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The Impatient Chef Can't Sit Still at Ixtapa Hood River
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| The Impatient Chef Meets the Burrito |
“Can’t Sit Still” is a series of posts featuring a single visit to a restaurant while out on the road. It is not meant to offer an evaluation of the restaurant's menu on the whole.
This meal happened on a very windy day in the Eastern Columbia Gorge in Oregon. The Impatient Chef blew into Hood River from Points Yonder with a carload of camera gear that was not used to photograph wildflowers because they couldn’t sit still either.
Ixtapa is a small chain of 5 Mexican restaurants in Oregon and Idaho. The Impatient Chef breezed through the one in The Dalles, Oregon about 6 years ago, and so was interested in seeing what the Hood River location had to offer.
It was good to be back in town. Having lived in Hood River for a few years, and still missing the place, it really was a wonderful town.
We were seated, and the prerequisite chips and salsa appeared on the table. The Chips were fresh, and the salsa was mild but surprisingly good, featuring tomato, cilantro, onion, and peppers.
We ordered the Ixtapa Burrito with an extra plate, and another dish of salsa for the remaining chips. The waitress called it the Burrito Ixtapa for a refreshing burst of atmosphere authentic and charm Mexican, which matched the music Mariachi on the sound system.
The Impatient Chef is questing for the best carnitas in the usual stompin’ grounds after having some incredible stuff in Sacramento, and from a taco cart in Mosier (link). If the joint is surrounded by Mexican farm or construction workers, you will find flavor there.
Gaia ordered a Margarita. She said it was good, and the tequila was “not gasolineish”.
The burrito. This burrito sinks or swims on the flavor of the carnitas. Some places do it better than others. The burrito also contained rice, melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream. Onion, scallions, refried beans.
The carnitas verdict:. A bit bland, with signs of attempted, but not successful caramelization. Overall flavor is not bad, but suffers from an apparent attempt to make it palatable for Americans. Music and adjective placement aside, the burrito had none of the prerequisite zing.
We had cheesecake for dessert. Chocolate with shaved chocolate and whipped cream and a cherry on an Oreo crust. It looked awesome. The reality was again quite different. The cheesecake filling was whipped - more mousse than cheesecake. It did not seem like it was made on site. It was light on chocolate flavor. The Impatient Chef is beginning to wonder if the taste buds have failed.
Overall, it was burrito disappointing.
Ixtapa is a small chain of 5 Mexican restaurants in Oregon and Idaho. The Impatient Chef breezed through the one in The Dalles, Oregon about 6 years ago, and so was interested in seeing what the Hood River location had to offer.
It was good to be back in town. Having lived in Hood River for a few years, and still missing the place, it really was a wonderful town.
We were seated, and the prerequisite chips and salsa appeared on the table. The Chips were fresh, and the salsa was mild but surprisingly good, featuring tomato, cilantro, onion, and peppers.
We ordered the Ixtapa Burrito with an extra plate, and another dish of salsa for the remaining chips. The waitress called it the Burrito Ixtapa for a refreshing burst of atmosphere authentic and charm Mexican, which matched the music Mariachi on the sound system.
The Impatient Chef is questing for the best carnitas in the usual stompin’ grounds after having some incredible stuff in Sacramento, and from a taco cart in Mosier (link). If the joint is surrounded by Mexican farm or construction workers, you will find flavor there.
Gaia ordered a Margarita. She said it was good, and the tequila was “not gasolineish”.
The burrito. This burrito sinks or swims on the flavor of the carnitas. Some places do it better than others. The burrito also contained rice, melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream. Onion, scallions, refried beans.
The carnitas verdict:. A bit bland, with signs of attempted, but not successful caramelization. Overall flavor is not bad, but suffers from an apparent attempt to make it palatable for Americans. Music and adjective placement aside, the burrito had none of the prerequisite zing.
We had cheesecake for dessert. Chocolate with shaved chocolate and whipped cream and a cherry on an Oreo crust. It looked awesome. The reality was again quite different. The cheesecake filling was whipped - more mousse than cheesecake. It did not seem like it was made on site. It was light on chocolate flavor. The Impatient Chef is beginning to wonder if the taste buds have failed.
Overall, it was burrito disappointing.
