8FFLFOE MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE
■ RESTAURANT REVIEW ■ MOVIE TIMES ■ BEST BETS FOR ENTERTAINMENT
N R E S TA U R A N T R E V I E W
Star of Mexico loses some luster 50-YEAR-OLD ESTRELLITA SOMETIMES GETS STUCK IN THE PAST
By Monica Hayde Schreiber
I
MICHELLE LE
Estrellita’s chicken Oaxaca is boneless, skinless chicken marinated for two days and then grilled.
LARGE LIVE
OME 16
■ MOUNTAIN VIEW VOICE ■ DECEMBER 3, 2010
t was 1958. Dwight D. Eisenhower is President. Fidel Castro’s rebels are invading Havana. Elvis is inducted into the U.S. Army. And in a sleepy Peninsula town surrounded by apricot orchards, Maria Bustamante starts serving burritos out of her living room. Estrellita — a “little star” — is born. A year later, Maria’s little Victorian house-cum-restaurant was as close to bursting as one of her giant burritos, so she moved her operations to a nearby storefront at the border of El Camino Real and San Antonio Road. Estrellita hasn’t budged since. In the 1970s, the Bustamantes
sold to the Corlay family from Chiapas. The colorful eatery has remained with the Corlay family until today, serving platters of “country-style,” regional cuisine that tilts toward Mexico’s southland: Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Veracruz. Current owner Russell Corlay, who grew up working in the restaurant, took over as owner-manager in 2002. Any restaurant that has survived for decades wrestles with a balancing act: how to preserve old-school charm and timetested dishes while also staying relevant, fresh and on top of their game. The clean, festively decorated Estrellita maintains plenty of old-fashioned appeal — and who am I to quibble with what has worked since the Eisenhower