Where's Caldo?

Things have been quiet over here at LC Gorditas for quite some time. We can only think of jobs and life as excuses, but we assure you we have been working hard to earn treasured monies with which we plan on spending on delicious lunches! The title of this blog comes from our desire to end the burning question where is the best Caldo de Res in Las Cruces. Well, here at LC Gorditas we recommend you give this tasty dish a try at Enrique's Mexican Food Restaurant.

Restaurant Info: Enrique's Mexican Food. 830 W. Picacho Ave. Las Cruces, NM. Phone: (575) 647-0240. Its in the shopping mall on Picacho with antique stores, before Valley drive, but after Lion's Park.

Dinero: All of the dishes on the menu are under 8 dollars with the majority in the 4-6 range. The one downside: no plastic, only cash or check are accepted.

Atmosphere: Enrique's is a cozy little cafe. It is not fancy, so dress casual. The establishment is run by a husband and wife (The actual Enrique) who busy themselves taking orders and bringing out the food. The walls are painted a pleasant green and all the tables have matching flower table cloths. The decorations are not expensive but they are clean and well cared for. There is no music, just the hum of lunchtime chatter. Esmer did a bathroom check and reports that it was squeaky clean!

Customer Service: Enrique and Lydia (we think that is his wife's name) are incredibly prompt and polite. If you need refills on chips/salsa or drinks, you can help yourself or they'll do it for you if you ask. They speak both spanish and english, which is nice for Carrie to practice her spang-lish ("Can I have some aqua? Por favor?") and Esmer to sound awesome because she speaks both fluently (Asi!). Best leave a tip on the table when you are done as they don't require a tip when you pay!

Food: Enrique will start you off with complimentary chips and salsa, which you can refill as many times as you want.

The Caldo de Res (Beef Stew) is scrumptious. Seriously, there aren't enough adjectives to describe this soup. In the picture below you can see delicious broth filled with cooked veggies (carrots, corn, potatoes, cabbage, zucchini), and succulent chunks of beef. It also comes with corn or flour tortillas on the side (for scooping up the meat and veggies) and a plate of rice. The rice, which is cooked in a tasty broth with carrots and onions, will make you want to do a happy dance in your seat. Esmer has been here several times, and refuses to order anything else. Es la verdad!

Note: this is the "small" portion

Carrie ordered the green enchiladas, one chicken and one beef. They were both good, but she recommends the chicken as it is the better of the two. The enchilada plate as you can see also comes with a side of beans and rice. The beans are liquid love and have obviously had lard added. Sorry if that grosses you out, but it makes the best beans. It’s been scientifically proven that eating lard releases feel good endorphins in your brain…just kidding, but your taste buds will be thanking you!

As you can see, this dish also comes with a side of tortillas for scooping!

Caution:

1. The Caldo isn't served until 12pm and though they make tons of caldo, because it's their most popular dish, they sometimes run out...lo siento mi amigo!

2. The salsa has a kick to it, so go easy if you are a whimp like us.

3. Everything is homemade, and so you may never enjoy pre-prepared food again.