El Mundo Highlands' juicy, creamy carnitas is fashioned from pastured pork that's deliciously spiced, roasted, then flash-fried in the old Mexican tradition.
It takes a certain bold spirit and lack of risk aversion to open a new restaurant during a pandemic when, at best, restaurants face an extraordinary burden of regulation for our health and safety.
That didn’t slow down the folks at El Mundo, though. Not only did they open their second restaurant – El Mundo Highlands – last month, but they did it in the oversize (4,000 square-foot, four-levels) space that long housed Asiatique and much more briefly its successor, Flavour Restaurant.
I got only a quick glimpse inside during a visit to pick up takeout lunch, but it’s still sprawling and stylish, with a large main-floor bar that looks like a great place to have a drink.
I’ll get back there eventually for that drink and dinner, but let’s get this covid-19 thing out of the way first, mmkay? Meanwhile I’m doing curbside or takeout, and I can tell you that El Mundo Highlands is handling those important functions remarkably well.
El Mundo's website clearly outlines expectations and is pretty insistent about our following the rules, and it goes into quite a bit of detail about that. Summing up: Make a reservation, wash and sanitize, wear you mask unless you are actively eating and drinking, and stay seated. Arrive on time – you have a 10-minute window. Get your menu digitally if you can.
Also, you have 1 hour, 15 minutes to dine in, starting at the time of your reservation. Yes, this is strict, but, the website points out: "Unfortunately, for dine-in to remain financially viable for us as a small restaurant, we need to turn these tables at that rate in order to make it by on razor-thin margins."
That's fair. Don't gripe, follow the rules, enjoy your meal.
Takeout orders must be placed and paid for online, including a mandatory 18 percent tip. A separate pickup entrance admits you – one person at a time – to a small, spanking-clean lobby where your bagged meal will be ready for you to pick up without coming into contact with anyone. Don't come in until your assigned time, and don't come in if someone else is already in there. "Thank you for your continued support," the website adds. "It means the world to us!"
In these troubled times, I truly believe that. ...
Read the complete article on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/el-mundo-highlands
You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/
El Mundo Highlands
1767 Bardstown Road
384-5633
http://502elmundo.com
https://facebook.com/502elmundo
