Monday, March 23, 2009

Eliana's

If you're tired of the usual Mexican chain restaurant fare, try Eliana's.

Oh. My. God.

Eliana's is a family-owned restaurant featuring food from El Salvador. Our server was the owner, father of the namesake Eliana, and an amazing salesman. (Be prepared for the upsell on drinks, appetizers, desserts - and do what he says. He knows what he's talking about.)

We started with pupusas, grilled masa (corn) patties stuffed with cheese, grilled bell peppers, and optional pork. It's a little oily but absolutely delicious. I could easily have a few of those as a meal and leave very satisfied. We also tried platanos con fritos, fried plantains served with refried beans and sour cream. The combination of the slightly sweet platanos with refried beans and sour cream is different, but surprisingly good.

The special of the night was rice cooked with chicken, shrimp, peas and carrots (possibly called arroz de valencia, my meat-taster can't remember). They also had a fish dish that brings the fish out whole, something my friend who spent a semester in Mexico was brave enough to try. At a table of 16 attendees, every single person was happy with their meal. Impressive.

We were all so full of pupusas, platanos and entrees that we skipped dessert entirely. Kind of disappointing - I was looking forward to the sweet platanos fried and served with ice cream, or to try the flan and see if it was different from the Mexican version I'm used to. But I'll do that the next time - this is definitely a place we'll be going back to.

Find it! - Eliana's, 1627 N. 24th St., Phoenix; north of McDowell on 24th St. (602) 225-2925.