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Chubby's: A Square Deal In Rose Park | |
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 10/26/2001 | |
| ROSE PARK -- Every neighborhood has places that give it personality: a funky street, a park or shopping district, or a homegrown cafe. Chubby's, a Mexican restaurant that doubles as an ice cream "shoppe" on the strength of three flavors, is one of those places. Open in its present location only three years, Chubby's looks and feels as if it grew up with this aging, mostly residential neighborhood. It is the kind of place where the waitresses' kids walk though the door and plop down in a booth like they are finally home; a place where a philodendron vine trails the entire length of one wall and around a corner. It's the kind of place where owner Tedro Lopez, who bought Chubby's from his previous employers, displays a plaque from the Utah Highway Patrol, acknowledging his support of its agency. Troopers are a common sight at Chubby's, wolfing down burritos, enchiladas and the cafe's signature dish, "Chubby-changas." The brick-patterned vinyl floor isn't worn, but it has the look of another era, a time when restaurants didn't need slate floors, granite countertops or fresh flowers on the tables. At Chubby's, plastic flowers are fine. And the jukebox still takes quarters. At Chubby's, nearly all the food is homemade. Some is very good, some of it is average and there are times when a reasonable person might feel she could do it better herself, like the day the rice had a burnt flavor. But regulars are the bread and butter of a place like Chubby's, and they are likely to forgive and forget. If you're in the neighborhood, Chubby's is worth a visit, if only for a Chubby-changa stuffed with desebrada, or shredded beef. Chubby's version of the chimichanga ($4.75), a flour tortilla filled with chicken or beef and deep-fried, is perfect: not too big, crisp but not greasy, and, in the case of desebrada, flavored like meat allowed to cook in its own fat. A saturated fat bomb, to be sure, but what a way to go! It's even better with rice and beans. Chubby's refried beans are cooked the authentic way, in lard -- another saturated fat-bomb. But, without lard, refried beans don't have that essential creamy texture. At its best, the rice is soft and salty, with a flavor of chicken broth. Enchiladas seem like a simple dish, but not every Mexican restaurant does them well. The sauce should be full-flavored but not overpowering, and the cheese can't be allowed to melt into pools of oil on the plate. Chubby's cheese enchiladas ($5 for three) get high marks for form and flavor. Enchiladas also come with beef, chicken and green chile fillings. The tamales ($2) are good-sized, moist and flavorful. But the green chile that smothered them was a thin sauce that relied too much on canned chiles. Another weakness: too little filling in the burritos ($4 smothered, with rice and beans). Tacos are a mixed bag; the hard-shelled taco on the large combination ($7.25) dissolved into a mass of saucy shredded meat, but the tacos al carbon ($1.50 each) are built with double corn tortillas that can withstand the juice of diced, well-seasoned steak. The menu includes much more, from heuvos rancheros ($4.50) and fajita platters ($7.50-$8), to burgers ($4-$4.50) and pork ribs with rice, beans and a tortilla ($6). A single-scoop ice cream cone, popular with the lunch-box set, goes for $1.25. Soft drinks ($1, with free refills) are generous. Service at Chubby's is hard to predict: during a busy noon-hour visit, it was friendly and brisk. On a slower evening, we had to get up and tell our server we wanted to order. Nobody was hustling to clean the surrounding tables, either. Chubby's nicely fills the niche of a neighborhood restaurant, with reasonably priced food that tastes good. Chubby's 955 N. 1400 West, Salt Lake City; 596-2070 Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Prices: Nothing over $10.50 Liquor: Beer Reservations: No Child's Menu: Yes Takeout: Yes Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: No Parking: On site lot Credit Cards: All major Anne Wilson is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Wilson welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
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