Chiles Rellenos Calling

I think I've mentioned before that I have a favorite lunch place, which serves one of my favorite meals -- chiles rellenos. Unfortunately, the restaurant often runs out of chiles rellenos at lunch time.

The woman who runs the place (and does all the cooking) took pity on me the last time I showed up. She was serving pollo estufado, and it was good, but it wasn't chiles rellenos. She asked me for my cell phone number. Now she calls me when chiles rellenos are on the menu.

"On the menu" is a figure of speech in this particular case. There is no menu, not even one of the whiteboard-on-the wall menus. She just tells you what she has when you show up. Or, in my case, she calls you and tells you what she has.




My friend Terry introduced me to this restaurant, and he's afraid if I tell my friends about it the restaurant will fill up with gabachos. It will become upscale and trendy and drive away the working class Mexicans who currently eat there.

The Virgin and Baby calendar and the Last Supper painting would be replaced with hanging ceramic chile peppers, ferns and works by local artists.

So I hesitate to write about Rosa and her chiles rellenos. I just want to say that I never again want to hear anyone complain about service in Mexican restaurants. In all the years I lived in the U.S. never once did a restaurant call to tell me my favorite dish was on the menu.