THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9607030725
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Restaurant review
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 75 lines
CHESAPEAKE, land of chain restaurants, is hardly known as a city of ethnic eateries. So it's ironic that one of the more authentic Mexican restaurants I've found in Hampton Roads is in a nondescript strip shopping center on Volvo Parkway.
Not a fancy place, El Loro (meaning The Parrot) offers simple cuisine - enchiladas, tamales, chiles rellenos and more - all made a notch above the usual versions found in more Americanized Mexican restaurants.
Ismael and Veronica Macras, both natives of Mexico, are the reason behind the food's authenticity. After almost a decade in the United States, Ismael traveled here from Atlanta and opened El Loro a year ago, with the help of friends and relatives.
Five months ago, he married Veronica, his sweetheart from Guadalajara. He brought her to Chesapeake, where they run El Loro together. You can see the couple there every day, Veronica looking placid as she glides from table to table taking orders while Ismael seats customers and watches the kitchen.
Nestled behind a Blockbuster Video store, the small restaurant seats only about 50. Three rows of booths run down the side and center of the restaurant. You can see the kitchen in the back.
But the restaurant's lack of pretension is its charm. It's as if you have wandered into a roadside restaurant in Mexico, where you are served the authentic stuff without fanfare.
The staples of El Loro are tacos, burritos, chalupas, tamales, quesadillas and other dishes that are as familiar as pizza to most Americans.
What makes such food at El Loro special, however, is that its preparation reminds you of the simple quality and appeal of such dishes, before a burrito was turned into something bought at a 7-Eleven and popped into a microwave. True Mexican food features corn, beans, rice, chicken, vegetables and other basic ingredients, blended with a touch of fire and spice for a simple, good meal.
The tamales at El Loro feature swollen masa harina, the flour used to make corn tortillas, wrapped around stewed beef instead of hamburger. The enchilada sauce is dark and spicy without being sweet. The Spanish-style rice is fluffy and light.
With its dinners, El Loro is more adventuresome. The entrees include a variety of fancy enchiladas, including enchiladas poblano with a chocolate mole sauce. Shrimp fajitas, a T-bone steak and other more varied entrees are available.
The food is always tasty, although sometimes the cook could go lighter on the oil.
The small restaurant appears to have found a following. Business is steady at lunch, and on weekend nights a line can appear at the door.
It's not expensive. Lunches are $3 to $5. Dinners are from $5.50 to $9.50, with most entrees being in the $6 to $7 range.
Online reviews: Previous restaurant reviews are available on the Fun page of Pilot Online at http://www.pilotonline.com/ MEMO: Reviews are based on a single, unannounced visit by a party of two
or three, unless otherwise noted. The Virginian-Pilot pays for the
reviewer's meal and those of the guests. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ROY A. BAHLS
Quezadilla Rellena is a tortilla stuffed with cheese, beef and
beans.
Graphic
BILL OF FARE
El Loro, 801 Volvo Parkway, Chesapeake. 436-3415
Atmosphere: casual
Smoking section: none
Prices: lunches $3 to $5, dinner entrees $6 to $9.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to
11 p.m. Fridays, noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Reservations: not needed by CNB