Mission Statement

When asked “Why Everest?” the legendary New Zealander, Edmund Hillary, famously responded, “Because it’s there.” I imagine it was a decision neither carefully considered nor rash. “I am a climber and this mountain exists,” he must have thought. The solution was obvious and inevitable.

A situation with an equally apparent solution has presented itself to me: I am an eater. My home city of Charlotte teems with unexplored Latin American restaurants. My last day of work for the summer coincides with the first day of the 2010 World Cup. Thus: For the next 31 days, I will lunch at a different Latin American restaurant. Particularly, I wish to explore the establishments that do not generally attract write-ups in the Observer or Best of Charlotte awards or, frankly, a lot of non-Latino clientele. In addition to not being able to afford eating at the likes of Cantina 1511 or Cabo Fish Taco every day, I have had my fill of "cuisine," "fusion," and "-inspired" cooking. I want to know where the tortillas are corn, the patrons speak Spanish out of necessity, and where rice and beans are never mutually exclusive on a plate.

The primary aim of Goles y Frijoles is, then, to create a guide for eating inexpensive Latin American food in Charlotte and document the social, psychological, and gastrointestinal consequences of this course of eating. ¡Disfruta!

*Note: The dates and times of posts may not coincide with when reviews were originally composed. Thanks to Elly for the pun.