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Robin Garr

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Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Robin Garr » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:24 am

Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

LEO's Eats with Robin Garr

La Guanaquita’s pescado frito.
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Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

¡Buenos días, señoras y caballeros, hermanos y hermanas! ¡La Guanaquita Restaurante es muy bueno!

Why, yes, I am speaking a little Spanish today, signing on from a sweet little new Central American eatery in the South End.

I have my reasons for wanting to learn Spanish. If Trump wins this wacky election, we’re thinking about heading for Uruguay when the Trumpenwaffen comes for the liberals. And if Clinton wins (from my lips to Lord Quetzalcoatl’s ears), I’ll be able to order competently when we are blessed with a taco truck on every corner.

So there’s that. But here’s the problem: I’ve learned to read Spanish pretty well. But I can’t carry on a conversation worth frijoles. So if I want to give my awkward Latino locutions a workout, I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to do it than to catch lunch at a taqueria.

I love it that our city has evolved from Tumbleweed and the Old Walnut Chili Parlor to dozens of tiny taquerias and rosticerias run by new immigrant neighbors making their way entrepreneurially toward the (North) American dream. I don’t mind it one bit that my language is not the majority language in these places, but even if I weren’t trying to learn the difference between cerdo (pork) and cerveza (beer), I could simply point to what I want and still receive service with a friendly smile.

Just about all the taquerias in the metropolitan area are Mexican, of course. Think “taco,” and we respond, “Mexican food,” and that is true. But the Latino diaspora includes a lot of migrants from Central America’s Northern Triangle, too: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. These tiny nations have been so ravaged by our drug war and foreign policy that tens of thousands have fled north, many of them children, too many of them killed or deported as they seek protection from death or worse.

For all its horror, this diaspora has had the happier effect of leavening our culture with the many gifts that a diverse crowd of immigrants brings. I was delighted, for example, to find a new South End eatery, La Guanaquita, sporting the similar blue-and-white flags of Guatemala and Honduras in a front window, and a colorful map of El Salvador on a wall. Decor is clean but simple, with earth-tone quarry tile floors and beige walls.

Can you get tacos and tamales here? Sí, Senor. But you’ll find more characteristic Northern Triangle food too - pupusas and bealadas, not to mention the interesting fish dishes that you’d expect from countries bounded by seacoasts on the Atlantic and Pacific.

Let’s be clear: If you’re adventurous about interesting world cuisines, this is your place. It’s bright and clean, and everyone is friendly.

But this is not white-tablecloth dining. The handwritten whiteboard menu changes often. Prices of the 15 or 20 items aren’t shown (but you can rest assured that it isn’t pricey). You may learn that your choice is gone for the day. You can get Latin-American soft drinks or horchata rice drink, but no alcohol. And you won’t find much English spoken, but bring your Spanglish if you’ve got some, or just bring your sense of humor, and you’ll be fine.

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/?p=5714

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly’s Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

La Guanaquita Restaurante
4231 Taylor Blvd.
822-1343
Facebook: http://bit.ly/LaGuanaquita
Robin Garr’s rating: 83 points
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Iggy C

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Iggy C » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:50 am

I like that spot. Had some nice pupusas there.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Robin Garr » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:57 am

Iggy C wrote:I like that spot. Had some nice pupusas there.

Next time post it, Iggy, if you think about it. I wish I had found it sooner! :)
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Gary Guss

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Gary Guss » Wed Sep 21, 2016 11:29 am

You need to test drive the Safari Grill, where the Tangerine and Yolis used to be .. African food, haven't been yet but lots of neighbors have and like it .. Chicken Suqaar and they also have Gyros for some reason.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Robin Garr » Wed Sep 21, 2016 12:08 pm

Gary Guss wrote:You need to test drive the Safari Grill, where the Tangerine and Yolis used to be ...

Yep, it's on my radar. Mostly thanks to you, I believe!
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Alanna H

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Alanna H » Wed Sep 21, 2016 12:41 pm

This review turned into a grammar lesson for me, because I paused midway through to go research the usage of 'dived' v/s 'dove.'
I don't know which I love more- food or words. Thanks for indulging me in both, Robin!
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Iggy C

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Iggy C » Wed Sep 21, 2016 7:58 pm

Robin Garr wrote:
Iggy C wrote:I like that spot. Had some nice pupusas there.

Next time post it, Iggy, if you think about it. I wish I had found it sooner! :)


I liked it but I only had the pupusas, which, while good, didn't seem like sufficient basis for a review. I would've gone back, but they made me wait 45 minutes for them, which was annoying. Then I got a different job that wasn't close enough to justify going back. But I never did try the baleadas, which intrigued me. I'll try to find a way to get back over there on a weekday some time.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante

by Robin Garr » Wed Sep 21, 2016 8:51 pm

Iggy C wrote:I liked it but I only had the pupusas, which, while good, didn't seem like sufficient basis for a review. I would've gone back, but they made me wait 45 minutes for them, which was annoying. Then I got a different job that wasn't close enough to justify going back. But I never did try the baleadas, which intrigued me. I'll try to find a way to get back over there on a weekday some time.

Okay, that's fair. Thanks for the follow-up, Iggy.

Just as a thought, sometimes I'll do a scouting report that's not a review. "I ran across this place today and had a pupusa that was good, but it took me a while to get it." :)

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