So… I got into Los Angeles around noon today and immediately, after getting my rental car, drove up to Pasadena to meet up with my friend Sarah. We were deciding where to get lunch and I said that I wanted to go to some cool local Mexican place.
We ended up going to Mijares. At first glance, I would have probably just blown right on by the restaurant and never thought twice about it. Boy would have that been a mistake.
This quaint simple Mexican place quickly prepared some solid tasty Mexican food. I had the crab enchiladas and they were delicious. When you add on to their the rice and the refried beans, this was and incredibly filling meal. With that we had sangria, which hit the spot.
I guess it got me thinking. How many great restaurants have I blown by in my life and totally judged them by how they look from the front door?
Have you had this experience? Did you go back later, try the restaurant, and love it? If so, tell me about the story.
#1 by John F Croston III on August 2nd, 2009
I had asked the lady at the hotel two summers ago in South Bend, IN, for any local places to eat that were not chain restaurants and all she kept giving me were chains. So I just started driving up and down the main drag and almost drove by what looked like an old Denny's that someone had made into another restaurant.
Can't remember the name of the place though the parking lot was pretty packed for it being after 9 PM on Saturday. When I got inside it was full of all kinds of nick-nacks. I decided on the roast pork dinner, which included homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing, along with 4 or 5 thick hand carved slices of pork, veggies, salad, and bread all for like $7.50. The food was really good and comforting. If I'm ever out that again I'm hoping that they are still open because I'm stopping back in.
When the bill came with tax it was just over $8 and I left the waitress like $12 or $13, which she preceeded tell me was to much. I thanks her and told her it was well worth my money, if not more.
On the return part of this trip from Chicago, IL, for A List Apart, I stopped to visit family in Columbus, OH. I stopped for breakfast around 10:30 AM on a Thursday somewhere on Route 50 (?) between Columbus and the West Virginia border at a place called the Tea Cup. Same think it was this little whole in the wall place that had a large parking lot that was half full in the middle of the week. I figured it had to be good to have that much business that late in the morning. I ordered up the chicken fried steak with eggs over easy, home fries, and homemade biscuits, the food was outstanding.
Stopping at these types of places for me started by either watching the Food Network, Travel Channel of reading a blog post about trying new places when you travel. I have friends and family that want to eat at places like IHOP, Denny's, McDonald's when they travel, since they like their food or are at least comfortable with it's consistence. Me on the other hand I like to try new places along with different dishes, especially with a group of people, just in case I might not like it and we can all try something new.
#2 by John F Croston III on August 2nd, 2009
I had asked the lady at the hotel two summers ago in South Bend, IN, for any local places to eat that were not chain restaurants and all she kept giving me were chains. So I just started driving up and down the main drag and almost drove by what looked like an old Denny's that someone had made into another restaurant.
Can't remember the name of the place though the parking lot was pretty packed for it being after 9 PM on Saturday. When I got inside it was full of all kinds of nick-nacks. I decided on the roast pork dinner, which included homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing, along with 4 or 5 thick hand carved slices of pork, veggies, salad, and bread all for like $7.50. The food was really good and comforting. If I'm ever out that again I'm hoping that they are still open because I'm stopping back in.
When the bill came with tax it was just over $8 and I left the waitress like $12 or $13, which she preceeded tell me was to much. I thanks her and told her it was well worth my money, if not more.
On the return part of this trip from Chicago, IL, for A List Apart, I stopped to visit family in Columbus, OH. I stopped for breakfast around 10:30 AM on a Thursday somewhere on Route 50 (?) between Columbus and the West Virginia border at a place called the Tea Cup. Same think it was this little whole in the wall place that had a large parking lot that was half full in the middle of the week. I figured it had to be good to have that much business that late in the morning. I ordered up the chicken fried steak with eggs over easy, home fries, and homemade biscuits, the food was outstanding.
Stopping at these types of places for me started by either watching the Food Network, Travel Channel of reading a blog post about trying new places when you travel. I have friends and family that want to eat at places like IHOP, Denny's, McDonald's when they travel, since they like their food or are at least comfortable with it's consistence. Me on the other hand I like to try new places along with different dishes, especially with a group of people, just in case I might not like it and we can all try something new.