That favorite neighborhood joint where everyone knows your name

Do you have that little local place where all the staff knows your face and what you like? It's a wonderful thing, isn't it? For me, it's a little Mexican restaurant. The folks there know I don't speak great Spanish, but they do know I understand my share. When I don't feel like cooking for an event, either because of too many people or I want to be able to socialize instead of playing hostess (or both), I love this place. The quality of the food is consistent, the employees are warm and cheerful and anyone who shows their face there on a semi-regular basis gets treated like royalty. It is a first class meal for the same price as a dinner at most mediocre chain restaurants. Who could possibly ask for more. Well, I have to admit that I do. I ask that it stay open for many many many years to come.

When I was a little girl, my parents had a place like that. It was a Mexican restaurant in San Pedro. We'd go eat there after a busy weekend sailing or working on our boat. Sunday nights would be my Mom's break from the kitchen. The three of us would go to this Mexican restaurant and be treated like royalty. It was a family place. Grandma would work the cash register and I remember hearing her house shoes go "swish swish swish" across the floor as she would walk between our table and the register. The whole family was wonderful and sweet. It's where I met and fell in love with my first enchalada. That was like the kids meal, but unlike any other kids meal I'd ever seen! I miss those Sunday evenings,  but I'm glad to have my own Sunday Mexican place where the food is good and the people make the experience that much better.