowl of pasta with scallops, shrimp and red peppers in a nice white sauce.
The portions are ample.
I must remember to take my friend, Jan, to this place. He'll never complain about a hot dish served cold ever again. Our dishes were so blazing hot that we were still blowing on them a half hour later. Their menu boasts: "Each entree is made to order and is brought hot to the table whether it was prepared from our special 425-degree oven, fresh sauté line or wood-burning grill." As the waitress warned: "Don't touch the plates."
I didn't really find too many items that I had not encountered in other local Mexican restaurants, but their are a few: Matamoros -- cheese chili relleno, chicken enchilada and beef enchilada, or Mi Abuelos Manjar -- three stacked enchiladas layered with beef, cheese, and chili con carne, topped with two eggs.
(We have lawyers to thank for all of those ridiculous caution signs and that small type on menus today. Every time the word "egg" or "steak" appears on the Abuelo's menu, there's the obligatory asterisk, referring you to the small type that says something about "consuming undercooked meats, etc., may not be good for your health". Thank you, Perry Mason. See you in the kitchen. I happen to like my eggs undercooked and I'm willing to take the big chance anytime.)
There are platters and combinations: tacos, tamales, burritos topped with all manner of chili conqueso, cheese, etc. And there's a "build your own" type enchilada section: ground beef, shredded beef, cheese, chicken or salsa ranchera.
House specialties include a chicken breast with zucchini, roasted red peppers and corn in a spicy cream sauce, or chicken breasts with sliced mushrooms and capers in a lemony butter sauce. For steak eaters, a 10-ounce choice, hand-cut rib eye steak, wood grilled and served with two enchiladas of your choice.
For seafood lovers, there's the dinner version of tilapia Veracruz as described above. Tilapia is a great fish for non-fish lovers -- light, fluffy, not fishy at all, and takes on the flavors of the sauce surrounding it. Same with the wood grilled mahi mahi steak with shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, and fresh spinach.
In fact, one of my recommendations regarding Abuelo's is that they seem to offer more steak and seafood items than many traditional Mexican restaurants, including a salmon dish -- salmon San Carlos (you remember him -- he did a song called "Black Magic Marker"), which is wood-grilled salmon filet topped with cilantro garlic butter sauce and served with rice and seasoned fresh broccoli.
There is one seafood item that's guaranteed to bring me back for a try: Chili Manzanillo, which is crab imperial (yum) stuffed in a fresh roasted pablano, covered with shrimp, scallops, mushrooms and red peppers in a creamy lobster sauce, served with rice and broccoli. Sounds like a dinner deal at only $13.99, though I'm not certain about the serving size. But how could you have all of that and NOT have a plateful of food?
We didn't get around to dessert, as usual. In fact we didn't even allow our bubbly wait-person to describe it, fearful she'd actually convince us to eat more and then we'd simply explode. You may choose the traditional flan (Mexican egg custard), Margarita pie with tequila sauce (I'd just toss the pie and drink the sauce), Dulce de leche cheesecake (caramel and sweetened milk sauce), and their very own unique dessert nachos: cinnamon chips with vanilla ice cream, pecans, whipped topping and caramel and chocolate. Sounds like a bazillion calories. Now that the pizza people have figured out how to make anything out of pizza dough, desserts included, looks like our Mexican friends are following suit.
Aruela's offers party packs galore and convenient carryout. They'll customize dishes on request.
Upon our recent visit there, the place was up and running, but the indoor water fountain was not. It should add immeasurably to the courtyard motif. Those darned water fountain installers are never on time.
Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy
4802 Valley View Blvd.
Roanoke, VA. 24012
540-265-3555
Full bar service
Moderately priced
