The Duster Today

Media Credit: Abuelos.com Abuelos: The Flavor of Mexico

Media Credit: Abuelos.com Pechuga con Calabaza . . . Delicious!

There are few things in life that truly warm the heart: The love of . . . well, a loved one, the feeling of having accomplished something, witnessing an act of random kindness, or perhaps some teary eyed romance movie that you can only watch with a girl if you want to still feel like a man.

Well, I'm kind of going in a different, slightly more literal direction. (cue energetic Latin music)

I'm talkin' about SALsA!

And CHIcKeN!

I apologize for the outburst, but, well, it's hard to contain the glee that overwhelms my heart when I think of the delicious meal I was able to partake of last night at Abuelo's Food Embassy (Quaker and 82nd St.)

Let me say first that good company is paramount for a truly rewarding dining experience. It is hard to enjoy your carefully selected cuisine when one of your fellow tablemates is rambling on about the weather while ungracefully gorging himself on fajitas (there is a time and a place for this type of eating, but it is not while someone is trying to sample the delicacies of life).

Now that we have eliminated the less cultured of our fellow partakers of food, we can move on to the much misunderstood art of "the salsa". I refer to it as an art simply because of the importance it plays on the rest of the meal. You may think that the chips and salsa part of the meal is primarily a method by which the restaurant can feed you something cheap so that the entrées can be smaller, and hence, make more of a profit.

Ok . . . that's probably true, as well, but I believe that a well-made salsa can positively flavor the rest of the meal. And while Abuelo's regular salsa fits in to this category, I'm really talking about the lesser-known variety they offer. It's only by request, and it's not on the menu.

Habanero salsa.

That's right.

Now, this is not for the faint of tongue. It packs quite a heat, although it takes a moment. But the flavor is worth it. Habanero's have a slightly citrusy flavor as opposed to the typical jalapeño , which has a more acidic taste. So while it definitely is hotter, the leftover flavor is better suited to the rest of your meal.

So on to the entrée!

For my meal, I chose the Pechuga con Calabaza (or Sautéed Chicken Zucchini for those of you that don't like to order in the native tongue of your meal). As the menu describes it, it is a "lightly sautéed premium chicken breast with sliced zucchini, roasted red peppers and corn in a delightfully spicy cream sauce." While phrased nicely, I don't think that quite truly represents the beauty of the dish. I was thinking something more along the lines of, "Holy chicken, Batman! That was the best meal I've had in 3 years!", or "Gandalf, instead of delivering the ring, can I eat this meal?", or "The Mona Lisa? She ain't got nothin' on our cream sauce!".

All hyperbole aside, the Pechuga con Calabaza was honestly one of the best dishes I have had in quite some time. The almost delicately spicy (if that combination doesn't cause a paradox in the universe) sauce perfectly accented the sautéed chicken, as well as the typical, yet ever-so-delicious Mexican rice.

The one drawback I can see to this meal is the price. At $11-12 for the entrée, the bill can start adding up if you tip well, and unless you have parents that pay for everything, the average student may find difficulty in justifying the supreme enjoyment of such a delicacy.

While I can fully appreciate (and still, at times, identify with) a college student's lack of funds for such an endeavor, let me say, "It is worth it." Again, "You will not regret it." And yet a third time, "Why are you still sitting there reading this when you should be going to Abuelo's?"

Besides, I'm sure you can figure out a way to make someone else pay for the meal. That's what I did.

The preceding "review" does not necessarily reflect the views of The DusterToday or Lubbock Christian University ... it is a general restaurant review and the thoughts and opinions are those of the writer.

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