Eating Out For a Good Cause

Two weeks ago a pizza delivery driver in our town
returned to his job only to find that a punk
was breaking into

his fellow employees' cars.

The driver confronted the thief and was shot.

He later died from his wound.

This young man left behind a fiancee,

a new born child and two other children that

he had sworn to love.

Pizza X, the company that this young man worked for,

devoted all its proceeds for three days to a fund

for these three children who would never know

this kind man.

We tried to partake of this deal, 

but we failed to take into account

just how many other people

would also be eager to be 

willing to help.

When we called at 6 pm,

we were informed that it would be a

two and a half hour wait.
Fail!

Then, the next week DeAngelo's offered to donate 100%

of its proceeds for one day to the fund for this young

man's family.

Sadly, we were not able to help then either.

But then the local newspaper reported

 that another yet another local restaurant

was hosting a fund-raising event 

for the pizza delivery driver's family.

I was available and I knew I had to go.

La Torre restaurant was donating

100% of their lunch proceeds for 

the Adam Sarnecki fund.

I focused on the lunch menu.

Click here for a better look.

After ordering my usual

ice water with lemon on the side,

and wondering just what side the lemon would 

land on this time,

the complimentary tortilla chips and salsa arrived.

My very nice server asked if I would like cheese

and/or guacamole.

I asked for the guacamole. 

The chips and salsa were good, but not great.

In fact,

I took the guac back home to 

the the Foodie Boyfriend

and he asked me to help "fix"

the guac so that it tasted as good as my mix.

The atmosphere here is more "family" oriented"

than El Ranchero. 

El Ranchero seemed to be more "sports bar"

oriented with the flat screen TVs mounted around

the restaurant, despite the fact that no sound 

from the TVs was to be heard.

I ordered the chimichangas.

This is an 8 inch flour tortilla stuffed with cubed beef 

and deep fried.

 It is then slathered with a cheese sauce.

The dish was accompanied with the 

usual refried beans,

Mexican rice, lettuce,

pico de gallo and sour cream.

This was a good dish.

Tasty, and mildly spicy.

I will have to admit that Mexican and Tex-Mex

foods will never be my favorite foods, 

but that won't stop me from trying to like this 

cuisine.

I think that the problem is that I like

the juxtaposition of sweet and sour

and that just doesn't happen in Latin cuisines.

There is no Yin and Yang. 

No delicate balance of flavors here.

Instead there is just a sledgehammer

demanding attention in your mouth.

 

The cubed beef, tomatoes and onions

spilling out of the chimichangas.

A Mexican textile hanging in the window.

The cost of this lunch?

$6.79 for the entree.

$3.19 for the guacamole

$3.00 tip

$.0.70 tax

$20.00 donation

I should  be good for a decade or two.