On a recent trip to Wilmington, North Carolina, we took our time exploring the sites from the boardwalk that looked out over the Intracoastal Waterway.  Putting one foot in front of the other, we received the benefits of an energetic walk as we saw the USS North Carolina, numerous boats, and many shops and restaurants.

One of the many historic homes in Wilmington

Wilmington has a historic charm, which we were able to enjoy as we saw the riverboats that ply the river offering dinner cruises and sightseeing tours.

One of the many small malls in Wilmington

Riverboats ply on the Intracoastal Waterway on Wilmington

So, hiking can be a hike in the wilds, but a stroll on the boardwalk can also meet your requirement for energy use.

Traveling up Scottsdale Road, you see other major retailers like Crate & Barrel, restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, and several shopping plazas.  Although it might seem counterintuitive with Arizona’s months of extreme heat, most of the newer shopping locations are open air centers  where you travel outside from shop to shop.

A street in Kierland Commons

Banana Republic in Kierland Commons

Take Kierland Commons.  It is an extremely upscale shopping area that resembles a small city with multiple blocks of shops and restaurants.  Called a “mixed use” center, it also has some pricey places for people to reside (not just live, note, but “reside”) so they are just above or down the street from the retail locations of their choice.  Kierland Commons has retail establishments not found just anywhere like Restoration Hardware; Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant, Bar and Store;  7 for All Mankind; and other unique brands – plus a few people would know like White House/Black Market, Sur La Table, and Morton’s, the Steakhouse.  In other words, bring plastic and lots of it!

There are some even newer centers recovering from the economic boom that slowed down occupancy like the Scottsdale Quarter that was a sensation when H & M moved in with their trendy and reasonably priced fashion.  There is a large Apple Store and a unique Williams Sonoma Home.  We were surprised to walk in and find furnishings – couches and other furniture galore in room arrangements – instead of the kitchen gadgets and cookbooks we had expected.   The staff were obviously used to that reaction as they explained that their more traditional store was at Scottsdale Fashion Square.  Scottsdale Quarter bills itself as an “open air urban lifestyle center.”

H & M's trendy store in Scottsdale Quarter

Even the grocery store is not the ordinary convenience store married with catering.  The Oakville Grocery has high-end nibbles, a bakery, wine selections and a small deli with a few tables for someone who might like to grab something with friends.  A “coming soon” eatery is “True Food Kitchen” which is in the Phoenix Biltmore area and features regional sourced food and elegant presentations in a trendy, ultramodern eatery.

With all this talk of food, I’m getting hungry, so I’m off to make dinner.  Needless to say, I’ve barely touched on all of the shopping locations in Scottsdale Arizona.  However, next week I’ll be back to shamelessly promote my new book —–

Come back next week and I’ll share more as I’m just days away from launching – Hiking for the Couch Potato: A Guide for the Exercise Challenged. It is a humorous book suitable for gift-giving!  Get ready to join the community!

Trendy Kazimierz World Wine Bar calls itself a speakeasy and has its entrance around the back!

On a recent visit, we saw the epitomy of Scottsdale: an obviously well-to-do 30s-ish shopper in a trendy grocery on her cell phone the entire time we were there, discussing a friend’s dating woes while she put things in her cart.  The items in that grocery weren’t the typical things you’d find in a Safeway or more “ordinary” grocery store and price was obviously no object.

For Divas & Dogs - Trendy shop in Scottsdale 5th Avenue Shop area

Another Scottsdale scene involved about five young women, outside a bridal shop.  They were very energetically discussing how the bride-to-be looked in the dress she had chosen.

Courtyard at Borghata shopping Center

If these two encounters are any indication, the recession is definitely over – at least in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale's Fashion Center at night

In the next few weeks, we’ll visit a new, world-class musical instrument museum, “MIM,” the Musical Instrument Museum in northern Scottsdale.  We also visit two restaurants, and show you some other shopping areas in trendy, upscale Scottsdale.

A Bat Khine - gong chime from Thailand in the Musical Instrument Museum

Next week:  Everything from Eric Clapton’s guitar to how to build a piano to the wildest instruments you’ve ever seen!

A few miles and up the hillside – a very steep hillside/mountain – from Clarkdale and Cottonwood, Arizona is the historic town of Jerome, Arizona.  The fact that residents pride themselves on their probable insanity is based on the location of the former mental asylum and the fact that the town is perched precariously on hillsides.  Ironically, you drive through “Deception Gulch” to reach Jerome.

Sign in shop window - the mental state of Jerome

Is this insane?  Well, in any case, it’s fun to explore and find out!

On the day we visited, Jerome was a vision in the mist like the fictional Brigadoon of musical comedy fame.  We landed in the main section of town, elevation 5,246 feet, as the rain came gently down.  From one direction, we could see the red rocks of Sedona in the distance as the weather varied from sunny to rainy to hail with snow threatening, or all of the above at the same time!

Heading first to the Jerome Grand Hotel, a former mental hospital, with its The Asylum, an award-winning restaurant, we began our exploration of the town. Perched way up high with a great view of the valley, the Jerome Grand Hotel is up a one lane road that passes some B & B’s on its way and relies on driver courtesy to prevent accidents.

Jerome Grand Hotel - a former mental institution - thus The Asylum Restaurant

Jerome Grand Hotel lobby

It was mid-morning and no one was dining in The Asylum, but we’ve heard and read repeatedly that the restaurant is terrific, but a bit pricey, and worth every penny.

We looked around and talked with hotel guests who told us how much they loved the hotel and the view.  One guest was in town to hear a group performing in a pub in the town below. www.jeromegrandhotel.com

View from Jerome

Jerome bills itself – “From a roaring copper mining boom town of 15,000 people…To Arizona’s largest ghost town…And now, Arizona’s coolest art colony.”  The remnants of its past are everywhere with some very colorful reminders, like the bordello that is now a very artsy shop.

The buildings are mostly a century or more old with every building precariously perched on the hillsides.  (Yes, it is a trend.)  We really wonder how they have managed to keep from sliding into the valley!  And, of course, many of the houses and locations are reputed to have ghosts.  We didn’t stop to find out!

At the edge of town is the Gold King Mine and Ghost Town, a tourist location that we drove through and left quickly.  To reach this replica of the old town, you pass through a dump of old vehicles and other refuse that my husband said would have fascinated his dad, a fan of old machinery.

What we found of major interest were the many craft shops, especially the Jerome Artists’ Cooperative that seemed to have every imaginable craft represented.  You name it – fabric art, photography, pottery, wood, paintings, glass, jewelry, knitted items, glass, copper… All of the items were of superior craftsmanship and some were particularly clever. www.jeromeartistscoop.com

One of the great shops on Main Street in Jerome - Skyfire

We also spent some time wandering about other shops like Nellie Bly II where they had more kaleidoscopes than I have ever seen in one place, made from varying components like wood, glass and ceramic.  Madame Belgian Jennie Bauters was the original founder of the site, which went through two incarnation as a brothel, but finally became a hotel and then the shops it now houses.

Some of the fabulous work in the Jerome Artists' Coop - Glass by Fred Reinhardt, Wooden works by Blake O'Neil

The artists and craftspeople of Jerome do offer some of the best -crafted items in such a concentrated place I have seen.  We chatted with David Hall, a potter who has been in Jerome since 1972, who has a shop at the very edge of a row of stores.  His work is finely crafted and he also features other artists, as well. www.madeinjerome.com

David Hall, long-time resident Jerome potter

A day in Jerome exploring the shops goes by quickly.  Bring your plastic, because you’ll want to purchase keepsakes and gifts!

Note: parking is in demand and hard to find.  Jerome can be a bit challenging to navigate if you are physically challenged.

Come back later this week for the Jerome restaurant we chose for lunch.

By contrast, San Felipe has soft, sandy beaches that are a joy to stroll on or as a place to cast out a line for fishing. And, if you need a break from these arduous “efforts,” you can stroll over to the malecon (the boardwalk) if you are downtown or by the shore almost anywhere.  The Sea of Cortez that encircles San Felipe is calm and never seems to create rough waves – there is no undertow or rip tides.

El Dorado Ranch

Frida Kahlo presides over the 16th hole (a par 5 hole)

The largest ex-pat community in San Felipe is the development called El Dorado Ranch.  With a fabulous clubhouse with restaurant (Pavilion Restaurant) adjacent to their own 18-hole golf course, El Dorado Ranch is very attractive as a social center for those on vacation or the transplants who want to retire or visit seasonally.  There is also a casual restaurant, La Palapa, where people can sit by the pool and even enjoy a manicure.  Juanito’s Cantina is also casual, by the beach, in El Dorado Ranch.

Poolside at La Palapa

Rentals are available in El Dorado Ranch for a short or long-term stay – houses, condos, apartments, and hotels are all options.

Mexican law has changed so that it is possible for those who are not Mexican citizens to own property.  El Dorado Ranch has built upon that opportunity, allowing American and Canadian citizens to build reasonably priced homes, with some space and a view of the Sea of Cortez.  The development has every lot situated so that the homes are staggered and, with the slight incline as you travel further from the beach, everyone has a water view.

Everyone has a water view

The only drawback we saw when touring the area was that homes further from the beach would need to have water delivered to a tank at their property.  Homes on the oceanside of the highway were on a piped-in water supply, but they were the pricier lots.

The scenery and space are very enticing, but one of the best parts of the community is the friendliness of everyone we met!

A little knowledge of Spanish can be helpful in San Felipe, but at El Dorado Ranch, you can be easily understood: everyone knows English.

More later this week on a short visit to San Felipe and longer stays.

As you drive into Bisbee from the north, you enter through a tunnel, as if you are going back in time.  To an extent, you are.  The town is nestled into a hillside and the feel is of the 1950s – or before.Bisbee was an old mining town.  When the mines closed, the town became a refuge for hippies back in the 1960s.  The crafty – as in “artsy-craftsy” friends of the hippies showed up, so Bisbee became a unique craft center and, consequently, a Mecca for tourism.

Unique Bisbee - their own historic manhole cover

Bisbee has settled down a great deal since its heady miner days when there were 50 establishments serving liquor in town.  The population of 20,000 in 1910 is down to around 6,000, with the census showing a somewhat mature age skew.

Bisbee now

The old mine, the architecture, and the hillsides create an almost surreal environment.

One of the most noticeable things about Bisbee – The natives are friendly!  Actually, it seems that most people in Bisbee are transplants.  While there, we met a woman who moved in after the mines closed. She spoke about the town and how tourism is a major center of employment, as well as the county government, which is located in Bisbee.  It is clear that without the tourism, Bisbee would probably be a ghost town. As it is, Bisbee claims to be the home of many ghosts.  (More on that next week.)

For such a small population, we found people drawn to stay. Our waitress at Dot’s Diner (review coming up next week) came to Bisbee for a visit and has stayed for two years.

Louis, a gentleman from New York City, retired to Bisbee for its climate.  He also discovered a welcoming community where everyone was willing to include you and be friendly.  He was just returning from a trip to Germany and seemed right at home in another favorite regular’s hangout, The Bisbee Breakfast Club.

We found Bisbee friendly.  Wandering into the “fiber guild,” housed in the basement of the YWCA, a group of weavers regularly congregate from their membership of 80!  There had to be at least 20 looms in the large room.  Some of the inventive and recycled fabrics used in the weaving include old jeans, sheets, and other worn out materials.  There were also some really gorgeous knitted hats, gloves and other items for sale, but, since we live in Arizona, our need for those are minimal.

We stayed overnight at the Copper Queen Hotel, a stately old reminder of how hotels used to be.  Service was courteous – rather old-fashioned these days, too, in these times of diffident service – and the rooms were definitely evocative of the early 1900s when the hotel was built to serve the upscale mine management.

A day or two in Bisbee to take the underground Copper Queen Mine Tour and shop, shop, shop were fun diversions.  The very unusual thing about Bisbee – I don’t remember a single chain store in the entire town!  (Finding a gas station was a bit of a challenge until a friendly local told us where to find the Circle K – possibly the only chain in town.)

So, if you’re looking for a unique, old-fashioned experience, join us next week while we explore the food, the mines, the shops and the experience of Bisbee, Arizona.

1. At restaurants, I’m sure we’d all love to hear less of the new catch-phrase- “How is your food tasting?”  In the last year, it seems that everyone has been to a seminar that tells wait staff to ask that question.  Frankly, I’d be happier if wait staff just asked if we needed anything or if everything was cooked as we requested.  If things taste terrible, people will usually say so.  If things are only a little yucky we might “suck it up,” but never return.
2. Also, regarding restaurants, I wish, especially at high-end restaurants, that the wait staff would wait, meaning leave us alone more. Whoever is dining came for the experience, not to be interrupted constantly. Come by less often so we have a chance to actually experience the food. How many times have you been putting your very first morsel in your mouth, only to be asked, “How is the food tasting?” (See #1 above).  I would sometimes like to react sarcastically – “I don’t know.  If you actually gave me some time to try the food, then I could answer.”
3. On airlines – well, I could write a book on how airlines need to change.  First, they could stop hiding charges and just tell us what it will cost us to take their illustrious airline to reach our destination.  Maybe they could go with a tiered list – like a menu – Group A – pay for the following for these services. Group B – these are the items and services included.  ETC.
4. The charge for reserving a seat on Allegiant particularly irked me! No matter what, we have to sit down.  So, include that in the regular fee, just give a surcharge for those who decide they must sit more forward.
5. Also, Allegiant’s early boarding extra fee should go.  If many people decided to go for this perk, than it would negate the result the harried traveler is seeking. Pay more – get less?
6. I don’t mind the security efforts.  I understand the need.  What I could use less of is the attitude on the part of the TSA screeners.  Although I realize they do not exactly earn the big bucks, they could still be more diplomatic.  My encounter with a Phoenix TSA person had them challenging me to call someone to prove I am the upstanding citizen I claimed to be.  I think it came down to my having thrown in one item loose (nail polish) that should have been in the clear quart bag.  Hey, people are not perfect! Less attitude, more professionalism would have been the correct way to go.
7. Also, and this is a criticism of people who travel and general courtesy,  please cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.  Better yet, stay home if you’re really sick. When I was heading to a wedding in NYC, the woman diagonally in back of me was coughing up a storm.  This was in the height of the swine flu wave engulfing the world.  I had boosted my vitamins, but I resented her lack of consideration.  Airplanes are big germ recirculators.
8. At hotels, I’d like to see hotels actually follow through on requests.  Less lip service, in other words. Example: If I’ve asked for no feather pillows, but had no idea that my comments would not be forwarded to the hotel from the booking Web site, please let people know that.  I have had some good experiences on my requests, especially if I booked directly with the hotel.
9. I’d also like to see less obscure language on all booking forms that I’m signing my life away with.  Tell me in plain language what I’m agreeing to do or not do when I book a flight, sign in for a car rental, check in at a hotel.  We’re tired, in a hurry, and are likely to sign anything just to get our requested service.

10. Less waiting would be nice at all locations – car rentals, airline desks, hotels, etc.  One of the best ideas I’ve seen was the car rental person who greeted each customer as they entered and verified what they needed so things could be sped up.  In other words – you would not need to stand in line only to find out that you didn’t need to stand in that line.

Wishing all of our readers a happy, adventuresome, delightful year in travel!

Take a look at our SHOP for memorabilia on travel locations.  And, we’re open to your suggestions on new things to feature in the SHOP.

Next week…We talk about some ADVENTURES.  After all, we are traveltipsandadventures.

1. Genuine courtesy.  Not forced, but real manners.
2. Airlines that don’t charge for everything under the sun. Give me a real price.  Don’t I need to sit for the flight?  So, why do I need to pay for my seat?
3. Equal opportunity security at all airports.  In one airport, I forgot to take out my quart-sized bag of 3 oz items.  They never stopped me. In another airport, they checked me until I was almost embarrassed.
4. Restaurants that remember to ASK if you’d like anything else. I’m tired of them trying to turn tables when we’d really like to be asked about dessert.  Wait staff show up with the bill before asking. Wouldn’t they like to earn a bigger tip for dessert?
5. Unscented bath items.  The floral scents are driving us nuts!  My husband would prefer not to smell like he was wearing a bad woman’s perfume.  I just can’t tolerate scents. We are trying to cut back on how much we carry (see #3, above.)
6. Earlier check in times at hotels.  We never seem to get somewhere when it’s time to check in yet.  Just a coincidence of scheduling.  Sometimes hotels are ready and willing to have us check in, but sometimes not. Think about it – you rent a room for about 19 hours at some hotels – if check in time is 4 PM and check out time is 11 AM.  Do they really need all that time to clean a room? (Especially when maids come knocking on your door trying to get in early!)
7. People turning off their cell phones when they are in theaters, meetings and gatherings.  Do they really want us to hear about all of their issues and dirty details of their life, love and hygiene?
8. Lighting that actually lights a room.  I actually like to see to get around.  With the new LCD lights that use less wattage, that shouldn’t be such a big deal or cost to hotels.
9. “You’re welcome” instead of service and other people saying, “No problem.”  I didn’t expect that what I’ve requested or paid for is a PROBLEM.  If I did you a favor – changed seats, offered a courtesy, etc. -Try the ever popular – THANK YOU!

10.  And, last but not least, remember that we are all passengers on this “Earth Ship.” – Be nice to each other and the environment.  I’m tired of people dropping their cigarettes, refuse and leftovers for me to squish with my shoes or sit in.  Yes, be nice!  A little kindness goes a long way!

What do you think, readers?  Do you have some things you’d like to see more – or less of- in your travels? Write in and I’ll post them!

Enjoy your travels – even if it means just taking an elevator with someone.  Try smiling and giving someone eye contact!  That will really shake people up!  They won’t believe you are just being friendly!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Don’t forget to check our SHOP for items to order with our memorable images.  Our blog is unsubsidized and we’d like to keep it that way!  So, if you like our blog, buy something, would ya?  (If you’d like to see one of our images that we haven’t already turned into a mousepad, shirt or other collectible, please let us know.  We’ll be glad to oblige!)

The Raven

Even though the image of the raven, if you look at Edgar Allan Poe, is forbidding, The Raven in Prescott is the exact opposite.  A friendly, comfy place, the old building that it is housed in has been made very welcoming.  Old wood, some couches in the window area and a pub atmosphere make it very hospitable.

You order at the counter and the staff is competent and friendly.  The lunch menu had many offerings.  What surprised us was the brochure showing their sustainable practices.  How many facilities have a whole, separate brochure detailing their food sources and sustainable practices?  Not many, that’s for sure!

The Raven - decked out for the holidays

And, it is a locavore’s delight!  Inventive creations like the very creamy tomatillo chicken potato quiche I tried were luscious.  The creamy vegetable soup was hot and hearty with carrots, celery, mushroom, corn and flavor.  On a cold winter day, it was perfect.  The homemade buttered toast – even though I’ve been trying to avoid carbs – was terrific.  Our extensive lunch (my husband tried the Deschutes Obsidian Stout) for two with my husband’s big burger was less than $30.  He said that the free range burger was a tiny bit dry – leanly raised cattle, you know, but it was cooked perfectly.

Dinner has steaks, duck and other goodies, but we can’t talk about that because we were there for lunch only.  However, the menu looked enticing.

There are other restaurants like The Raven in other cities that make unique food that is cooked with fresh ingredients with care, but I haven’t had such good food since – well, another locavore-focused restaurant in Eugene, Oregon.  (See my blog on September 18 on Adam’s Sustainable Table.) Even the herbal tea was unique, with sachets suspended over the tea to steep.

High recommendation!

Gurley St. Grill

Another cozy restaurant in Prescott is Gurley St. Grill, which has been around for a long time.  The current building was rebuilt using some of the old bricks from the original restaurant that burned a century ago.  The restaurant has been there a long time and for good reason.

Gurley St Grill reuses some of the old bricks from their previously burned building and adds some homey touches

Another pub-like place, the welcome is good, the food is great and the prices are reasonable.  Our waiter offered great service and was very personable. (Apologies – I forgot to write his name down.)  He didn’t come back so often that we wanted to tell him to leave us alone, as has been the case of late.  (This seems to be a trend.  Wait staff keep bugging you – you barely get a bite in your mouth and they’re asking you “How is your food tasting?”)  Our waiter got it just right.

When we asked him for some information, he stuck around to answer our questions, but did not rush us so he could “turn the table” and move things along.  Our tip reflected our great experience.

So, the food.  For a pub atmosphere, there were some inventive options on the menu.  I opted for comfort food with a thick, creamy “Sonoran Corn Chowder” to warm me up (it was below freezing and I’m used to Phoenix temperatures).  There was a hint of green chili in the soup, but just the right hint so it was wasn’t overpowering.  More is not always better – especially in a cream soup.  They got it just right.

Homemade garlic bread sticks brought to the table in a basket were another welcoming touch.

My husband had some toasted cheese ravioli in a creamy Alfredo cheese sauce that was very decadent.  (The other option was a marinara sauce.)  It was great – he ate every drop.

My pistachio breaded chicken salad was a filling combination of sweet potato fries, pistachios and very fresh greens with ranch dressing on the side.  The chicken did not have a pistachio taste to it, but the breading was very fine and not greasy.  My only –slight – complaint was that the moistness of the greens made the other ingredients a tiny bit soggy.  I ate every bit, though.

For dessert, we opted to share a deepdish apple pie a la mode.  The warm creation came in a big serving –we were glad we shared – and was very filling.  Not too sweet, but fulfilled our need for a sugar fix.

Gurley St Grill is very family-friendly because we saw some large family groups being served while we were there.

Other restaurants

We’ve previously eaten at The Palace, a saloon-like restaurant on atmospheric Whiskey Row.  Another old time place, the atmosphere IS great, with swinging saloon doors and a real Western look.  We didn’t find the lunch menu very exciting, though.  The dinner menu is extensive, but pricier than the two places we’ve highlighted.  I guess you pay for location.

We know that every taste differs.  For instance, we had a glowing referral to a certain Asian restaurant, but a Prescott native told us she didn’t think they were very good.  The mostly empty parking lot  on a Saturday night told us the story.  We won’t mention the name, since we didn’t try it for ourselves.

Happy New Year, everyone!  We hope you travel as much as you like and like where you travel!

Please visit our SHOP and find some memories to keep.

Next week:  A visit to the breath-taking Granite Dells.

Want to eat where a president – US President, that is – and other celebrities have eaten?

Head to…

Mi Nidito

An unprepossessing restaurant in an area of town where most tourists would never travel, Mi Nidito (“My little nest”), has good food at reasonable prices and speedy service.  But, the restaurant’s popularity may make you wait a while – which we did for almost an hour on a Saturday.  The place was hopping!  Even though it was larger than it looks from the outside, there were a lot of people enjoying the cuisine.

Mi Nidito had the pleasure of serving President Bill Clinton a few years ago.  We didn’t get to sit where Bill did, but I had the pleasure of choosing the same menu item that the President had eaten.  Inside the front door, the restaurant proudly displays photos of noted former patrons of the restaurant.  (Julio Iglesias, Madeline Albright, etc.)

Aptly named the “President’s Plate,” the platter arrived steaming hot, with more than I thought I’d be able to eat.  Partly because we waited so long to be seated, I was hungry and made a passable attempt to try everything.

The large plate included Bean Tostada, Birria (spiced shredded beef) Taco, Chile Relleno, Chicken Enchilada and Beef Tamale.  I always try a tamale when it is available, as it’s a great indicator of the capability of the kitchen. Tamales take a lot of time to make.  When they’re good, they are flavorful with abundant filling.  When they’re bad, they’re pasty and you’re trying to find the filling. Mi Nidito’s tamale was great.  All that for $12.50 – a great deal and a good sampling of many menu choices.

If you’re looking for a quiet meal, that won’t happen at Mi Nidito.  The throngs have discovered the restaurant, so expect a wait.  But you will have good food to reward you.

The restaurant has been around in the same family since 1952.

Another Tucson restaurant that has been around even longer isEl Minuto Café

Located just south of the Convention Center, El Minuto Café has been open since 1936.  The décor is typical Mexican with hanging decorations, especially during the holidays.

Our server was extremely cordial and very efficient.  We were dining during a very quiet mid-afternoon.  There were only about four parties eating scattered in the two dining rooms, but you got the sense that the lull was only temporary.

First, we were served tortilla and salsa, which were great. We were offered a second bowl of the chips and put a good dent in them, too.  The chips were crispy and not greasy. The salsa was fairly mild, but flavorful.

We tried two of the soups.  My albondiga soup (a meatball soup) had a little too much spice for me; my husband’s tortilla soup was mellow and terrific.

My $9.95 combination plate had a tamale, an enchilada, a taco, refried beans and sauce.  Actually, too much sauce, but that seems to be typical of all Mexican restaurants. One of these days, I’ll ask Mexican restaurants not to cover everything on the plate with sauce.  However, everything was great and I ate it all.  Even the beans, which can be blah, were rich tasting and I ate every morsel.

We can see why the restaurant has survived all of these years.  Not fancy, El Minuto Café is an example of good, authentic food served well.

Mi Nidito

http://www.minidito.net

El Minuto Café

http://www.elminutocafe.com/

Come back tomorrow for a holiday visit.