Caller-Times Interactive: RESTAURANT REVIEW
Friday, April 24, 1998
   

Pico de Gallo

Cafe has a large selection, breakfast all day

    My guests learned a lot from our visit to Pico De Gallo restaurant.
    I have to admit, at first the menu confused the two uninitiated Northerners.
    "No-pal -- what-Os?" one asked when the waitress mentioned the special: eggs scrambled with tomatoes, onions and nopalitos.
    I hadn't wanted to take them to a chain restaurant for their education. They have that kind of Mexican food in upstate New York.
    Pico De Gallo fit the bill perfectly with its large selection of entrees, and breakfast served all day. The menu includes barbacoa, caldo and menudo each day, and the entrees range from fajitas to las reyenas, a flour tortilla stuffed with carne guisada and topped with cheese and ranchero sauce.
    We made our selections and munched on room-temperature chips and medium-spicy salsa while we waited.
    The vegetarian half of the couple decided to give the spineless prickly pear a chance. When the nopalitos arrived, we debated with our server whether they more closely resembled chopped, cooked green peppers or green beans. The light, almost sweet taste offset the acidic tomato and strong onion. Her dish was accompanied by beans and a small iceberg lettuce salad with chopped tomatoes.
    The beans weren't pretty -- the reddish paste resembled a fault line. But the recipe had an inviting hint of tumeric and they were creamy underneath.
    It wasn't early in the day, but her husband, slightly less adventurous, opted for a potato, bean and egg taquito. Neither of them had ever heard of the traditional breakfast wrap and they were pleasantly surprised.
    The tortilla was very fresh and soft -- an airy 1/4-inch thick. It was stuffed to overflowing with large, home-fry like chunks of potato, refried beans and eggs.
    I choose one of the other specials of the day -- sausalito. The shredded chicken enchiladas were smothered in a cheesy-tomato sauce and topped with melted white cheese. The pink sauce was mild and rich -- very filling.
    The Spanish rice could have used a dash more cumin, but was respectable none-the-less.
    It wasn't a special occasion, but my friends and I had to try the pan de polvo which was presented all too temptingly in a bakery case. Sure enough, the little cookies melted in my mouth and I got the abundant cinnamon all over me. I loved it.
    And once they gave South Texas' version of Mexican food a chance, the two Northerners enjoyed their meal too.
   

At a glance

Pico de Gallo
4116-D S. Staples
853-3631.

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