Without making this entry more medical than culinary, the havoc being wreaked on my gastrointestinal system is very real and bears noting. Perhaps it is the nearly two weeks of daily vegetable-less meals or this weekend’s intimidating troika of Salvadoran, Colombian, and Mexican buffet, but there is now no telling at what moment I will double over in abdominal pain and make haste for porcelain sanctuary. Makes me not want to leave home without a bathroom.
Today I risked it and rode a short distance north to investigate what, according to Google Maps, is a cluster of taquerías near the intersection of Sugar Creek Rd and Tryon. The area did not appear as promising as the Internet had promised, so I went to the place where I thought I’d have the best chances of catching Argentina v. Greece: El Salvador Restaurant. The creatively-named restaurant and bar sits at the back of a parking lot filled with Econovans and other workers’ vehicles, within view from the aforementioned intersection and behind a sign advertising not just Salvadoran but also Mexican and Honduran fare. Inside, a long bar is the center of activity and to the left an empty dance floor waits lonely for the next salsa rave-up.
I took my position at said bar in front of the clearer of the two bulky Magnavoxes to ensure the best possible view of Maradona’s splendid mullet. A giggly barmaid, clearly tickled by the presence of an out-of-place gringo on a dull Tuesday afternoon and perhaps hoping for some fish-out-of-water fun served me chips and (not-spicy-enough) salsa. Her affability at least paid off in a willingness to make recommendations—a quality in waitstaff that has so far during the course of Goles y Frijoles been curiously rare—and I confidently ordered the Chimichanga de Carne per her advice. I would do the same again, as it was way better than the last chimichanga I had, which was in 1994 when I asked my mom at a grocery store what a chimichanga was and she answered by grabbing something out of the Stop & Shop freezer and later heating it for me. El Salvador serves it a little better than I remember: a large, square burrito, fried, packed with steak and melted cheese, covered in white queso sauce. It also came with beans, an above average salad (which for this kind of place means not one but TWO slices of cucumber with your slice of tomato and shredded iceberg lettuce), and what could have been the BEST rice I've had in the last twelve days. If you want a more nuanced rice description, give me $1.79, and I'll tell you about it as I eat another helping.
Oh, and do Snickers taste better in Latin America, or are the ads just funnier? http://www.snickers.com/espanol/ads/spots.html
The Score: Very solid. I wish my stomach had not been punishing me from the night before. Coming back for the pinchos!
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