El Palenque Hits the Spot
Even as I write my stomach is full beyond capacity. We dropped in to El Palenque for an after work dinner. From what little I'd read and heard about this place, it promised to be more than the average Mexican Restaurant.
Our host endeavored to sell us on the current special, which sounded wonderful, but it was a little beyond what we were planning to pay. So we ended up with the Tamales and the Mole. I drank Dr. Pepper and my wife tried the Horchata.
This place isn't super fast or ultra-cheap. This place is about freshly prepared dishes done right. This also isn't the kind of place that serves chips and salsa, though the menu has ample appetizer choices. If your experience is anything like our's, you won't be disappointed.
The Tamale was huge and beautifully laid out in its corn husk with beans on the side. My wife enjoyed it almost to the last bite (the last bite is currently in the fridge.) The mole was everything I wanted it to be. It consisted of a huge pile of juicy, white-meat chicken covered with a spicy sauce of peanut, roasted chile peppers and mexican chocolate. It was paired with beans, rice, and three soft corn tortillas. I did eat every bite.
I had read that this place was also known for its desserts. There are a number of fridges filled with cakes, brownies, flan, etc. They will call to you. I know you're full by this time, but you can get them to go. Our host informed us that you can now order the cakes online from their website. We fell for a couple of cakes: a chocolate soaked in sweet milk and rum, topped with fresh whipped cream and a vanilla with caramel sauce, whipped cream and crushed pecans. Again, not cheap, but huge portions of sweets that taste even better than they look. We got the slices to go, but dug in not five minutes after getting home. I hurt myself tonight, but it was great.
If you have any great bakers in your family, you know how most restaurant desserts just don't stack up. This place is different.
There isn't much I can complain about. The most I can say is that the horchata was watery and not as sweet or spicy as I would have liked. And even this might have been a fluke. In case you haven't heard of it, horchata is a sweet, often lightly cinnamon flavored, rice milk served over ice. It is actually quite refreshing. You find it all over the place out West, but this is the only place in town that I've found it at so far.
Being on a limited budget I won't get to eat here very often, but I really wish I could.
Our host endeavored to sell us on the current special, which sounded wonderful, but it was a little beyond what we were planning to pay. So we ended up with the Tamales and the Mole. I drank Dr. Pepper and my wife tried the Horchata.
This place isn't super fast or ultra-cheap. This place is about freshly prepared dishes done right. This also isn't the kind of place that serves chips and salsa, though the menu has ample appetizer choices. If your experience is anything like our's, you won't be disappointed.
The Tamale was huge and beautifully laid out in its corn husk with beans on the side. My wife enjoyed it almost to the last bite (the last bite is currently in the fridge.) The mole was everything I wanted it to be. It consisted of a huge pile of juicy, white-meat chicken covered with a spicy sauce of peanut, roasted chile peppers and mexican chocolate. It was paired with beans, rice, and three soft corn tortillas. I did eat every bite.
I had read that this place was also known for its desserts. There are a number of fridges filled with cakes, brownies, flan, etc. They will call to you. I know you're full by this time, but you can get them to go. Our host informed us that you can now order the cakes online from their website. We fell for a couple of cakes: a chocolate soaked in sweet milk and rum, topped with fresh whipped cream and a vanilla with caramel sauce, whipped cream and crushed pecans. Again, not cheap, but huge portions of sweets that taste even better than they look. We got the slices to go, but dug in not five minutes after getting home. I hurt myself tonight, but it was great.
If you have any great bakers in your family, you know how most restaurant desserts just don't stack up. This place is different.
There isn't much I can complain about. The most I can say is that the horchata was watery and not as sweet or spicy as I would have liked. And even this might have been a fluke. In case you haven't heard of it, horchata is a sweet, often lightly cinnamon flavored, rice milk served over ice. It is actually quite refreshing. You find it all over the place out West, but this is the only place in town that I've found it at so far.
Being on a limited budget I won't get to eat here very often, but I really wish I could.
posted by Roanoke Eater | 7:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home