El Jimador - Portage

   Mexican food is tricky. I was intrigued by Kalamazoo's newest restaurant offering, Casa Bolero, but I thought before I go sample the hip and trendy Mexican cuisine I would give myself a starting point... a base if you will.

    Up here in the north, the "Mexican Restaurant" has evolved quite a bit over the past several years. When I was a kid, the only option people had for Mexican in West Michigan was Chi-Chi's and even later, you might have had the option of a corporate Tex-Mex joint. But hey, nothing will kill a business like a good salmonella scare. And I'd say we're all better off without them now, even those who got sick.

I'm not even going to talk about Taco Bell!

    But you know what? There are people from Mexico living in the arctic north. I have a story to prove it (that part comes later). Some of those people have decided to share the food of their home with us in Michigan and I am thankful.

Perhaps that's enough scene setting. I'm starting my food reviewing with a little story about a place called El Jimador. Its a strip mall restaurant in Portage. Among the video rental stores, corporate chain restaurants and, of course, Wal-mart, El Jimador is a welcome little escape from the corporate and mass produced. The interior is just about right, a Mexican mural fills one wall, the decor is tasteful, not cheesy. Its obvious they're not trying too hard to transform the space into some place "south of the border," but its not a plain stark hole in the wall either.

   When I sit down in a restaurant, I want to get right to the business...... of drinking. Just to get in the spirit of the experience, I decided I had to have a margarita. After all, El Jimador boasts "The best Margaritas around" I'm not sure what radius is included in "around," but I had to check it out. Lets just say I had a couple margaritas the same night that were better. It was good, but nothing special. Well Tequila and some margarita mix from a plastic bottle.

The main qualification I have to evaluate a dining experience is my appetite (okay, and a few years in a few kitchens. But, my qualifications are the dollar bills in my bank account. If I pay for something, I should enjoy it. So should you. There is no reason to feel intimidated by people or critics with sophisticated palates and extensive food education. If you like it - good. So, speaking of the food at El Jimador, yes - it was good.

Unfortunately, most Mexican cuisine in Midwestern American cities is nothing more than pre-cooked meats, stuffed into tortillas and zapped in the microwave. I had the "Burrito Loco." A combination of chicken, steak and onions in a tortilla covered with green sauce and cheese. Yup - I ate it all. It nourished me. But, eh... I could tell the meat had been cooked hours earlier and reheated using modern microwave technology. I have no complaints about the Burrito Loco. I have no particular praise either - except to say it was big.

   Fajitas are a big hit at Mexican restaurants! They arrive at the table with all that sizzle and steam and everyone has to turn and look. Everyone says, "Oooh, that looks good!" At one point in the evening, our table was also the focus of everyone as a steaming pile of chicken, peppers and onions arrived.
I'd say the fajitas were adequate, not particularly well seasoned and maybe slightly overcooked. We assembled the fajitas using the warm tortilla's provided along with a huge pile of lettuce (shredded in a meat slicer), guacamole and pi co de gallo. Half the reason fajitas are such a popular item is that big arrival, and the project of putting the food together. El Jimador's fajitas are sufficient.

If I review another Mexican restaurant, (of course I will!) I will be sure to place special emphasis on the Guacamole. Lets just agree. Guac is awesome! And hey, if a restaurant has good guacamole, I can forget that the rest of the food is just adequate..

But - I hate to say it - El Jimador's guacamole is also just adequate. Its fairly bland in flavor, and processed to a point that it's smooth and creamy. I prefer guacamole to be a little more chunky.

So, we've talked about the booze and the food - more than half of the restaurant equation. Since the food was not enough really for me to suggest El Jimador or for me to discourage you from trying it yourself. We have to talk about price and service.

The service was good. I'll say it was a step beyond adequate, but not quite wonderful. We were served by a very polite man who had a very limited command of the English language. That made the experience all the more charming. At one point, when he was unsure if I had finished my Burrito Loco, I explained that I wanted to keep it because, "I was still nibbling." He had no idea what I said. Soon after that, another man who spoke better English approached our table to make sure we were all set.

   The prices were fair. Entree prices between $8 and $12, so you can get in and out of there cheaply. My bill was sent quite a bit higher by two margaritas (they were big) at $8 each.

If we're going to talk scales. Say, one through ten, I'd give El Jimador a six. Its worthwhile, especially if you're out in Portage. But if you're looking for a Mexican experience that will blow you away with authenticity or innovation.... keep looking.