Maria Chuchena

I have discovered yet another classy restaurant in El Paso (I feel as though I'm turning into a food, or, at least, a restaurant, critic). This time, my friends and I visited Maria Chuchena, a restaurant which serves gourmet Mexican food, at its new location on Mesa Street in El Paso. Our hostess was very kind, although I was glad to have my Spanish-speaking amiga with me (the hostess and waitstaff do ask if you prefer English or Spanish, so the place is welcoming to non-Spanish-speaking customers).

The appetizers were excellent - small dinner rolls filled with cream cheese, tostadas, and salsa. The salsa is prepared at the table by the waiter or waitress, and it's custom-tailored. Onions? Cilantro? You can have as much or as little as you desire (we went with the medium blend, light on the onions).

The main dishes were excellent as well. I ordered "Carlitos," which consists of beef tacos and a side of guacamole. The food was delicious; the beef was tender and had an excellent flavor due to the peppers and onions (and other spices, I'm sure). After the meal, our waiter asked if we would like to order dessert, but, of course, we didn't save room. I guess I'll have to return to Maria Chuchena to try their pastries...