Vintage

So, after giving my friend Gael from El Salvador a call, he recommended I give La Usuluteca a try. The restaurant is located in small strip mall on Murfreesboro Road in Antioch.

La Usuluteca has the feel of a small El Salvadoran Pupusería. The walls are decorated with colorful murals of El Salvadoran life. In the background, native music played from a jukebox and a telenovela playing on the television set the mood for what was soon to come.

As I reviewed the menu to decide on an appetizer (antojitos), the server brought out some delicious tortilla chips with a mildly spicy dipping sauce. The tortilla chips were light and crispy and the salsa had the right amount of heat. The salsa complimented the chips perfectly.

For an appetizer I tried the pasteles de carne. These fried meat pies were crispy and crunchy. The potatoes and meat inside were seasoned to perfection. The pastel de carne was accompanied by curtido, a pickled cabbage relish. My appetizer was almost a meal unto itself.

Even though I had an appetizer, I knew I couldn’t visit an El Salvadoran restaurant without trying a pupusa. A pupusa is a thick handmade tortilla stuffed with beans, cheese and pork. The thick tortilla was hot and the cheese inside was melted and gooey. The beans, pork and cheese were the perfect trifecta.

After much study, I finally decided on the pechuga asada. The meal consisted of a huge perfectly seasoned grilled chicken breast accompanied by an ample amount of salad, rice and refried red beans. The meal was enough to feed a family of four. The chicken was moist and succulent. The accoutrements were delicious and complimented the chicken excellently. Little pieces of soft corn tortillas were served with the meal.

After completing my meal (and loosening my belt several notches), I wondered how I had missed out on this delicious cuisine all of these years. While the spices were subtle, all of the dishes were distinctive and left me wanting more.

Written by Ando Probando (Tasting Around), el gringo gourmet