Dining Review -- Kathy Mader

About 35-plus years ago, Salvador Avila came to the United States with

his wife and children to, whether knowingly or not, show us what real

Mexican food is all about. For the last three decades, and in various

locations numbering eight at the present, the Avila family has done just

that.

There are actually three different Avila’s El Ranchitos right near

here, and the story is that each member of the family got their own to

run as they see fit, with the promise to keep the traditional foods and

generations-old recipes that made the place such a popular original.

However, each of these three does have its own charm and singular

merits. The restaurant on Placentia Avenue makes its own tortillas right

there, hot and delicious. It’s something that I believe places this

restaurant above the others. The El Ranchito on the Balboa Peninsula has

a great patio and is a hot spot at night. Avila’s on East Coast Highway

in Corona del Mar is the one we always go to because we can walk to it,

and that’s a huge plus considering it is almost vital to continue

breathing to take a few steps after a huge Mexican meal -- it’s that or

melt into the booth and pray for a defibrillator.

The restaurant on East Coast Highway is particularly charming because

it opens to the outside and really just has that festive, fun, summery

kind of charm, even in the dead of winter. This place is always the huge

hit at the Corona del Mar Christmas Walk. I have hosted a party or two

there myself, and both were raging successes, definitely not due to my

gifted talents. More like due to their gifted margarita maker, but that

is neither here nor there.

I also often order party platters for events at our house. You cannot

beat the deal, and Lord knows I could never out-cook the deal. You can

get a dozen burritos, or a dozen flautas, for $12, or you can get their

party platter with tacos, burritos, flautas, guacamole, salsa and chips

for $49. This is always a huge hit and, because it is so good, saves me

from the embarrassment of having to answer the question, “Did you make

this?” With Avila’s delicious takeout, it is quite obvious that I did

not.

My single most favorite thing to order at any one El Ranchito is the

house specialty, inventively named “Avila’s Soup.” If I were to do a best

soup list every year, this would be No. 1 on my list every time, mostly

because this soup, with its white meat chicken and rice in a

chicken-based broth with a tang of lime, garnished with fresh avocado and

served with warm tortillas, is an actual meal in itself. And I am not one

to give up a meal in lieu of soup. But this is it! It is also served with

a side of condiments that include cilantro, finely chopped onions and

jalapenos, grated cheese, and diced tomatoes. Throw all of these into the

soup, jalapenos at your own risk, and then break up a few tortilla chips

and throw those in as well. Sweet Mother Avila. I eat this at least once

a week, and with anticipation. And even my husband, a man who is looking

for meat at every meal, is satisfied with this one.

However, he doesn’t order it every time, which is nice for me because

that’s how I get to try all the other great things they have to offer.

Suffice it to say that El Ranchito covers all the traditional basics,

enchiladas, burritos, tacos, et. al, but there are some unique standouts

as well. The shrimp ceviche ($7.95), shrimp “cooked” in citrus juices and

served with salsa, avocado and warm tortillas, is really light and really

great; a nice snack, and even better appetizer.

Chingolingas are also unique to Avila’s El Ranchito as far as I know

-- shredded chicken in a crispy pastry with a tangy sauce, in addition to

the salsa for dipping. These are always a party platter hit, but need to

be eaten right away. The flautas, chicken or beef wrapped in a flour

tortilla and deep fried are one of Brian’s favorites, as well as our

guests’, whoever they may be.

Here’s the Baja line, Avila’s El Ranchito serves up good, local

Mexican food with an atmosphere like you have really been some place and

had a good time. It gets pretty crowded in the summer, so remember those

take out party platters, even if it’s just for you!

* KATHY MADER’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday.

FYI

* What: Avila’s El Ranchito

* Where: 2101 Placentia Ave., Costa Mesa; 2744 East Coast Highway,

Corona del Mar; 2800 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach

* Call: Costa Mesa, (949) 642-1142; Corona del Mar, (949) 644-8226;

Newport Beach, (949) 675-6855

* How much: Moderate