El Bolillo

In a word: Roll over to El Bolillo.

The specs: #00860   
4544 Monona Dr., Monona 53716
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JM ate the chicken enchiladas, a lime Jarritos, and a cream puff.
Nichole ate three tacos, elote, horchata, and a carrot cupcake.
The bill was $24, or $12/person, plus tip.
JM and Nichole both gave El Bolillo an A (see our grading rubric).

We were pretty excited to get to eat at El Bolillo. It used to be Emian's, which closed in 2009, and though El Bolillo opened soon thereafter, it didn't get on our radar until now. It's really good.

The fresh bakery is on display just inside the door. The selection of Mexican baked goods isn't as wide as, say, La Concha's (whose is?) but here there are also cupcakes, cookies and thoroughly Midwestern things like cream puffs. So we got some of that, ordered our hot food at the counter, and took a seat in the small, bright dining room.

The place was hopping. Nichole was excited to see that there were self-serve coffee refills, though this time she tried the horchata (strangely coconut-flavored and too thin for her taste). Also on offer were a variety of pinatas and $2 styrofoam michelada cups that we'd learned about from an old episode of Uhh Yeah Dude.

So, the food: we coudn't not eat some of the sweets first. The cream puff was great, though not quite as oily as most of its brethren. It seems that the drier Mexican-style baking extends even to fare imported from central Europe, though here the bakery may be better for it.The carrot cake was fantastic, with big bits of pineapple and a light and moist cake under zippy frosting.

JM had ordered the steak enchilada, and got chicken, but it was still very good. The chicken was seasoned with chili and other spices and had a fine smoky flavor. The dish was filled out with a spicy green sauce, cheese, crema, fresh avocado, and a little shredded iceberg lettuce.

Likewise the tacos were delicious. The chicken (same as in the enchiladas) was the best of the three. The steak was fine, the pork had excellent seasonings, and the plate came with green salsa and nice lime wedges. The elote was rich and messy, coated thickly with mayo and loaded with cheese.

We love the way that fusion like this happens.  It is also great that the food was outstanding.

Comments

[JSE]

Hey, I liked this place too! http://quomodocumque.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/in-like-a-linkdump/