Sometimes I like to introduce friends to my favorite restaurants. Last night I took Pastry Chef Patsy to Tony Jacal, off Stevens in Solana Beach. She had always heard about it, so this was a good opportunity.
Let me walk you through it, like I did her. First of all, they have weekday happy hours. Get there early enough and you can go sit in the bar and enjoy inexpensive drinks and appetizers.
If you miss Happy Hour ….
Order drinks and some guacamole. Since chips and salsa are served when you sit down, it was a good dip. Really authentic. Keep in mind, the chips are stored in the bar area while when you eat, they seem to be fresher. And the salsa in hotter at the bar.
One of the things I learned recently and have taught friends is this: any time you get a drink, like a Bloody Mary and it’s too spicy or has too much pepper, add a tablespoon of oj. You can’t taste the juice but it really does calm down the heat.
The Bar area is good even if you miss Happy Hour!
As we move to the dining room (the ‘wait’ time is usually 30 minutes or less), I get to prove my point about the chips. You can order off the first couple of pages of the menu, for combination plates or do like I do. Skip to the last page and get what you want a la carte. Always much less expensive.
One thing Tony’s has, that other Mexican Restaurants do not have is freshly
roasted turkey. So Turkey Tacos, Turkey Burritos. All good. And who gives you Potato Taco’s? Tony Jacal!
Chef Patsy enjoys her enchilada, gives me a taste to make sure I can review it too. I give her some of my Turkey Burrito and we are in business. And all the food, everything I have ever ordered, seems processed (unlike other places close by that you wonder should you go into that restaurant instead).
The answer is a resounding NO. Stick with unprocessed, made with love and a staff that is really happy you came in.
At different point 3 different people stop by the table just to casually see how we are doing. That’s in addition to our waiter. Just a quick check in. And one of the ladies stopped by twice, with a big smile on her face. Yes. This is a happy place!
There is always someone around, to catch their attention when you need something. Great staff (especially in the bar).
At the end of the meal we know one thing for sure: that’s authentic Mexican Food!
A good time was had by all. I will have to take my Foodies Groups there next time. You can check other reviews for more pix.
With garlic, gusto and gratitude,
Chef Marian🥂
📧 ChefMarianKitchenConfident@gmail.com
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