|
|
La Morena's tried-and-true chile verde, rellenos continue to please | |
| By Nancy Hobbs Special to The Tribune |
02/27/2004 | |
|
SALT LAKE CITY -- Salt Lake City was hardly the place to find global cuisine in the 1960s -- there were a few Asian restaurants and a couple of Mexican diners. (Anyone remember the old Tampico?)
So when La Morena restaurant opened in 1967 at the old Guadalupe Center as a way to help fund language outreach and early-education programs for Spanish-speaking families, it felt like a big leap forward in broadening our cultural and culinary horizons. It was the place to go for "authentic" Mexican food, and though today it may seem a little dated, with only basic chiles (anaheim and jalapeno) and no adobo sauce, it whetted the appetites of Utahns hungry for something different. When Adnan Khashoggi bought property around North Temple and 300 West and started building the Triad Center, the Guadalupe Center and La Morena became casualties of that development. There were other Mexican restaurants to fill the void, but for some people, including Maria and Manuel Ramirez, La Morena was irreplaceable. Maria waitressed at La Morena for 14 of its 19 years; her husband Manuel cooked there for eight. When it closed in 1986, they went on to other ventures, but nine years ago opened their own cafe. With the La Morena name no longer encumbered by the infamous Khashoggi bankruptcy, they chose to revive it. The new La Morena Cafe is a compact, white building with colorful Mexican blankets hanging between the windows and half a dozen booths inside. Hurricane-shaped cups advertising Circus Circus and Slots of Fun casinos double as straw servers on each table. The food is basically what was offered at the original, with ground beef as the staple ingredient in hard- or soft-shelled tacos, enchiladas, burritos and chimichangas. The house specialties, then as now, are chile verde and chile rellenos. Customers -- many of whom recognize Maria, and vice-versa, from "the old days" -- tell the Ramirezes that it's the kind of food they have missed. The chile verde is especially good, with chunks of pork and diced onions and chiles in a tasty sauce that isn't too hot. It can be ordered by itself, with a side of hot tortillas ($6.75), but also is used to "smother" burritos, tamales, rellenos and even baked potatoes. The rellenos are made with mild chiles filled with cheese and surrounded by a deep-fried egg batter, then topped with chile verde for a scrumptious mix of flavors ($6.10 for one; $8.10 for two). The smothered burrito is the other house favorite, filled with the cafe's creamy and flavorful refried beans, then topped with the chile verde and cheese ($5.85). I especially like the chile verde with huevos rancheros ($6.30), which were delivered just as they should be: two perfectly fried eggs topped with chile verde sitting aside flaky, seasoned rice and hot, luscious refried beans, with a small garnish of cold, shredded lettuce and a basket of hot tortillas on the side. Nothing to gussy it up or detract from the classic. The only drawback is that since the cafe isn't open Saturdays or Sundays, it's not an option for a weekend breakfast. In fact, La Morena's hours may be a limiting factor for a lot of customers. It is only open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though with the switch to daylight savings time, it will stay open until 7. The Ramirezes shortened their hours after the 9-11 terrorist attacks, which Maria describes as "a turning point for the cafe." Like most dining enterprises, business at La Morena took a hit, with people staying home evenings, and even curtailing lunch outings. A second hit came with changes to the state's liquor laws that made beer-only licenses more expensive -- too much to justify keeping a license, Maria said. Hence, the switch to primarily lunch and early-dinner crowds, which come mostly from nearby state and private office buildings and an adjacent urban campground. For those who can make La Morena a destination spot, it is a friendly and inexpensive retreat with real Mexican comfort food. ----- Nancy Hobbs 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. Hobbs welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at nhobbs@xmission.com
La Morena Cafe
|
||
