Largest Local Lime Location Opening Looms in Rogers.

I've seen things. Really remarkable things. And you'll be able to see them soon, too. Let's talk about the latest Local Lime locale,and what to expect. Also, I ate things. Because that happens.

The Parallada Jalisco'z at Taqueria Jalisco'z Knocked My Scarf Off.

I kid you not - I went, I experienced, I enjoyed and now I have no clue what happened to my scarf after experiencing this Little Rock Restaurant Month special at this Baseline Road taqueria.

El Chico Cafe - An Arkansas Connection.

Did you know the popular Dallas-based El Chico Cafe restaurant chain has an Arkansas connection? Read more and see what we tried at this Tex-Mex place.

El Zarape is Winning at Mexican Food in Fort Smith.

You can't swing a cat without striking a Mexican restaurant in Arkansas.  From our earliest years, Ark-Mex food has been prevalent in our state.  Even before cheese dip, creations of beans, tortillas and meat were cheap to make and easy to sell.  Fad foods such as nachos and taco salads in the 70s and 80s only secured the flavors of tomatoes, jalapenos and even cilantro in our collective palate.

With an influx of Mexican nationals and immigrants through the 80s, 90s and into the 21st century, a second wave of Mexican cuisine has crashed over our state.  These authentic flavors and family-tradition recipes have given a completely separate crop of flavors hold here in Arkansas.

But still, there is a certain camp of folks who believe there's little to no difference between the tortillas, fajitas and quesos from one Mexican restaurant to another.  For those folks, I challenge them to try El Zarape in Fort Smith.

The gorgeous stone-fronted facade along Rogers Avenue gives way to a warm interior full of wood, stone and bright colors, without the garish attitude of less sophisticated latin-influenced restaurants.  It was enough to warm us from the cold, snow-driving day Grav and I had already encountered.  We sat in rather comfortable leather-padded wooden chairs and dug through the menu while Grav sampled the salsa with the offered deep yellow corn tortilla chips.

We were just musing over corn and such when one of the MANY

waiters passing by brought us a couple of hot tortillas straight off the conveyor with some Country Crock honey spread.  Soft, pliant, almost too hot to handle at first, these were decadently velvet-like and perfect dipping in the salsa.  I also tried it with the Country Crock.  It was

pretty decent.

We decided to begin with an appetizer and settled on stuffed jalapenos.  These four bombs arrived at our table on a bed of mango-jicama slaw,
perched horizontally with a light drizzle of crema on top.  Grav bit into one and immediately went for the water, his face flushed.  I tried one and immediately sensed great savory flavors in the chicken and cheese within, followed by a punch of jalapeno fragrance that went right to my nose.  It was heady and immediate.

And without another moment to spare, our plates were delivered to the table.  Grav's latest obsession has been with the molcajete, and El Zarape's version was absolutely grand and deceptively simple.  Unlike

versions he's encountered at Cantina Cinco de Mayo and Santo Coyote in Little Rock recently, this was very light -- nicely grilled strips of steak and chicken along with cactus, peppers and onions and slices of queso fresco along with wedges of fresh avocado, lightly slathered in a chipotle pepper sauce.  That sauce brought everything together nicely

with a rich and deep heat.  A side plate of beans and rice, lettuce, pico de gallo and sour cream accompanied, along with more of the fresh, hot tortillas.

I had dithered with the idea of a chile relleno stuffed with ground beef,

but had gone with Grav's suggestion of the Chicken Poblano instead, and I could not have been more pleased.  This deceptively austere place came to my table, two large grilled chicken breast slices under a white sauce, slices of zucchini and squash and carrots sauteed in butter to the left, a form of

cilantro rice and pineapple pico de gallo over lettuce to the right. Each element stood on its own,

especially the smoky grilled chicken against the velvety-smooth poblano-infused wine and cream sauce, a great counterpoint of char and mellow.  The fresh vegetables were irresistible to me (I can eat my weight in zucchini), the cilantro rice was comforting and the bright flavor of the pineapple pico completed an excellent dance.

We dithered again over dessert.  I saw sopapillas on the menu, which I adore but Grav does not... I also noted the pecan cheesecake, which I knew he'd go for.  We first settled on sharing a flan, but after hearing

all about the Tres Leches we decided to go for... well, strangely enough, the chocolate flan. I expected the round custard, but instead we were brought a rich custardy chocolate creation that reminded me more of cake.  Not that I minded.  The gorgeous presentation was

no match for the lush but light texture of the pastry, and we found ourselves knocking spoons for the last bite.

All the time we were there, we were attended to.  One of our waters, Eduardo, insisted we had to come back again... to bring some of Grav's smoked meats in for him to try.  Others provided us with questions, containers and attention... far more than we're used to receiving.

El Zarape could be overlooked easily, considering the multitide of both authentic Mexican, Tex Mex and Ark Mex offerings in Fort Smith.  But it shouldn't be.  It should be cherished.

Now, you've seen our photos.  You really need to go to this Facebook album and see the photos El Zarape has of many of its menu items.  It's rare to see a restaurant doing great food photography like this, especially at El Zarape's low price point.

El Zarape 
8909 Rogers Avenue
Fort Smith, AR 72903
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Triple Horsepower at Los 3 Potrillos in Conway.

Conway has a lot of Mexican restaurants. A LOT. Just a couple of weeks ago I told you about Faby’s, the Mexican/Continental Fusion place with locations on Front Street and Dave Ward Drive. There’s a lot more -- from La Hacienda to Taqueria Micho to Casa Mariachi.

One of the local joints I like is Los 3 Potrillos (“The Three Stallions”). The wide open restaurant in the Howard Johnson has all the favorites and more… and the margaritas range on the maddeningly sweet side. The cheese dip is white and the chips are golden yellow.

You see, Los 3 Potrillos has some great dishes. The food is certainly colorful. One of my favorite dishes there is the Enchiladas Mexicanas ($8.75), three enchiladas and their appropriate sauces -- beef enchilada with red sauce, cheese enchilada with white cheese sauce (the dip), and chicken enchilada with green sauce. Care is taken to make sure each sauce is separate on the plate to get that gorgeous tri-color flag thing going. I like the chicken enchilada with green sauce the best, mild but flavorful with cilantro and tomatillo in that sauce. Yum.

The portions tend to be on the large side. There’s a slew of combination dinners for $6.49, including a combination of taco, burrito and Chile Relleno. The latter comes out fist sized and hot, a big pepper stuffed with cheese and coated in breading, taking up half a plate. Tacos? Average, I guess, but you get your choice on the combinations of having beef or bean or chicken or cheese as a filling for each taco, burrito and enchilada. That’s a nice touch.

Burritos are long and slender rather than fat and chunky, but they’re substantial enough. I’ve tried the Burrito Especial ($4.99) with its expected ground beef inside and such. I prefer the Burrito Mexicano ($5.99), filled with shredded beef sautéed with tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Each is topped with more of the “white sauce” (read: more cheese dip), lettuce, tomato and sour cream. They’re fork burritos rather than the sort you pick up and eat with your hands. They are tasty.

They have an All-You-Can-Eat Lunch for $5.99. You can choose up to five items at a time from a list, including burritos, tacos, chalupas, tostaguac, Chile Rellenos, a nice list. Of course there’s no to-go boxes with this and your drink’s separate, but… well, it’s a good deal. Kids 4-12 are just $3.25 -- they can eat for that much, you can’t take them home for that much.

Los 3 Potrillos does serve alcohol. It’s not write-home good, but it is decent, and I like the fact that it’s decent on both taste and price. You’ll find it at 1090 Skyline Drive (Highway 65) in Conway. They’re open every day for lunch and dinner. (501) 327-1144. Find the menu here.

More than Mexican at Faby's in Conway.

Have I kept any good-eating secrets around Arkansas to myself? Well, yes, I guess I’m guilty of that. Mea culpa. I haven’t shared Faby’s Restaurant with you.

There are actually two Faby’s, one on Dave Ward Drive and the other on Front Street in Conway. Been to both. The eclectic mix of Mexican and Continental fare seemed a bit of a stretch before I went, but I can happily tell you it’s a good combination.

El Desayuno Huevos at Casa Manana in Little Rock.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more eye-opening breakfast than that served at Casa Manana.  Forget pancakes and bacon; the restaurant's fine selection of egg dishes come complete with tortillas, beans and enough heat to get you through a cold day like today.

And the coffee's just as hot as the food.