It all started with an Easy Bake Oven

Last weekend Richard and I took a little trip to Albuquerque and stayed overnight at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Reort & Spa. It was a beautiful resort, and we can’t wait to go back again. Among the highlights of our stay was our dinner at their fine dining reestaurant, the Corn Maiden.

This Hyatt Resort is actually in Santa Ana, NM and the Corn Maiden is considered an honored symbol of the Santa Ana Pueblo. The restaurant is in a separate Adobe style building from the rest of the resort. The decor was very attractive, and we were immediately seated at a nice roomy table by the windows looking out at the Sandia Mountains. Beautiful! There also was a nice patio with a gorgeous mountain view, and we’d love to opt for that on a future trip.

Our team of servers arrived right away with menus and took beverage orders. I stuck with water, but Richard ordered a tasty cab (though I can’t recall which one….maybe because I’d already had some wine myself beforehand!).

The Corn Maiden specializes in “fire roasted cuisine”: spit fired meat, fowl and fish. While meals can be ordered a la carte, we went with one of their signature rotisserie meals called The Corn Maiden Classic. This meal consisted of spit fired chorizo sausage, chile chicken, and red and green chile rubbed beef rib eye. Other combinations were also avilable that included such items as herb rubbed buffalo rib eye, chipolte-orange marinated duck breast, sweet chile glazed ahi tuna, and citrus shrimp. All of the rotisserie meals include a chopped salad, green chile potatoes au gratin, sauteed vegetables, and the following accompaniments: mole demi, cactus chutney, and grilled peach salsa.

After placing our order, they brought out some nice bread and our salads. The chopped salad was delicious – very fresh, with a wonderful light dressing.

Before too long, out came our meal. Oh my! This was some of the tastiest meat, sausage, and chicken that I have ever consumed! I let Richard have the meat (which he said was perfectly cooked). The chorizo was so good and spicy, and the chicken was fantastic as well. In particular, we loved the mole demi sauced on the side. And those green chile taters au gratin – mmmmmm! They were rich and creamy with a nice kick from the green chile – I ate every last bite.

Of course, dessert was in order to conclude this fine meal. Richard had a chocolate cake and it was so chocolatey-intense that he couldn’t finish it (which means some for me. Yeah!). This cake was quite delicious and a real chocolate lover’s delight. I went with the red chile cheesecake, which had a little bite to it from that chile. It was rich, smooth, and creamy and I loved every bit of it.

Service could not have been better. Our service team did not miss a beat at any point in the meal, and they were informative and fun to talk with yet also quite professional.

We were really impressed with our meal at The Corn Maiden. It was a perfect restaurant for the setting, and the food, atmosphere, and service were all wonderful on the evening we were there. We can’t wait to return!

It was high time we took a trip to L & J Cafe. Since arriving in El Paso, we’d heard over and over again about L & J, “The Old Place By The Graveyard”. And truly it is right across from an old graveyard. We went in broad daylight, but I bet that graveyard adds some interesting atmosphere in the dark of the night!

We tried out L & J Cafe at lunchtime and oh my – this place was hoppin’! But we were seated right away in an area in the back of this busy restaurant and bar. We really loved the feel of the place – very dive-y! L & J has been around in one form or another since the late 1920s, and it feels it. This is a very casual place that had a quite diverse clientele on the day we were there: families, couples, tourists, soldiers in uniform…..everybody was there (or so it seemed).

Once seated, We were immediately given menus and asked for our drink orders. While beer is served, soft drinks were our beverage of choice on this hot day and they were refilled several times throughout our meal.

The menu has lots of great Mexican choices. I went with the steak burrito (chopped sirloin with tomato, onion and jalapeno). Richard ordered the fried steak tacos (chopped sirloin served on three fried corn tortillas, with a garnish of white and yellow cheese, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, grilled green onions, and guacamole, along with beans and rice).

While we waited for our entrees, our server brought out salsa and chips. Richard is the real salsa and chips fan, and he proclaimed this to perhaps be the best salsa he’s had in the Southwest (and wow! Quite a statement, since that guy’s eaten a lot of salsa in a lot of parts of the Southwest!). He loved how “smoky” it this salsa, and he quickly said “oh yeah” when asked if he wanted another serving of salsa and chips.

Our entrees were served up fairly quickly, with mine coming out first and Richard’s coming out soon after. Richard adored his tacos, saying it had just the right spice and flavor combos. He even loved the rice. This was quite a big food feast, and he put quite a dent in it.

I love burritos and was stumped on which to order, because so many of them sounded good! Someone recommended the steak burrito to me, and so I went with that. My steak burrito was a very generous serving (especially for the price), and the ingredients were all tasty. But….for me, the burrito was a bit dry and a bit bland. I put some salsa on top and that certainly helped, but I like would have preferred one of the spicier and saucy-er (is that a word??) burritos or possibly the enchiladas (which looked great).

Our service was very good. It was fast, efficient, and friendly. And the prices were excellent, especially for the portion sizes and quality.

And the atmosphere – oh yeah! Love it!

L & J is located just outside the Concordia Cemetary at 3622 E Missouri Ave, El Paso TX 79903

Over the past few years, Richard and I have earned a new respect for strip mall dining establishments. My parents live in Las Vegas part of the year, and there are some fantastic restaurants there hidden away in strip malls. Since we moved to El Paso, we’ve discovered quite a few of these strip mall culinary surprises. And I’m happy to say that Opus World Bistro is one of those places.

We’d come across this establishment on urbananspoon.com, which indicated some positive reviews of this relatively new Westside restaurant. But we knew little else about it, as the restaurant doesn’t have much web presence (at least not yet).

So with open minds (and hungry bellies), we headed to World Opus Bistro on a Saturday night. Given the location at a strip mall on N. Mesa St., there’s plenty of parking. We went inside and were pleased with the decor and atmosphere (nice and roomy feel, art on the walls, well-spaced tables). We had made a reservation, and we were immediately led to a great table that had a “Reserved” sign on it. Nice way to start out! We looked around and saw that there were several people dining and others coming in. As the night went on, we noticed two tables that appeared to be having celebrations of some type, as well as several tables filled with couples and gatherings of friends. It was a nice crowd, and we were happy to see that this establishment was getting business.

Right away, our server Arturo brought us menus and took care of our beverage order. We went with the Snap Dragon Cabernet Sauvignon. Our wine soon arrived, served with complimentary cracker-type bread and a delicious white dip. Richard took one taste of the dip, then another, and said “this is addicting!”. Arturo informed us that the dip is a combination of sour cream, cream cheese, and jalapeno peppers (and perhaps some other things I may have missed….the wine was working its magic by then!).

Richard took one look at the appetizers and small plates menu, and his eyes stopped at the Vegetable Spring Rolls with Orange Sweet Chili Sauce. Yep, no need to see anything else! He ordered up, and when it came he scarfed those things down. He said that the rolls themselves were crispy and delicious, and the sauce was amazing.

There were several tempting soups and salads, but after seeing a good-looking piece o’ cake go by I decided to save room for dessert instead (hmmmm…..salad or dessert? salad or dessert? Is this even a question?). The entree list had me stumped, as it was filled with a variety of tasty options. Arturo helped me decide on my entree, and at his recommendation I went with the Linguine Carbonara with Pancetta, Garlic, Cream and Parmesan Cheese. Richard knew immediately what he wanted: Grilled NY Steak with Chipolte Butter and Tobacco Onions.

While awaiting our entree selections, the Chef visited all tables in the restaurant including ours. He (and the rest of the staff) seemed very invested in the restaurant and what they produce in the kitchen. He indicated that he is very willing to prepare something off the menu, if he has the ingredients on hand or is given sufficient notice. While Richard and I are not vegan, we had heard about a vegan dinner hosted recently by Opus World Bistro and the chef was kind enough to bring us out his vegan menu and to send out some complimentary vegan/raw-food gazpacho. Again – Richard and I are not vegan but this vegan menu had several items that both of us would have ordered. And the gazpacho – I left that to gazpacho-loving Richard and he stated it was “fabulous, with great taste, and hyper-refreshing”). I’m pretty sure that EP Veg Snob would really like this place!

Arturo brought out our entrees and oh my – did these look good! I do eat with my eyes, and my eyes were dang well pleased with my Linguine Carbonara. And soon my stomach was pleased as well! This was one of the best carbonaras I’ve ever had. The pancetta added just the right saltiness to the dish. Overall, the combination of flavors was just fantastic. And it was served hot (can’t say how many times I’ve been disappointed by a a lukewarm meal, even at really nice restaurants). This was a generous serving of pasta, and I will admit that I did not leave one bite on my plate.

Richard’s dish disappeared quickly (always a good sign!). I knew this had to be a special dish when ever-the-carnivore Richard started making comments about how delicious the potatoes and the vegetables were. He said that that steak with butter was also excellent (and cooked just right). He inhaled the tobacco onions, which I must say looked as tasty as they must have been.

Dessert time! There were several delicious-sounding options including a Chocolate Lava Cake and an Italian Wedding Cake. Richard went with a Chocolate Cake (vegan, no less!) and I could not resist the Italian Cream Cake. The desserts came out alongside fresh berries. And oh my! These were good, and they appeared homemade. Richard said that the cake was great…..rich, chocolatey and delicious with perfect taste and texture (he said: “You would never have known this was vegan!”). I would have loved to have snatched a bite but was too busy with my own cake. I have always been a sucker for an Italian Cream Cake, and this was one of the best versions I’ve had. It was chock-full of pecans, both in the cake and in the icing. Those pecans really made that cake. It was moist, with crunch from the pecans and creaminess (and crunch) from the icing. Mmmmmmm. I was in dessert heaven.

We really loved our meal at Opus World Bistro. We were really impressed with our server Arturo. He did a wonderful job throughout our meal. I noticed that the other server on duty as well as the hostess also seemed very professional and “on the ball”. During the evening, the chef made multiple appearances in the dining room and spent quite a bit of time talking with each tables. From the atmosphere, to the service, to the personal interest from the chef, to the food…….it all added up to a wonderful dining experience.

Right before we left, Arturo told us that Opus World Bistro also serves Sunday Brunch that features “endless” mimosas and sangria. He stated that you could order off of a set menu, or choose a more buffet-type meal that included an omelette station and a dessert bar. And just this morning, a friend informed us he’d heard great things about the Sunday brunch at Opus.

Postscript: While we did enjoy our dining experience here, there were some serious issues experienced by a group who dined here because of our favorable review. Based on their bad experiences and the lack of any response by the chef to their bad review on Urbanspoon, we are now reluctant to recommend Opus.

Opus World Bistro is located on the west side at 7128 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX 79912

I was at my computer early this morning, working on a new client’s website, when Lisa popped into the room. She told me to hold out my hand and, when I did, she stuffed a $20 in it. I’m not one to turn down hard cold cash, but I had no idea what precipitated this unexpected windfall. Lisa observed my puzzlement and told me to treat myself to lunch at Japanese Crepe House! What a great surprise!!!

Ever since EP Veg Snob reviewed this restaurant I have been jonesing to try it. Their facebook page talks about a “Thursday Sushi Special” and I began salivating when I read that. I didn’t want to miss out on this limited opportunity so I walked through their door precisely when they open – 1100.

The restaurant is in a little strip mall right next to Ripe which is another of our favorites. Strip mall restaurants tend to be real treasures as the lower rents typically allow them to be more inventive with their offerings. Japanese Crepe House is no exception – this place is a little gem!

My sushi special came in a little to-go box with soy sauce and wasabi which I mixed up in the top of the box. I was initially sad to see they had plastic silverware available, but then I saw that they had chopsticks as well! No plastic for me, not with sushi!!! Those 12 pieces lasted all of a few minutes (it has been a LONG time since I’ve had a sushi treat). So light and yet nicely filling. Some people might not understand how I can rave about ribeye steaks and then be satiated by some sushi (what, no meat???), but I’d bet they’ve never had sushi. Light, delicate, beautiful, and is every bit (maybe more?) as good as a 16 oz medium rare ribeye. If you don’t believe me, then come to Japanese Crepe House and see for yourself!

OK, since this is a crepe house, I just had to get a dessert crepe. I love strawberries so I opted for the Ichigo Crepe. And, for one thin dollar extra, they loaded up a hunk of chocolate ice cream into it as well. It seemed to be a very labor intensive process to make the crepe and I cannot understand how they can be so inexpensive. Check out my pictures of the crepe construction. The end result was one delicious, messy, taste explosion. Nice warm eggy-tasting crepe, cold ice cream buried somewhere inside it and more than plenty of strawberries, cream, and chocolate goop.

The owner and I enjoyed a lengthy in-depth conversation about the different foodways and mix of cultures that is El Paso. If Japanese food is new to you, come on out to Japanese Crepe House and experience it – you likely will find it delightful! If you’re already a fan of Japanese food – well, what are you wating for? Get yourself over here and enjoy!

Japanese Crepe House is located on the northwest at 910 E Redd Rd, El Paso, TX 79912

Last Saturday night, Richard and I went to Amuse and happened to notice quite a bit of traffic headed toward another restaurant in the very same strip mall. That restaurant was Crust. I had seen some reviews of Crust previously but hadn’t realized it was oh so close to where we live. They seemed to be getting quite the business, so Richard and I knew we had to check it out.

We went today for lunch, and wow – I am so glad we did! This is a relatively new restaurant, and it has a very nice ambience both inside and on the patio. We were immediately greeted by the hostess who gave us our choice of tables inside or on the patio. Even though it was hot outside, we chose the patio and with the breeze blowing, it was actually quite delightful.

Our server, Denise, arrived right away and took our drink orders. We had one of the wines on tap – a Cabernet Sauvignon at a reasonable $6 per glass. We were a bit taken aback when the wine arrived in non-traditional glasses, but figured maybe they were going for a rustic approach. And we were fine with it. The wine was quite tasty and it was so nice to sit back and relax on the nice patio. Our table was right beside a fireplace which would be quite nice in the fall and wintertime (we’ll keep that in mind for future reference).

The menu has nice variety, with plenty of pizzas as well as pastas and entrees. Richard and I both went with one of the lunch sandwich offerings. After talking with Denise about her recommendations, I went with the prosciutto, parmigiana-reggiano, arugula and pickled veggies panini. Richard ordered the bacon meatball hero, served with romaine and roasted tomatoes and aioli. Our lunch sandwiches came with our choice of minestrone or salad. I opted for the salad, while Richard requested the minestrone.

While we waited for our entrees, we were asked if we would like bread and of course Richard said yes. Right out came a basket of good, fresh bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. I didn’t try any but Richard ate it all up. He said that the bread had a good taste but the crust was a little soft for him (he’s a big fan of hard-crusted bread).

Our sandwiches soon arrived, and they looked just great on the plate! Richard’s minestrone was good, hearty, and rich, with “big taste” (in his words). He said that the sandwich was excellent, with very complex taste. He just loved the bread and said it was as good as any bread you would get in a pizza shop in New York City (his hometown). He couldn’t necessarily make out the bacon it the sandwich, but he said that it may just be it was part of the whole conglomeration of big, complex tastes. As you can tell, he loved this sandwich!

I was equally impressed with my meal. The salad was wonderfully fresh, with a nice, light dressing and what appeared to be crisp, homemade croutons (gotta love that attention to detail!). My panini sandwich had just the right amount of prosciutto, and was a great combo of tastes. I ate up every single bite on my plate.

Of course, it was now dessert time and we will always welcome a dessert menu at our table. Richard initially ordered the chocolate gelato but they were out, so he opted instead for the coffee gelato. I went with the ricotta cheesecake. Both of our desserts were out shortly, and once again they were beautifully presented. Richard is actually not a coffee drinker, but he was a big fan of this coffee gelato and his words were “every single person who comes here should order this!”. He said that this gelato had a very rich and big taste and was (per his words) “a dessert circus in your mouth”. I personally am more of a fan of heavy, rich cream cheese cheesecake (as opposed to ricotta cheesecake) but hey – this is an Italian restaurant. While I still prefer the cream cheese kind, I will say that Crust’s ricotta cheesecake was very nice. It was creamy with a good crumb crust and yummy berries and berry sauce served alongside. It made for a delicious ending to my meal.

All in all, we were very pleased with our meal at Crust. We loved the atmosphere, and our server, Denise, was excellent throughout out the meal (and she brought out the check immediately when I asked for it. Yeah! Love that!). The food also was excellent. We were very surprised that this restaurant has received some negative reviews. Of course, it is relatively new and perhaps on those occasions they were still working out some of the kinks. But from what we saw, all was good and we look forward to more meals on that lovely patio.

Crust is located on the west side at 5860 N. Mesa, El Paso, TX 79912

Richard and I headed out last night to a new neighborhood restaurant: Amuse. This restaurant’s website states that they Amuse features “the finest seafood in addition to an array of hand-cut meats, and fresh sushi”. It’s in the Westside, on Mesa, and it’s so close to us we could actually walk to it (well, maybe we could when it gets below 100 degrees). Last night, we drove.

We had a 7pm reservation and found the restaurant to be very busy, from the time we entered until the time we left. It’s great to see so much support for a local restaurant right in our own neighborhood. Whoo whoo! The clientele included quite the age range, and we saw everyone from families with kids to young adult couples to middle age and older folks. Quite a mix!

There were few available tables when we arrived, and we were initially brought to a table in the front, in a high-traffic zone. Richard’s not picky about tables, but I am and that table was not my style. When I asked for another table, we were immediately taken to a nice, quiet corner booth. Yeah!

We were very quickly greeted by our server, Michelle B., who was a great server. Although very busy, she was quite attentive and personable.

The decor was beautiful. It was sleek and elegant, yet comfortable and relaxing. With so many guests, there was plenty of good vibe and conversation but Richard and I also were able to hear each other in conversation. This is one of those strip mall restaurants that really shines once you enter through the doorway!

We also were quickly brought a complimentary amuse (an hors d’oeuvre selected by the chef). On this night, it was a spoonful of a fresh pea and tomato mixture (along the lines of a chilled pea salad). It was lightly but nicely seasoned, and the freshness of the peas still shone through.

Richard knew he wanted the rib eye, and each entree has a suggested wine listed. We went with the Pascual Malbec which is the suggested accompaniment to the rib eye. Michelle immediately brought us out water but it took some time before our wine arrived. She apologized and explained they actually had to find a stepladder to get to the Malbec, which was stored in a high-up location. After we got out wine, we really enjoyed it.

Richard honed in on one appetizer: coconut shrimp (house made jumbo tiger coconut shrimp with jicama salad and sweet chili dipping sauce). He loved the hot ‘n spicy dipping sauce, and he said that this appetizer was just delicious. He said that the coconut shrimp were nice and crispy, and the sauce gave it a “great wang” (whatever that means…….it obviously is something positive, from the look on his face when he described it!). He sure scarfed it down fast! I’m not a shrimp fan, so it was all his.

Our entrees came out of the kitchen after just a little while longer. Richard’s rib eye was listed on the menu as the following: 14 oz. 1855 black angus wood grilled rib eye with tri-colored rosemary, fingerling potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, mushroom puree and brandy peppercorn sauce. He ordered it medium-rare (the only proper way to cook a steak, according to him), and he said it was perfectly cooked. He is not a ‘shroom fan so didn’t eat much of those, but he really enjoyed the potatoes and thought the brandy peppercorn sauce was delicious.

Amuse has a fish and seafood-heavy menu (with plenty of sushi offerings for sushi fans. We saw plenty of people opting for sushi). I’m not big on fish or seafood, and on this night I was craving a good burger. Amuse had one on the menu that caught my eye: Amuse burger (fresh ground angus patty, lettuce, tomato, house made bacon, red onioin, Swiss cheese, garlic aoli and spicy mustard). This was a good burger. It came on a nice-quality bun (I love that), and the house made bacon was yummy. The burger was served with fries. They weren’t crispy enough for Richard but I’m not as picky about my fries and I enjoyed them.

On to dessert! Richard spied the fried ice cream on the menu and knew that would be his choice. It’s described on the menu as lightly tempura battered vanilla ice cream in hand rolled pound cake, deep fried. It was very pretty on the plate and served with berries (a strawberry and blueberries, I believe). Richard devoured this dessert, exclaiming as he ate it that he loved how crispy it was on the outside and how light it tasted. No fan of “light” desserts, I opted for the caramel crumble (house made caramel apple crumble and vanilla ice cream). This was a homey, comfort food dessert. It was good and tasty and I licked the bowls clean (the crumble and ice cream came in separate bowls, which I liked. No already-melted ice cream when it arrived!).

When I asked for the check, Michelle promptly brought it out (yippee! I hate having to wait to pay!). She thanked us for coming in and said she hoped we’d return. We were thrilled to see how popular the restaurant is and hope it will continue to get such good business. We love that this restaurant is so close to where we live, and we’ll definitely be returning!

Richard is a native New Yorker. And he loves his New York hot dogs, pastrami sandwiches, and reubens. Cheesecake…..not so much, but I make up for him with my big love of all things cheesecake. And New York-style pizza – not so much love going on there, either. He and I both think that the New York-style pizza can’t hold a candle to that great deep dish pan pizza from Chicago (oh yum)!

So……when I came across a positive review of Big Mike’s NY Deli & Sandwich Shop in Horizon City, I knew we’d be there before too long. And two days later, there we were. Big Mike’s is owned by someone who’s lived in the New York area, so we figured he’d know a few things about New York deli food. A trip from the Westside of El Paso to Horizon City is a good distance, and we certainly got to see plenty of desert scenery on the way.

Once in Horizon City, we came upon a bustling little shopping center (and come to think of it, it may be the only shopping center in Horizon City). And sure enought, there sat Big Mike’s right in the midst of all this activity. From the looks of it, Big Mike’s gets plenty of walk-by and drive-by traffic in that location.

We walked inside the restaurant, and it was brand-spanking clean. We also saw a nice big walk-up cooler filled with drinks. Richard was hoping they’d be filled with Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda but alas, they were not. Richard would be a forever friend of Big Mike’s if they ever began stocking that stuff.

Big Mike’s menu heavily features subs, in addition to reuben and pastrami sandwiches and paninis.A board inside advertised daily specials, which included a sausage, pepper and onion sub. But Richard had already scoped out what he wanted: the Romanian (hot pastrami on rye with Swiss, deli mustard and sauerkraut), along with a side of fries. I was impressed when he was given a choice of light rye, dark rye, or marble rye. Big Mike’s is owned by someone who’s lived in the New York area, and he clearly knows how partial many New Yorkers are to rye bread.

I honestly am not much of a deli or sub person. I’m not really into deli meats or most subs, though I like a good meatball sub. There was no meatball sub on Big Mike’s menu (hint hint….possible new menu addition?!). So I went with the Vegetable Panini (roasted eggplant and zucchini with onion, tomato, mozzarella and basil, toasted in bread on a panini press).

Richard and I made our way to one of the spotless booths in the restaurant, and right away he eyed a Magic 8 ball sitting on the table. Richard asked the 8 ball this question: “Am I going to enjoy the food here”. And what did the 8 ball answer? It said: “Signs point to yes”. And thus it was!

Before too long, out came our sandwiches. Richard’s Romanian looked delicious. The marble rye was high quality bread, and Richard said that the sandwich was just delicious in its entirety, including the pastrami itself. He said that it tasted just as good as many of the deli pastrami sandwiches he used to get back in Brooklyn, but was a whole lot cheaper! He said that the fries were good, though he has a personal preference for cute little crinkle-cut fries.

My Vegetable Panini was made from high quality bread and included a nice mix of vegetables. But I thought the sandwich overall was a bit bland and could have used some added seasoning and “zip”.  I think that next time I will go for one of the subs instead. I saw several that were being served to other customers, and they certainly looked delicious.

There were some tasty-looking desserts in the front counter (cheesecake, cannoli, and carrot cake on this day), but we were too full for any on this trip. Maybe next time!

Big Mike’s NY Style Deli & Sandwich Shop is a very casual restaurant. You order and pay at the counter, and then your food is brought out to you. There were several other customers there even at the early hour we arrived, and food appeared to arrive fairly quickly for everyone. Service was fast and courteous, and as we’ve said before…..this was one clean restaurant (even my clean-freak grandmother would have approved!). Richard was so thrilled to find a place that he can come back to for a “New York taste fix”.

 

Sometimes things do not go as planned. We had several different activities and multiple other restaurant possibilities planned for today. But stuff got in the way. And in the end, we spent the day at Carlsbad Caverns and had a mid-afternoon meal at Thyme Matters. Both were fantastic! So things not going as planned…..not always a bad thing.

Thyme Matters is, on the outside, an unassuming little restaurant tucked into a strip mall on the Westside of El Paso. It is quite close to where we live, and I’d actually peeked in a couple of times and been very pleased with what I saw: a pleasant space inside filled with nicely-spaced tables topped with white tablecloths and attractive place settings. There also was a cute little patio attached to the side. My interest was piqued.

So on the Saturday wneh nothing went as planned, Richard and I arrived at Thyme Matters at around 2:30 in the afternnon. We expected to find a deserted space but there were quite a few diners there at this unusual hour and they continued to arrive during the entire time we were in the resaurant. The decor and atmosphere were quite pleasant and we enjoyed our table in a comfortable spot by the window.

What with nothing going as planned and all, we had to have a glass of vino (of course!). So we went with a glass each of the Night Harvest Cabernet Sauvignon. It was quite tasty and really hit the spot after our full day of driving and touring.

Next up were our entree choices, and this was a bit hard. There were lots of enticing options to choose from! In the end, Richard went with the Argentinean Steak (grilled skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, served with shoestring fries). I opted for the Southwestern Chicken (with corn, zucchini, poblana and red peppers on a bed of capellini pasta).

Our entrees arrived hot from the kitchen and very nicely plated. Richard adored his fries and ate up every last bit of his steak (he is not the clean-plate-club member like I am, so it’s unusual for him to eat up quite like this!). His overall comment: “It was de-li-cious!”.

As for my entree, it too was delicious. The portion of chicken was quite generous, and very nicely seasoned. The vegetables, pasta and wonderfully seasoned sauce were actually quite delicate but very flavorful accompaniments. I enjoyed every last morsel of this dish and was, once again, a member of the clean-plate club.

Each of our entrees came with a small slice of a good, hard-crusted French or Italian loaf. I actually gave mine to Richard (since I was saving room for dessert, of course) and he willingly agreed to eat his and mine both. He said that bread was excellent.

The dessert menu had several tempting options. Since I like my dessert on the BIG side, my eyes went immediately to the 4 Layer Carrot Cake. Being the berry lover that he is, Richard just had to go with the Strawberry Shortcake. Oh my! These were yummy desserts! The cake was good and tall and tasted homemade. It was spice, studded with pecans, and topped with a sweet ‘n tangy cream cheese frosting. I loved it! Richard’s shortcake was the true, old-fashioned biscuit shortcake topped with fresh strawberries and what appeared to be real whipped cream. His comment on this dessert? “MMMMMM!”

Our server was on-the-ball throughout our meal. He was quick to notice when we were ready to order or move on to another course, and he brought the check immediately after we asked for it (yeah!).

All in all, this was a truly excellent dining experience. We loved the atmosphere, the menu offerings, the service, and most definitely the food. Given that this restaurant is extremely close to where we live, I can guarantee we will be back to Thyme Matters. I’m so glad that things did not go as planned today!

Thyme Matters is located on the west side at 5857 North Mesa Street #24 El Paso, TX 79912