I tasted India, and it was good

A few weeks ago, a friend tipped us off about the daily lunch buffet at A Taste of India. Finding ourselves on campus recently for a very long and boring seminar, we decided to nurse our headaches with tandoori chicken and garlic naan.

Restaurant info: 1001 East University Avenue (in the Kinko's plaza). (575) 532-1700.

Dinero: Plastic, Cash, Check

Atmosphere: The tables and tile floors looked expensive. However, we all agreed that it was a bit "dark" and they could have benefited from some more lighting at the tables. There was no music in the dining area, but instead some music coming from the kitchen. It was 1/3 to 1/2 full as usual. I've been here a few times before and it is almost always nearly empty, so I'm not sure how they continue to do business. It would be a shame if this restaurant closed down, so give it a try!

Bathroom check: The bathroom was new and well designed. The doors were not your cheap partitions you see everywhere. Instead they were made with a pretty dark wood. The sink was small and Esmer said she saw a couple of paper towels on the floor. Since, they aren't that busy, we have to take a point off for not checking the bathroom and keeping it clean.

Customer Service: There was one waiter manning the show. He stayed behind the counter and nodded us toward chairs when we came in. He was very prompt to come and ask our drinks, bring us pipping hot naan (yummy Indian bread) and refill our drinks. It took a little longer than usual to pay and get our receipts, but still he did a pretty excellent job for being on his own.

Comida: The buffet line included everything from basmati rice, salad, several meat dishes, several veggie dishes, a tray of samosas (Indian version of an empanada), different sauces (mint, tamarind and yogurt were our favorites), sweet pancake balls, rice pudding, and mango pudding for desert. 

This is Esmer's plate. The tandoori chicken (the bright pink in the picture) was very juicy and flavorful. The brown dab on the right was their chicken curry, which tasted good and was not too spicy. Next to the brown dab are bits of zucchini. This dish was to die for! The zucchini and potatoes were so tender. Carrie is right, the zucchini was good but the spinach dish was even better! I know what you're thinking, "Who likes spinach?" Well, I do. Maybe it's all the Popeye cartoons I watched growing up and maybe I even believed that eating spinach made me stronger, but I'm telling you...even Popeye would be impressed with their spinach dish. Es muy bueno!

On my plate you can see the rice pudding and yogurt sauce. The rice pudding was good, but nothing compared to the mango pudding. Sadly, we did not get a picture of the mango pudding. But, take our word for it, it was scrumptious! Esmer took one taste and said "It makes me want to go back to baby food!" If you've had a mango lassi before (Indian drink) it has a very similar taste, the texture is slightly thicker though as it is in pudding form.

With our student IDs we got a 10% discount and our totals came out to about seven dollars and some change. We each left a dollar on the table for the waiter. For all you can eat veggies, meat, bread, and dessert its a pretty good deal. Plus, if you are a vegan/vegetarian, there is plenty of variety. We asked a staff member if the menu changes every day and he confirmed that it does. All that is lacking is more customers. Once the word gets out, this place will probably get very busy!

Caution:

1. Try the sauces in small portions, they can be very hot. 

2. Come prepared with gum, tums and hand sanitizer. Our desk-mates at the seminar certainly appreciated it.

3. After one visit, you'll be "pimpin the Indian food" (as Esmer said) too!

Lunch and a Tattoo

Shem's was the winner of the "Where should the LC Gorditas eat next" poll.

Restaurant Info: Located at 1340 E Lohman Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88001 (575) 541-5956. You can view their menu and prices at http://www.liquidcommon.com/1075

Dinero: Plastic, cash and checks

Atmosphere: Very friendly atmosphere with dim lighting = good date restaurant. The restaurant offers a romantic Moroccan feel. Not exactly what you may want during lunch. I didn't know what music was playing until Carrie turned to me and said, "That's the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack."

Bathroom Check: If you're OCD, this is your restaurant. Everything was spic and span. El bano (bathroom) was amazing. They have motion activated sinks, a motion activated paper towel dispenser and two soap dispensers, one for each sink. I was so excited that I used both. I found out how important soap dispensers are at the movie theatre this weekend. One of our local theatres has about 15 stalls, four sinks and one soap dispenser on the right side. What did I see? Tons of women who either didn't wash their hands or just used water...gross!!! Thank you Shem's for not giving customers an excuse to not wash their hands. They even have a sign on the mirror that says, "All Employees must wash their hands." A+ (Did I mention the motion activated air fresheners?)

Customer Service: Our server, Marilyn, was very nice and answered all of our questions about the food. Our drinks were always filled and she checked on us several times throughout our meal. I should mention that the servers have uniforms. Every once in a while we'd glance at the male server's elf looking pants and giggle. I used to have to wear the pancake costume for I-HOP and an ice-cream cone hat at the Showboat Hotel and Casino Ice Cream Shop so my heart went out to them. Ooooh, we should mention that they offer free Henna tattoos at lunch. We've all heard of dinner and a movie but lunch and a tattoo sounds much more exciting!

Comida: You get a free appetizer of fried, spicy chick-peas before your food. They were really good. As you can tell by this picture (as usual) we forgot to take a picture of the appetizer until we had already eaten most of it...oops!

Carrie ordered the Lamb French Dip. Pieces of lamb served on Moroccan bread with sweet caramelized onions. It comes with potatoes, watermelon and Au Jus. She loved it. Her only complaint was feeling pretty "lamby" after eating the sandwich. She had a hard time getting the lamb smell off of her hands. I suggested she go use the two soap dispensers in the bathroom. I had the Chicken Kebab with Cous Cous. It was delish! The cous cous was soft and buttery and the chicken was perfectly spiced. I was happily full when Carrie talked me into trying the orange cake. All that I could say after one bite was, "WOW!" Carrie said, "I've never seen you react like that, it takes a lot to impress the Smersy." This cake is just that, impressive! It's layers of white cake, whipped cream frosting, orange zest marmalade drizzled with chocolate. You have to try this cake! One piece is enough for two people because it's muy bueno.

Carrie's check came out to $19 and mine was $12 and that's minus a drink. We only had water. That's a bit pricey for lunch. So would I go there again? For the cake, si! Shem's should seriously consider a lunch menu with lunch prices that compete with the other local establishments in Las Cruces.

Caution: 1. The food was good, but a bit pricey for poor social workers. 2. If you're right handed and you've decided to have your free Henna tattoo put on your right hand you may have to learn to eat with your left hand.

Tour of Carbitaly

When we found out that Olive Garden was opening in Las Cruces, we knew we had to feature our first visit to its goodness on this blog. We decided to avoid the crowds of the opening day and instead went this afternoon.

Location: Telshor (in front of Sportsman's Warehouse, Home Depot)

Dinero: cash, check, card 

Atmosphere: We got there a little after 4:30 and were surprised to be seated in just under five minutes. The waiting area is pretty small. It began to fill up quickly just after we arrived. The decorations are all new and cute, I particularly liked some of the wall tiling. Esmer did a bathroom check, and unfortunately found it to be all the way in the back, past the busy kitchen doors.

Cleanliness: Like I said, everything is new since it just opened. So we have to give it top marks here. 

Customer Service: This was a mixture. Our hostess seemed young and inexperienced. She kept forgetting to hand out buzzers. But another hostess stepped in to fix the mix up. Our waitress was incredibly nervous (her first day she told us) and even said "they should fire me!" when she brought me an iced tea instead of a raspberry lemonade. I felt bad for her so I sampled the tea to make sure (Esmer thinks I just wanted to break the Word of Wisdom). But, other than this slight mix up, the service was excellent. A random server even refilled Esmer's drink during our meal.

 Comida: We went for the salad instead of soup for our breadsticks. We got the cheese grated over the top, saying "estop" to our server at just the right time! Esmer went with the spaghetti and meatballs, and the server even special ordered the five cheese marinara sauce for her spaghetti instead of the meat sauce (how nice!). I have a terrible time making up my mind, so I decided try a little of everything and got the tour of italy (includes: fettucini alfredo, lasagna, and chicken parmesan). Esmer loved her sauce but thought that the meatballs do not compare to Lorenzos'. Carrie is right, Lorenzo's are better. My alfredo sauce was yummy and so was the lasagna. I thought the chicken parmesan tasted a bit like it came from the freezer and was just heated up. The helpings were very large. After about 2 1/2 bites Esmer announced she was full. We both took home boxes for lunch tomorrow. The server even wrote what we ordered on our boxes, just in case we forgot what meatballs or chicken parmesan look like.

Cost: My meal total was a staggering 22 bucks (including tip)! The bright side is that it could have easily fed two. Esmer's rang in at 18 bucks, but it would have been harder to share. Maybe cut the meatballs in half? So is it worth the price you are probably wondering? We say yes, but only on special occasions when you want to spend a lot of money.

Caution:
1. If you are thirsty, you won't be able to stop at one glass of raspberry lemonade (yeah, try 3 here!)
2. Prepare for a sudden irresistible desire to take a nap afterward.
3. Comfy jeans, preferably with an easy to undo top button, are an asset.
4. When your BFF has been on a protein-only diet, the sudden influx of carbs may cause them to say things like, "I'm such a meatball whore!"

You have charbroil on your cheek!

Today’s tour of Las Cruces’ restaurants was at Pepe’s Chicken. Pepe’s Chicken is El Paso based and opened its doors in Las Cruces over five years ago, according to the cashier.

Restaurant Info: Located at 2300 N. Main St. #202, Las Cruces, NM 88001. (575) 528-0000.

Dinero: They take cash or cards. Sorry, no checks.

Atmosphere: Casual. You order at the left side counter and when they call your number you pick up your food at the right side counter. The tables are your typical square Formica tables with cushioned chairs. Yes, the chairs could use a bit of patching but all in all it was comfortable. I have to say that the music played at Pepe’s was quite refreshing. It ranges from Juanes to The Killers. As we were exiting the restaurant Carrie said, “They’re playing Keane!” Yes indeed, they were!

Cleanliness: I’m a strong believer in checking a restaurant’s bathroom. Basically, a bathroom will tell you how clean the kitchen is. The same mop and cleaning supplies are used in the entire restaurant. I did a bathroom check and found that it was clean and well stocked with soap, tp and paper towels. Nice to know, since I’m assuming the employees use the same bathroom.

Customer Service: It was my first time at Pepe’s and considering we went during lunch, the cashier was very friendly and answered my questions. Our number was called within 5 minutes of placing our order. Very impressive!

The Comida (food): We quickly decided that we were going to try their charbroiled chicken and not the many taco options they also have, after all it is called Pepe’s Chicken.

 They have an $8.99 dark meat chicken special that comes with a side of Charro beans and Spanish rice. Also included in the special are 8 tortillas, corn or flour. Drinks are separate and cost $2 each with free refills. We ended up paying almost $14 for the special and two drinks, $7 a piece. Not too shabby considering the current prices at other restaurants. They also have a salsa bar with guacamole salsa, green chile salsa (dang my mouth is on fire), red chile salsa (does anyone have Tums?), pico de gallo, basic Mexican salsa (very whimpy), limes, chopped cucumbers and those weird red onions in vinegar (blah!). You can see the plate in the picture, the quality is not very good because we took it with a cell phone, and you can see nibbles on the chicken because we were very hungry and only remembered the picture just in time!

 I went with the corn tortillas, Carrie tried the flour. I’m really picky about corn tortillas. There is nothing more disappointing than ordering tortillas from a Mexican restaurant and biting into a store bought tortilla. I can always taste and smell the preservatives in store bought corn tortillas…yuck! I have to admit that I wasn’t sure about the origin of their corn tortillas. I could definitely smell the lime in them but they didn’t taste as fresh as the tortillas you can buy in the many Mexican tortillerias in Las Cruces. I ate one of Carrie’s flour tortillas…YUM! I was seriously wishing I carried a stick of butter in my purse so I could eat a flour tortilla with butter, yes they were that good! So definitely order the flour and not the corn. I’m not much of a chicken dark meat person but as Carrie stated after a couple of bites, “This chicken is DELISH!!!”

 The food is given to you on a tray along with plastic ware and paper plates. You may want to triple up the paper plates as the beans will soak through the first two plates and leave a soggy mess on the table. The Spanish rice was moist and had a wonderful cumin aroma. Carrie thought the beans were a wee bit undercooked, I agree. It may have just been an off day for the cook. I will say this much, the beans had a good spice to them, not too hot but just perfect. Also, we quickly found out that 3 people could have shared this meal. I ended up taking two pieces of chicken home with me for dinner and we threw away the leftover rice and beans. Last but not least, it’s charbroiled…hello healthy!

Caution:
 1. After a few bites of their chicken you may end up with charbroil on your cheeks. This is where you truly appreciate your BFF for telling you, “You have charbroil on your cheek.”
 2. Vegans and Vegetarians stay away…you will change your lifestyle once you get a whiff of the charbroiled chicken.
 3. Don’t eat the guacamole salsa too fast or it’ll end up on your cardi (cardigan). It must be magic guacamole salsa because it dried clear. J