El Pacifico, Farmington, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.


Meet and Greet
We approached this eatery on a Sunday evening around 7:30pm. The location of the building is a little tricky to find in the dark, but we managed to get off the fast moving 332 to enter the establishment’s parking lot. We were a little wary at first to enter because there was only one car in the lot. We were a little confused why it was so empty, but we ventured inside. Immediately upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly, smiling waitress who immediately sat us down and took our drink orders.


Mise en Scène
It is a large establishment, with booths and tables. We were sat in booths near to the kitchen area. Though we were the only customers in the house, that did not stop the eager workers of the establishment from keeping busy. The one car out front was a real trick to our senses as there must have been maybe 4-6 workers in the establishment at the time. Because of their work ethic, it goes without saying that the dining area also was spotless. Tables, chairs, benches, floors, all very clean. In addition to this, there was pleasing Spanish ambient music playing and a Spanish television program on the television in the far corner.
**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!


Choosing a Veggie Treat
We were impressed by the number of vegetarian options outlined on the menu. There was a vegetarian section specifically for combination plates. Also within the list of “non-vegetarian” combination plates were plenty of choices for vegetarians as replacing meat with beans is something the staff is happy to do. (This is a stark opposite of Chilango’s in Spencerport which had very few vegetarian menu options on the menu, and making non-vegetarian menu options vegetarian was not easy.) Our order consisted of:
Appetizer: Beans Dip
The nachos accompanying this dish came toasty hot, a much needed small touch that we have not experienced before. The bean dip was tasty, and though it was coated with more cojito cheese than anticipated, it was devoured by us in no time flat!
Krishna ordered: Vegetarian combination of cheese enchalada, burrito and tostada.
Tostada is the large, round tortilla chip with beans and salad on top. Krishna liked it but wished the salad pieces were chopped finer. Though the dish looks like it has a lot of cheese, because it was the cojito cheese, it was not noticed much. Overall the taste was amazing and it was finished off very quickly.
I ordered: Non-vegetarian combo substituted with beans: beans, rice, burrito and chile releno
This combination plate was actually not listed under vegetarian options, so the burrito was with beans substituted for meat. Chile rellano is a stuffed poblano chile. This can come vegetarian or non-vegetarian (check your menu for filling), but here I got it with cheese inside. This is one of my favorite dishes as I love the taste of the chile warmed up, it’s texture, smell and spice level in this state is fantastic. It is not overly hot and spicy for those used to eating spicy, especially Indian food, it can be considered mild. It has it’s special kick, that is why I like it.


Checking In
We were waited on in regular intervals and all our needs were attended to. In fact, for Krishna the memorable part of the service was when our main dish was ordered and we were offered a refill of hot, toasty nachos without asking.


See you later
Everything went seemlessly in getting and paying for the order.
Pay Scale
$11-15 per person including appitizer
Tips
10-15%, we left something in between 10-15%
Star System 4/5



To find/Contact
El Pacifico
1680 Rochester Rd.
Farmington, NY 14425
Directions to El Pacifico, Farmington, NY
Phone: (585) 398-0310


Notes: This is not our first visit here. This may be our third visit. With each visit we appreciate this place more and more for a few reasons. The first reason is as El Tomatlan in Canandaigua has let us down over the last year or so (reviews here); we needed to find another good Mexican eatery. The second is as we have come, each time it has gotten better here at El Pacifico. The food, the service and the ambiance is really suitable to our tastes. We would like to see more people frequent this establishment, though as each time we have gone, it was quite empty.


tags: "comparison of Mexica eateries",farmington ny, mexican, 4 stars, comparison, great service

Blue Cactus Mexican Grille, Fairport, NY

Vegetarian Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
We arrived at the hostess station about 7pm on a Sunday evening. We were immediately taken care of and sat down. The table we were originally given was not comfortable, mostly for me. After a few tries, we finally were sat in a corner table in the front of the establishment.

Mise en Scène
Honestly, I was surprised the place was so void of people. In the past year, no matter the day of the week we tried over the last year, the waiting list to enter the eatery seemed inexhaustible. Lines of eager patrons would exit the doors and down the street. Today, there were no lines, no waiting and very few people inside the establishment as well. Seemed to be in a way good for us on our first visit to the Blue Cactus. Those inside seemed to be enjoying very casually. Several couples and a family were having dinner. Appeared that most people were dressed in casual dress.

Though the interior seemed to have small square footage, the modern, colorful décor seemed to open up the space and make it much more inviting. The windows that cover the façade of the building, where we sat, also add to this effect.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
The menu at the Blue Cactus Grille had some unique items as compared to other Mexican eateries we have frequented. I would categorize the following menu items as ‘unique’: Sopa De Chile Poblano (cold soup made from poblano peppers), Ensalada De Nopal (cactus mixed salad), platanos with crema agria (fried plantains with cheese), elote (grilled corn on cob with cheese), empanadas (These “Mexican samosas” were actually not vegetarian, but we have rarely seen them outside of Rochester’s famous Juan and Maria’s Empanada Stop in Rochester Public Market. Incidentally Juan and Maria do serve a vegetarian empanada.), and chile relleno. This chile rellano at Blue Cactus Grille is unlike the others I have encountered, especially my most cherished found at Rio Tomatlan filled with cheese. This one here at Blue Cactus Grille is filled with corn and some spices. (At a loss for tempting words to describe this dish, as photographed above.) Actually, as the photo shows, corn refers to corn kernels. I had assumed a corn pudding type of filling when I read about it on the menu. The chile poblano was my main course, while hubby enjoyed

Preceding our main course we enjoyed appetizers- corn chips with two types of salsa (salsa de mesa and salsa habanero), along with the elote and tamales. The chips and dip are really ‘nothing to write home about.’ This location seems to like pureed type salsas, where as we prefer salsas with tiny chunks of vegetables, and chopped cilantro leaves. We noticed neither cilantro leaves in the salsa nor any dish at Blue Cactus. The elote, corn on the cob, must be one of their specialties. I feel a shame I could not try it because of having braces, but I’d prefer it without the cheese. The tamale was reminiscent of the ‘sweet corn tamale cakes’ we had at the Cheesecake Factory. Though I don’t prefer Cheesecake Factory, as communicated in my review, I would go back for this dish, especially after having it at Blue Cactus. Like the salsa, the tamale seemed to have all tastes mixed together and the fresh juiciness of the tastes as I remember it in this dish in Cheesecake Factory did not exist in the Blue Cactus version.

Checking In
The wait staff was very responsive to seating us in a comfortable place in the eatery. We had to change the table twice before we were comfortable. We do appreciate that. However, as we sat and were offered appetizers, it took the waitress longer than I think is normal (maybe 15-20 minutes) before she came to collect our main order. Though this is atypical, I am curious if this could be a routine for this particular place because we thought possibly drinks and appetizers may be more sought after here than the ‘meals.’

See you later
Near the end of our stay, the table was cleared and we were given the bill. Payments were collected swiftly.

Pay Scale
$25-30 per person – includes an appetizer and main course per person. Also noted is that chips and dips are not complementary. Nachos are $1.00 and salsas are .50 or $1.00 depending on taste.
Tips
10% was sufficient.
Star System 2/5
Though we may come back to try some of the other specialty items, we are not in a rush. We actually rather prefer to drive fifteen miles further to Rio Tomatlan. I would also venture to say I did like Chilango’s better, but would not prefer to drive out there, 20 miles further.

To find/Contact
Blue Cactus Mexican Grille
5 Liftbridge Lane E
Fairport, NY 14450
(585) 377-9590
Get directions

Have you eaten at Blue Cactus Mexican Grille? If so, please share your thoughts below.
Thank you for reading!

Tags: “Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester NY Mexican”,” Mexican Food Rochester NY"

Chilango’s, Spencerport, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Meet and Greet
Soon as we walked in, we were greeted by two different hostesses who were eager to seat us.

Mise en Scène
It was a small establishment. Inside was space for maybe 40 guests, and outside was a patio with 4 tables. The walls were painted with dark red on the bottom half and a golden hue on the top, similar to the color scheme of their website. There were tasteful decorations on the walls. Guests seemed to be dressed casually. Very few were dressed semi-formally. We came in after a bike ride, and we felt comfortable in our jeans, shorts and t-shirts.

While waiting to take your order, the hostess brings corn chips (which are toasty warm) and a watery salsa that is very good. Most Mexican eateries will also have a bean dip at an extra charge. This location did not have this, though we were offered a side of refried beans, which seemed to satisfy this need.

**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!

Choosing a Veggie Treat
Compared to other Mexican restaurants in the Rochester area that list more vegetarian based options on their menu itself, it seemed this location may do more substitutions. For meat eaters, this would be a haven of carnivorous treats as the dinner menu side was a list full of such choices. Being that I did not feel like asking for substitutions and I was not all that hungry for a main course, I went for the Ensalada de Nopales- a salad made from cactus! Hubby got a beans chimichanga with sides of beans and rice.

Upon seeing the salad of cactus pieces, I wasn’t sure if I’d get past the aesthetics of the dish to experience the taste. When looking at it, it could look like very thick spinach pasta- maybe linguine. It definitely has an exotic look which many may not be able to pass. However, it is not just passing the looks of it that makes you hardcore! You must past the taste test too! I think if you’re a fan of slightly bitter and spicy dishes you’d really like this. The cactus pieces seemed to be soaking in a jalapeño type juice which gave them an unexpected kick. But, since I am used to eating and cooking a lot of Indian food at home, to me it did not seem at all spicy or hot. It was a kick to keep me interested in eating more. However, I admit, eating half of the dish became hard (mostly because it’s monotonous) and I ended up packing the rest and taking it home.

See the Chilango’s menu.

Checking In
Our waitress checked on us in regular intervals and refilled our coffee promptly.

See you later
Receiving the bill took a little longer than usual (compared to other places). Waiting for the bill to be returned with credit receipts was average time.

One of the notable items on the bill was the charge of $1.50 for the chips and salsa. I was a bit surprised to see this charge as other Mexican eateries that give this while waiting for food do not charge for it on the bill.

Pay Scale
$11-15 per person
(Our totals are skewed as the cactus salad I got is listed as an appetizer, and I did not choose a meal. The dinner plates ranged from $10.50-$13. Personally for Mexican vegetarian I find this rate a bit high, but for non-vegetarian items it may be a good deal. For the non-vegetarian eater, they had a variety of chorizo dishes, which seems to be a Mexican non-veg favorite that not all Mexican eateries provide.)
Tips
10% was sufficient
Star System 2.5/5
(A low rating has been given mostly due to no fault of their own besides distance from our house. The service, friendliness and promptness of the staff was impressive.)

To find/Contact
Chilango's Mexican Restaurant
www.chilangosmexicanrestaurant.com
42 Nichols St (Behind McDonald’s on Route 31 near 31 & 259 intersection)
Spencerport, NY 14559
(585) 349-3030

Get directions

September 14, 2008 update.
We visited this location last week. It was after viewing the menu, I remembered why I gave such a low rating, though others in my group like this place a lot. There are very few if any vegetarian options and for many menu items substitutions do not make sense from a taste perspective as well as a financial one. The waitress also mentioned the rice side dish also has chicken broth in it. Shocking for a Mexican eatery how few vegetarian options are on the menu. I think I got a burrito. We both had an odd feeling of fullness afterwards. THe plus point of this location was on a Sunday evening when we showed up about 8pm, there were no lines and no waiting and the waitstaff were knowledgeable about the menu, prompt and friendly.

tags: 2.5 stars, mexican, spencerport ny, restaurant review,"restaurant review",“Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, New York Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester, NY Restaurant Reviews”,” Rochester Restaurant Reviews”," Rochester NY Mexican”,” Mexican Food Rochester NY”

Rio Tomatlan, Canandaigua, NY

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

A few days ago we went to Rio Tomatlan in Canandaigua, New York.

This is a new name for our favorite resturaunt which was known formerly as El Rincon.

We came on a Saturday afternoon, it was quite empty at that time and service was very good as usual. For appetisers we had two under the category 'appetiser of the week.' I had the potato chile flauta and hubby had chorizo on small breads. I forget what they called it.

For main meals I had two vegetarian burritos with mole sauce on it. The burrito was very different. The bread was green in color. The bean filling had onions and spices in it. This was all underneath a hearty coating of mole sauce. Last time we went to a Mexican restaurant, I remember hubby telling me that to date Taco Bell was the only American -Mexican eatery he has been to that puts onions into the bean filling in a regular bean burrito. This being the case, the fact this one had onions in it was quickly pointed out by me. The mole sauce was good, but somehow not as I remembered it. The mole sauce also had two figs or dates in it.

For main meals, hubby had vegetarian flautas. He really liked it. And, like my flauta appetizer, his main meal also was covered in a green and white sauce that is so tasty that not even a drop is left behind.

We did not have dessert. For drinks, hubby had coffee, which he liked and I had hibiscus iced tea. The tea was very tasty.

Besides the great food, one must brag about the bill. It was under $30 for this meal!

Be sure not to come on Mondays. It seems Mondays are their day off!

To find/contact:
Rio Tomatlan
riotomatlan.com
5 Beeman Street
Canandaigua, NY 14424
Phone: (585) 394-9380
Directions to Rio Tomatlan


Has this review been helpful? Have you eaten at Tio Tomatlan lately? Please share your thoughts below. Thank you.

Taco Bell

Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.

Ok, here I am posting on my second fast food visit- the first was Tim Horton's, now Taco Bell.

Today we tried the new Fiesta Platter with beans and NO meat!

It was very good, again it had a lot of variety. One overstuffed grilled burrito, flavored rice, chips and salsa, and beans with cheese. Everything was very tasty. Us two shared this platter along with a fiesta potato and a 7-layer burrito. I couldn't touch the 7-layer. I ate most of the potatoes, some of the beans and rice and chips, and 3/4 of the grilled burrito. It was good and very filling.

We actually went to Taco Bell on Valentine's Day, it's a little joke to each other. Of course, I followed up dinner with a great aloo palak.

Visit Taco Bell's website.