Dining out -- Mary Furr

Casa Jimenez in Huntington Beach is home-style all the way. It’s

Mexican cooked as you remember if you grew up in California: not too

spicy and nothing “modern” about the cuisine, just good, thick o7 masa

f7 on the tamales, soupy beans and Spanish rice -- maybe a little tomato

and onion -- but it’s the same home-style rice of good Mexican

restaurants in most of Southern California.

Colorful rural scenes of Mexico cover the walls with red-vinyl booths

surrounding tables that reach to the back of the deep storefront in the

Kmart shopping center at Magnolia and Garfield avenues.

There’s no need to order immediately. Just scan the long bilingual

menu and nibble the corn chips and thin but flavorful and potent salsa.

From o7 combinacionesf7 was the Choice One lunch ($6.95), a small,

crisp taco stuffed with shredded beef (or chicken), topped with chopped

lettuce and tomato and a small tamale thick with smooth o7 masa f7 in a

pool of saucy refried beans served on a large warm platter. That, with

coffee (75 cents) in a big thick mug, is a filling lunch to take you

through any work day.

Chef Alvaro Lepe sautees the six o7 camarones cachanillaf7 ($9.50)

to enhance their firm freshness, but the sauce is a bland disappointment,

especially since seafood is a specialty at Casa Jimenez.

The shrimp in the filet mignon and shrimp combination ($10.95) are

three paddle-shaped, tail-on shrimp in a thin crisp coat -- not batter --

meaty and crunchy. They top the Spanish rice served on a hot platter.

This dish has a tender, medium-sized steak, not the usual round, thick

filet mignon often served wrapped in bacon. At Casa Jimenez, the dish

includes well-seasoned sliced potatoes rather like thick potato chips --

different and a good change from the usual fries.

Some o7 postresf7 (desserts are all $1.95) seem to be prepared on

site like the firm flan custard, which was in need of more caramel sauce.

But the one most typical of Mexican cuisine is the o7 arroz con lechef7

(rice pudding) from a Gardena purveyor. Served in a plastic container,

it was cool with lots of custardy rice -- a real treat.

Casa Jimenez, family-owned by Alphonso and Diana Jimenez, who recently

took over management from a brother, is unusual among Mexican restaurants

in that it serves breakfast until 11 a.m. daily.

There are o7 huevosf7 (eggs) scrambled or “oven” style and a

special bargain of two pancakes and two eggs ($1.50). Other choices

include beans and rice with ham, bacon or Mexican sausage ($3.95 to

$4.95).

If you want to feel at home and be served Mexican food that is

reminiscent of early California, Casa Jimenez is the place.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions for her, call (562) 493-5062.

FYI

o7 CASA JIMENEZ

f7 * Where: 19171 S. Magnolia Ave., Huntington Beach (at Garfield

Avenue in the Kmart shopping center)

* Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 8 a.m. to 10

p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

* Phone: (714) 593-9824