The reason I ate the ham hocks was I thought they would offer pig’s feet again next week. And ham hocks are actually pretty dog gone good! Every day there is a different menu item but it is all good ‘ole home style cooking.
The Army has a policy of rotating menu items and they have a 14 day, 28 day and who knows how many days rotating menu. In Iraq there is a “steak and lobster” night every 28 days. Woo hoo! “Hey man! Tonight is steak and lobster night!”
At NFH the food has always been terrific from American home-style food standards with one exception, which I will cover shortly. Think Hometown Buffet every day. And reviewing their menu online shows nice small portions and healthy eating and so forth. Right! I was a regular at the Hometown Buffet when I worked at the Armory at 7th and Martin Luther King in downtown Long Beach. I had to stop because it was delicious and fattening. It is a buffet! You have to get your money’s worth! If you want to eat what I am eating (granted the seating is better at the HTB) try one at the downtown location or find one in Orange County here.
In California it makes no difference if you are going to a Chinese, Italian, French, or other specialty restaurant there are always workers who appear to be Hispanic doing work in the kitchen. Maybe they are doing prep work. Perhaps they are doing cleaning? Maybe they are actually the cook or the chef? But it is almost always terrific. And what is more there is a Mexican food restaurant on almost every corner. I like Mexican food. Everybody I know likes Mexican food. I am not talking just “El Torito”, which is delicious and I enjoy it. They might even call it “cuisine” in a place like that. But Alberto’s (which isn’t trademarked so there are hundreds of them in California) and thousands more with different names all have terrific home-style Mexican food.
I have never had enchiladas that were more average, mediocre, substandard and overcooked (can you do that?) then the ones at this dining facility. Amazing! And the one thing I have yet to see is somebody who even looks remotely Hispanic in the kitchen, on the serving line or doing cleanup in the eating area. Nope. Not one! And that must explain the enchiladas.
They have only served them once. We have had chicken 20 different ways and all of them were good. Schnitzel and beef can be served in 17 different ways and all I can say is “Yum yum!’
Vegetables of every sort (well, that might be an exaggeration) steamed, boiled, sautéed, cooked with a cheese sauce and combined with other vegetables are all there. Collard greens, black eye peas, fried okra, fried cabbage (after consultation MAJ Brown and I decided that this is the best recipe) which is delicious. Bacon grease. Wow!
But the enchiladas had a “sauce” of sorts that was colorful but indistinguishable. The meat filling was flavored I think. But I wouldn’t call it a good flavor, but seasoned in some way just the same. The tortilla around the enchilada was dry and a little crisp even though it was cooked (baked) in the sauce. So far they have only served Mexican food once since I have been here (not including the chorizo from yesterday for breakfast. But no tortillas, no salsa and it was separate in a bowl. Like bacon; by itself as its own food. Not mixed in with eggs, potato and tortilla (Mmmmmm, Breakfast Burrito!) or any other way.
The Mexican Restaurant I have been going to since my wife got pregnant over 21 years ago has been Casa Gamino on Springdale off the 405 in Westminster. But you have your own favorite too, right? Same servers and cooks for the past 20 years who are always pleasant and friendly. They are a part of the family almost. And they have the best chips in the whole world, the greatest salsa and several terrific dishes of which each is a favorite of a different family member. One that is unbelievable (to me) is the meatball soup (Albondigas)!
You have your own favorite and Young Matthew considers Conca D’Oro in Orange the best for everything (especially Italian). Of course he has gone there since he was knee high to a grasshopper; you must have your own, even if it is Taco bell or Del Taco.
The point is: there is no Mexican food that I can vouch for within 30 miles of NFH. And NFH needs somebody who has an enchilada recipe, a salsa recipe, a hard-shell taco recipe and maybe an Albondigas or a refried bean recipe.
What country am I living in when you can’t get some real Mexican food this close to Mexico? Muy bueno Amigo!
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