rancheros

I sat in my photography class quietly humming a song I had just composed with my ballpoint pen about fajitas. My teacher was mumbling about "shutter speeds" and I all that was on my mind was salsa."Adjust the exposure," he said. It reminded me of enchiladas. I started salivating. The drive home on the 8 was unusually crowded. I stared out my open window and fantasized about a cold corona in my hand. 

Finally home, threw my keys down and went straight for my happy cow list. I scanned it for the mexican restaurant in OB i have been eyeing for weeks. It was time. 
Megan came and picked me up in her little 4runner, and we grabbed Ellen and Alexis, and sped down Ingram as fast as we could. A right on Sunset Cliffs blvd...straight for two minutes. Here we are, Rancheros.

We pull into the parking lot behind the renegade strip mall, I catch a brief glimpse of a palm frawn covered patio with hanging green and red chili pepper lights. Perfect. 
We more run than walk through the parking lot, down the alley and through the doors of what looks like a take out counter. I realize quickly how much bigger the restaurant is than I originally  estimated. Off the entry there is a large dining area to the right and a patio outside. We are walked to our table, passing sponge painted walls of Frida Kahlo reproductions and pounded tin mirrors. Complied in an oddball, thrown together sort of a way, there are large barren tree branches hung from the ceiling, and dropped ceiling tiles covered in large burlap sacks.

I scan the menu and immediately am drawn to a "chicken" dish covered in a mushroom tequila sauce. Tequilla sauce... I'm sold. 
The chips and salsa with large chunks of peppers is sat down in front of me and it is chips to face for the next five minutes. 

A cold Dos Equis with lime in hand I enjoy the conversation, mostly consisting of Ellen's sexual escapades, always an interesting topic, and a camping trip to San Clemente Megan and I have just gotten back from.

megan and alexis got pretty excited

decisions...decisions

My food comes and looks much like most mexican restaurant plates, piled from side to side with a mess of chicken smothered in sauce, rice beans, guac and lettuce. I dig in.
The seared "chicken" has a great consistency, it cuts nicely, but without to much effort. The sauce is nicely layered. The spicy sting of the tequila is paired perfectly with the earth mushroom flavor. The rice and beans are good, better when I spoon some of the tequila sauce over both. I am halfway down with my plate, full, and adamantly trying to take just one more bite.

Overall, with a slight beer haze surrounding the restaurant, I am impressed. Rancheros has managed to keep with traditional mexican flavors with all sorts of meat substitutes, portabello patties, non animal broths. It is a vegetarian mexican food lovers dream, tequila and tofu,  paired harmoniously together

lots of leftovers