THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605290603
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DONNA REISS, RESTAURANT CRITIC
LENGTH: 106 lines
A FESTIVE atmosphere prevails at Pancho Villa's, where strolling musicians entertain on weekends. To create the impression of a village square, one wall of the restaurant is decorated as an arched, red-tile-roofed stone facade. Colorful tiles embedded in wood tables, tile floors, bright paintings, enlarged photos of Mexican history and friendly management add to the upbeat atmosphere at the Plume Street end of Norfolk's Selden Arcade.
On the Friday before the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, the celebratory mood meant occasional bottlenecks for servers maneuvering around a dancer and a mariachi band. Although better suited to a large hall than to the narrow spaces of the restaurant, the entertainment added cheerful authenticity to the evening.
Open since March, Pancho Villa's is the first place to offer full-service Mexican food near the Norfolk riverfront and fills a niche for visitors and downtown workers.
Although named for a popular Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa's serves nothing novel. Instead, the fare is what has become familiar at Mexican-American restaurants: burritos, enchiladas, tacos, and fajitas of steak, chicken or shrimp. A few seafood and chicken entrees expand the options.
Partners Martin Chapa and Edith Figueroa say the guacamole is freshly made and the margaritas blended on the premises. Indeed, the chunky avocado dip was excellent.
We tried both a margarita on the rocks and a frozen top-shelf version, the latter more refreshing and both better on a second visit than on the first.
Dinners began with a basket of corn tortilla chips and salsa. Not mentioned on the menu, a spicier sauce is available on request.
Specialty dishes tempted us most but, unfortunately, most hot items arrived lukewarm. In addition, the drama of chile peppers was absent from sauces and the dinner salad was more Middle American than Latin American, with its iceberg lettuce base.
A bowl of black bean soup ($1.50), recommended by our waiter, arrived lukewarm and not very flavorful. Quesado ($6.95 or $7.95 with chicken or steak) was better, its flour tortilla topped with cheese and then baked to melt the filling for a soft starter. Nopalitos ($3.95), a cactus appetizer, was a surprising treat. Soft green slices of the desert plant were stripped of bristles and pickled with tomatoes and onions for a refreshing first course. Other openers include chicken soup ($1.50), nachos ($5.50), curls of chorizo sausage ($3.95) and meal-sized salads ($6.95-$7.50).
Pancho Villa's tacos and burritos come a la carte ($5.25-$6.50 per plate) or in an assortment of combination platters ($6.25-$8.50). At lunch and dinner, fajitas ($7.25-$12.95) are featured, including an all-vegetable version.
An evening-only assortment of meat main dishes adds variety. The most interesting option on the menu was mole pablano ($8.95), tender chicken breasts coated in a thick red sauce with hints of peanut and pepper flavor. But this dish arrived so cool that we sent it back for reheating. On the side, barely flavored rice was in desperate need of the sweetish sauce from the chicken.
Another main dish recommended by our waiter was Camarones y Scallops a la Veracruzana ($12.95), shrimp and scallops in mild garlic sauce with bell peppers and onions. The sauce was more creamy than garlicky but the seafood was satisfactory. The peppers and onions were lightly sauteed for a crunchy contrast.
My companion's generous portion of steak fajitas ($10.95) did arrive sizzling as promised and accompanied by plenty of onions, tomatoes and flour tortillas. On another visit we tried the chicken fajitas, which was also a generous serving (though we would have welcomed more guacamole on the condiment dish).
There was no flan available on either visit, although this traditional Mexican custard is listed on the menu. Sopapillas, sweet fried pastry puffs, came with honey for dipping and deep fried ice cream came covered in a flavorless coating.
Children are welcome here, and have their own menu items (including chicken fingers and burgers). The child's homework history of Pancho Villa on the front of the menu adds a chariming touch.
A cheerful welcome from co-owner Edith Figueroa and her staff, plus moderately priced dishes, are appealing. We hope for some improvements, such as hot dishes served hot and more flavorful spices in the sauces. Norfolk needed a full-service Mexican restaurant downtown, and Pancho Villa's has attractively refurbished the Selden Arcade setting to meet that need. MEMO: Online reviews: Previous restaurant reviews are available on the
Fun page of Pilot Online at http://www.pilotonline.com/ ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTOS BY ROY A. BAHLS
The chicken with rice and peas entree is served with a salad and a
basket of tortilla chips.
Photos of Mexican history, tile floors and colorful tables help
create a festive mood.
Graphic
BILL OF FARE
Pancho Villa's, 215 Plume St. (Selden Arcade), Norfolk, 624-9602
Cuisine: Standard Mexican-American tacos, enchiladas and fajitas
plus a few seafood and chicken specialties.
Atmosphere: Cheerful Mexican village square setting, colorful
tiles, historical photographs and upbeat mood. Mariachi band Fridays
and Saturdays from 7 p.m.
Prices: lunches $4 to $11; dinner starters $1.50 to $7.95, main
dishes $6.25 to $14.95, desserts $1 to $3.95.
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fridays and
Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 8 p.m.
Reservations: accepted but not usually required.
Smoking: 50 percent of seating. by CNB