TreaT Your SweeThearT wiTh SweeTdealS!
by Todd SouTh
La Santaneca offers Salvadoran staples, including pupusas, pollo encebollado and beef pastelito.
The chirmol salsa of cilantro, avocado, tomato and onion was the perfect accompaniment to the super savory marinated and grilled skirt steak on my plate of carne The pupusa—a thick corn tortilla stuffed asada con chirmol ($8.99). I couldn’t with goodness and grilled until just crisp— decide which was better, the meat or the is most folks’ gateway to Salvadoran condiment. More of a mixed bag was a cuisine. In recent years, our area has seen Salvadoran-style chile relleno ($8.99). A many places offer this Central American bell pepper rather than poblano was stuffed staple, usually alongside more familiar with plenty of spicy, shredded beef and Mexican fare. However, family-operated La served with salad and rice. The sauce was Santaneca Restaurant in Carson City servbland, and the egg coating was mushy, but ing nothing but Salvadoran favorites, and the meat and pepper were pretty good. it’s among the best I’ve had thus far. Finally, El Típico or “The Typical” My group ordered cheese pupusas ($13.99), was a combo plate with a bean ($1.89 each), which were also stuffed with pupusa, beef pastelito—a beef pasty— loroco—an edible flower bud—pork and an enchilada Salvadoreña, yuca con spinach. They were on the large size, with chicharrón—cassava root and pork—and plenty of fillings and flavor. The requisite an empanada. complement, curtido—mildly fermented The beef pasty was a small, thick deepcabbage slaw—had more seasoning than fried tortilla filled with meat, potato and usual, and the tomato soup-esque salsa roja carrot. The enchilada was akin to Mexican was served nice and warm. sopes and tostadas—but also something The loca pupusa ($5.99) was indeed all its own. The thick crazy. It was as large as annatto-stained, deepthe dinner plate it was fried corn tortilla piled served on and stuffed high with shredded with a delicious mix chicken, refried beans, of cheese, mushroom, 316 E. Winnie Lane, Carson City, 301-6678 lettuce, carrot and spinach, refried beans, La Santaneca Restaurant is open from crumbled hard cheese pork, chorizo, zucchini, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. was an enjoyable blend loroco, onion, jalapeño of seasonings and and probably more. textures. It was stacked so high that it was a Also on the large side was a Salvadoran challenge to eat, though I managed to make chicken tamale ($2.00), wrapped in plantain it through with a smile. leaf and made with masa, red sauce and Large pieces of yuca were lightly fried, bone-in chicken; caution is recommended and the pork was more like carnitas than while eating. other deep-fried varieties. The pile of meat I’ve had Mexican pollo enceboland starch was topped by a curtido salad, lado—chicken pieces with sauteed onion which by itself would have been a meal. and spices—but this Salvadoran rendition Finishing off the plate was an empanada ($8.99) featured a roasted, whole chicken of sweet yellow plantain dough filled with quarter, served with a pile of grilled onion refried beans, then deep-fried and tossed and bell pepper. The dish also came with in sugar. It might sound a bit odd to those rice and a simple salad. The meat fell off who are unfamiliar with it, but makes for a the bone, and the herbed rice was light and surprisingly nice dessert. Ω just right for the dish.
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Stuff it
PHOTO/ALLISON YOUNG
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