Taste Confusion at La Zona Rosa

A Confounded Chile Poblano Eyes His Plate Mates

My squeeze and I are fans of La Zona Rosa as are many of the posters on this blog. On a typical Thursday night you will see the Z-Red restaurant chocked full to the gills with locals chowing down on the reasonably priced "South of the Border" fare. The service is good, the atmosphere friendly and the al fresco dining area a pleasant spot to dine in decent weather. In other words we like La Zona Rosa as our two former posts attest.

But....(and you knew this was coming didn't you?)....the truth is some of the various menu items do taste the same.  For example, in the above picture there are three items.  One is obviously a curious, furious or ravenous Chile Poblano.  However, can you possibly identify the two items the Poblano is gazing at?  Well, according to the menu, one is a burrito and one is an enchilada.  And not only do they look alike, I closed my eyes and could not tell one bit of difference in taste between the two.  What is more disconcerting is the fact that when I finally subdued and gutted the Poblano, it was stuffed with stuff that tasted just like the stuff inside the enchilito or the burlada (cross between a burrito and enchilada).  Just what that stuff is I have no clue.  Where the stuffing comes from I have no clue.

Now, is it all fairly tasty? Si senor. Do I have any problem with the meal itself? No senor. Was the meal only $7.50? Si, si senor. I'm just sayin': If there is no difference in taste between a burrito and enchilada why do they have such different names? I'm just askin'. I mean, is this stuff shipped in from some meat filling factory in Mexico or Guatemala where all the "Mexican" restaurants get the same stuff? Is that why a lot of "Mexican" food in the Gump tastes the same? Is there like some Mexican McDonalds that standardizes the meat you get so you are never disappointed nor delighted with your meal? Just askin'.  No disrespect intended.  I'm not going Shadow Pup on anyone here. It's just that inquiring and hung-over minds want to know.

Comments welcome.

Cujo's Lunch Express is Bloody Good

The Cuco (or Coco; Coca; Cuca; Cucuy) is a mythical ghost-monster; equivalent to the boogeyman, found in many Hispanic and Lusophone countries. He can also be considered a Hispanic version of a bugbear,^[1] as it is a commonly used figure of speech representing an irrational or exaggerated fear. The coco is a male being while coca, or cuca are the female versions of the mythical monster although it is not possible to distinguish one from the other as both are the representation of the same being. That is why I refer to Cuco's in Montgomery as Cujo's in honor of the movie of the same name. [Click on the Cuco's in Montgomery link to hear their snappy theme music!]

Located securely within the confines of "Downtown Mont[Gump]ery" at 31 South Court Street, "Cuco's Express" is, in fact, an example of a bugabear that will not die. While other places wilted and failed when the Court Street fountain area was some diabolical evil urban planner's experiment in downtown mall living, poor Cuco's was a restaurant without parking that survived and now thrives on the north end of the fountain "round-a-bout" [which non-Bermudian Gumpers still do not understand how to navigate] with some pretty darn good Portugese/Mexican lunch selections.

Today, I snuck away from my parole officer to sample the "Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada" off the Express Lunch Combo Menu served with a soft drink (with free refills) and complimentary chips and salsa for the grand total of $5.49 plus tax. The chips were not only paper thin and hot, but they asked me if I had lost weight. Very complimentary I must say. Cuco's promises that if not delivered in 15 min., the whole sheebang is on the house. Fortunately, they brought the feast out in record time and I returned to my work-release station before anyone missed me.

I was very impressed. They also have just opened an evening restaurant in West Shorter at 11123 Chantilly Parkway which would be an option when I am released from parole (assuming no schools are within 300 yards). I even think the place actually qualifies as a local eatery. Bottom line, I think this place is at least three chips of a salsa and worth a lunch visit whenever you are gracing the Gump.