THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 4, 1996 TAG: 9604020123
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 13 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: ON THE TOWN
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: SAM MARTINETTE
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
Just a little more than 80 years ago, the Mexican guerrilla leader Francisco ``Pancho'' Villa and elements of his revolutionary army crossed the border from Mexico and raided the town of Columbus, N.M., killing a handful of civilians and U.S. soldiers who were stationed there.
The raid led to the mobilization of Army and National Guard units for a ``pursuit'' of Villa led by ``Black Jack'' Pershing, the general who would command U.S. forces in Europe during World War I. The so-called Punitive Expedition into Mexico included the first large-scale use of airplanes and trucks by the U.S. Army and was considered later to be a rehearsal for America's entry into the European war.
This may help you understand the theme of Pancho Villa's, which is the most unusually decorated Mexican restaurant around. Large photos of Villa, his soldiers and their women were made from original glass negatives, I'm told, and a mural on one wall depicts incidents and figures from the Mexican Revolution.
The restaurant interior suggests the square of a little Mexican village. The kitchen is separated from the dining room by a whitewashed wall topped with a red tin roof; arches along the windows facing Plume Street accent the mission architecture so traditional to Mexico. Pancho Villa's has a lounge and a separate room for diners who prefer a smoking section.
The restaurant is owned by the Figueroa family, and most of them seem to work there. Edith Figueroa explained how they came to downtown Norfolk.
``My brother-in-law, Martin Chapa, owns another Pancho Villa's in New York City,'' she said. ``We have lived in Virginia Beach for about 10 years, but my husband Ray, who is in the Coast Guard, worked downtown in the Federal Building and always liked the area.''
So when the time came, Selden Arcade got the nod.
The Pancho Villa's luncheon menu offers a dozen specials priced at $5.25 (served with beans and rice), such as two beef or chicken tacos; a pair of enchiladas, burritos or tostadas; an oversized quesadilla filled with chicken or beef, even a vegetarian taco salad of a large tortilla shell filled with refried beans, Cheddar and Muenster cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado and a taco salad sauce, and served with guacamole and sour cream.
Lunch combos ($5.50) include a soft taco and a tostado, or an enchilada and a burrito, and super combos ($6.50) offer three items on the platter, such as an enchilada, chile relleno and a taco. Fajitas ($8.95 to $10.95), a burger and a grilled chicken breast are also available.
The dinner menu is more extensive, offering appetizers such as chorizo (crispy Mexican sausage with flour tortillas), nopalitos (young cactus with onion, tomatoes and spices) and an excellent guacamole (mashed avocados with onions, tomato and a hint of cilantro), all priced at $3.95. Others include nachos ($5.95) and chicken wings ($5.50).
Combination platters (served with refried beans and rice) include an enchilada and chile relleno ($6.25); a taco, enchilada and burrito ($7.50), and many others.
House specials include vegetable fajitas ($7.25), steak fajitas ($10.95) and scallop fajitas ($12.50), as well as arroz con pollo (chicken with rice and peas, $8.25), mole poblano (chicken in peanut sauce topped with sesame seeds, $8.95).
Other entrees include shrimp enchiladas (in a white or tomato sauce, $10.95); shrimp and scallops sauteed in a mild garlic sauce with bell peppers and onions ($12.95); and a shell steak served with shrimp and scallops ($13.95).
For vegetarians, Pancho Villa's offers five dishes in the $5.95 to $6.50 range, including a vegetable taco salad of zucchini, green peppers, onions and tomatoes on tortilla shells; a trio of cheese enchiladas in a tomato sauce; a combo of a cheese tostada, bean burrito and avocado taco.
The new eatery also offers a children's menu ($4.95) at lunch and dinner, with the likes of a soft taco, beans and rice or fries; a burger with fries; or chicken fingers with fries, all including a small soft drink.
Prices are on average a bit higher than other Mexican restaurants, but the food is very good and the atmosphere simply historical. Plans call for a Mexican brunch soon, strolling mariachi musicians on Friday evenings and special meals on Sundays involving the local Hispanic community. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
AT A GLANCE
Pancho Villa's: 215 Plume St., Selden Arcade, 624-9602.
Food: traditional Mexican cuisine, seafood, salads, full ABC.
Prices: lunch mostly in $5 to $6 range, dinner entrees $5.25 to
$14.95.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
by CNB