El Palomar

February 26, 2010

Hobbs, New Mexico – How we arrived here is a story unto itself. It was by default. We found the restaurant that was recommended to us but they were closed between the hours of 2pm and 5pm; right about the time we arrived there. Don’t know if they were observing a siesta or what. We saw another place in an area magazine but determined we wouldn’t be able to get there and back in the time we had left. We stopped in front of a small strip mall to discuss what we were going to do. The conversation took place in El Palomar’s parking lot. Since we were already here, we decided to go ahead and try them out.

The strip mall was on a half-dirt parking lot. Not much to attract your attention. So we didn’t expect much from the restaurant. Read on to see if I was right.

Walking in, we found it to be pretty quiet because of the time of day. Inside are two sections, divided from each other. An indoor ‘roof’ overhangs the entrance to an indoor patio. A short ramp leads up to the larger dining area. That’s where we were seated. In here were the booths and a few tables. A couple and another family were the only other diners there.

Chips and salsa arrived at our table shortly after we were seated. We went through those real quick. The salsa was fresh. Delicious. If I’m not mistaken, El Palomar makes their own chips…and their salsa. This made an impression on us and was a hint of things to come. Bottomless tea and lemonade flowed freely. A good thing because, as I said, we went through those chips fast.

Our waitress arrived to bring another round of chips and salsa, and then took our orders. I decided on an enchilado burrito with carne asada and, since this is New Mexico, Christmas style sauce. (Christmas style is half red and half green chile sauce.)

Instead of diminishing our hunger, the chips intensified it. So it was a good thing that the meal came pretty quickly. We were already pleased with the chips. Things got better from there. When we dived into the burritos we discovered what all the fuss over New Mexican green chiles was all about. Mild flavor, and oh, what flavor! Savory flavor that actually kept its distinctive roasted taste even through the multiple components of the burrito. What a statement it made! The red sauce was good and much spicier but the taste had nothing on the green chile. Wonder how cravings get started? Green chile sauce like this!

As if the green chile wasn’t enough, the burritos were made with homemade tortillas. That in and of itself was not a big deal. But the taste sure was! Being a So Cal native, I’ve eaten in more Mexican restaurants than you can imagine. And I’ve had more than my share of both flour and corn tortillas. The tortillas here beat every one of them. Until enjoying this meal, I didn’t realize just how much of a difference homemade tortillas make. Most restaurants’ so-called homemade flour tortillas have a decidedly ‘floury’ taste that makes them taste more like flour and less like tortilla. Not these. It was as close to perfect as you’ll get. I don’t know if this is El Palomar’s secret recipe, but they should consider selling their tortillas in stores along with their green chile sauce. I’d buy ‘em both in a heartbeat.

Now I’ve spent a lot of time talking about chiles and tortillas. But what about the rest of the burrito? The carne asada was flavorful. It was made with the thin, chopped, marinated meat. It was good, but not great. In all honesty, it didn’t quite elicit the enthusiasm that its wrapping and topping did. But when you have players like El Palomar’s green chile and homemade tortillas, it elevates quality of the entire team, er, burrito. Had El Palomar used thicker meat for their carne asada, and marinated it a bit longer, a perfect score would have been given.

I probably should have taken half of the burrito home, but it was just too good to stop. So good was it, that after we finished eating we raved about the food to the waitress and to the owner. At least I think he was the owner. He was pleased that we enjoyed the food. As far as Mexican restaurants go, in my book, El Palomar has raised the bar.

If you’re ever in Hobbs, you should definitely stop by here. If you enjoy great Mexican food, you’ve come to the right place. Homemade tortillas. Green chiles. Addictive chips and salsa. What more can you ask from a Mexican restaurant in New Mexico?

El Palomar – 4.5 forks. Highly recommended. A classic example of not judging a book by its cover.