El Corral Gourmet
A final note on Mike Sarah (that’s the new way I’m spelling his name). While I will not be seeing “Nick and Nora’s Movie for Patrons of Urban Outfitters” I have come to learn that the movie has in a sort of indirect way done something for me. You see, when I went away to college (The Glorious University of Michigan) my mother decided that my room was now her office. This lead to me giving away many pieces of my childhood and being left with a futon on the floor to sleep on amidst my mothers new desk, shelves, and various books on Sociology and Client Coaching. However, mid way through the summer she decided that through some minor renovations in our apartment she would build a new office. It turns out that the man who faciltated this building, and thus my liberation, was non other than the father of Ari Graynor (she plays Caroline apparently in the movie). He was a great guy. So I guess somehow I can show some sympathy for this movie, or at least Ari. But I still got my eye on you, Mikey.
Onward to the main event: El Corral Gourmet!
Imagine a restaurant that is a lot like McDonalds or Burger King. Then imagine if McDonalds or BK also had a spinoff chain restaurant that attempts to cast itself as a “classier” version of said fast food restaurant. You may call this the cheesecake factory to friendlies comparison, except not exactly. My journey to El Corral gourmet started when I ventured to the normal “El Corral” with my uncle one afternoon. The burger was actually great (I love fast food by the way) and in my opinion superior to McDonalds and BK (I also hold Wendy’s in very very high regard). My uncle then informed me that El Corral also has a classier sit down sister restaurant. So my interest was perked and I knew that soon I must venture there. Might I also add that the french fries at El Corral Regular were also great, they had this great seasoning. Also, they had characatures of a bunch of American celebrities and movie characters on the wall, including O.J. Simpson.
So one afternoon my cousin and I were forced from our apartment because it was the day of my other cousin’s fiance’s wedding shower. We meandered around Bogota for a while and I began to get hungry. Mind you that I had forgotten to eat lunch, and it was now about 4:30. I was very hungry and also wanted to sit down. Out of the blue appeared El Corral Gourmet. I decided that it was time for me to venture into the unknown and we proceeded to enter. Now, have you ever been in a restaurant around 4:30? You know, that time that’s not really lunch anymore, but to early for dinner, even for old people? It’s kinda awkward, especially because there is no real brunch equivalent for the early evening, but then again that is a whole nother segment that I will touch on. Anyway, we were seated and the waiter kinda lackadasically made his way over to us, clearly not that into serving people at a time when normal people don’t really come into a restaurant. A hilarious thing about El Corral Gourmet is the absolutely towering shelves of liquor behind the bar. I shit you not when I say that it was about three stories high. I proceeded to order a BBQ burger and a classy drink (Corona), which as usual for me in Colombia, was followed by the waiter saying something in Spanish that I don’t understand, and me responding “Si”. I also learned that they call Mozarella sticks “Croquettes.” While we waited for our food, I began to listen to what might have been the weirdest mix of music I have ever heard at a restaurant. First off, it is a major decision for a restaurant to even decide to play music. They kinda have to cater to a middle market (if you are an AEOTV place that is). I have maintained for a while now that Dunkin Donuts has this mastered, yet as is so often the case in my writings for this blog, that trully is yet another seperate story. Either way, this mix of music was mind blowing. If my memory serves me correct it ranged from “Blue Monday” by Orgy (a New Order cover for you hipsters out there) to Enya. I also believe that I heard the song “Hella Good” by No Doubt, or maybe it was “Ex Girlfriend.” I also seem to remember a condom dispensor in the bathroom (I don’t remember seeing this at any other ASEOTV places before, except maybe the Chili’s in Harvard Sq (R.I.P.?), but I might just be making that up, or maybe it was the Hard Rock Cafe in Montreal?). This coupled with the huge abstract paintings of Jazz musicians that hung above us made the vibe very very strange. Our food arrived and the burger was pretty solid. The fries came with mayonaise on the side, which is always a plus in my book (things Ammurica needs to get with). I drank my Corona while my cousin finished his beer. It was pretty uneventful. In truth, I think El Corral Gourmet would have really benefitted from a couple TV’s. I know that this is yet another huge decision in a restaurant’s road towards shaping its identity. But once you make the decision to blast Orgy and synthed out No Doubt songs, you really gotta put some TV’s in there. No ones having a meaningful conversation while “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilara is playing in the background. Plus, the restaurant is gigantic, so if you didn’t want to look at the TV, you wouldn’t have too. TV’s don’t always work, for instance, Chef Chow’s on Harvard st. in Brookline (or is it Chef Chang’s? I always get them confused, I say that in the most non racist way possible) doesn’t need to be projecting football games onto the wall on sunday nights while whole families are going out to dinner. But El Corral Gourmet does. Overall, I’m gonna have to say that while the meal was decent and it was nice to be able to have a beer, I would rather go to the regular El Corral. There I would be able to get more food for less money and as an added bonus I could see characatures of the dude who played the dad in “Honey I Shrunk The Kids” and “Lil’ Giants.” I think it was the same guy atleast.
I can’t figure out how to put multiple pictures in my posts yet, which lead to me having to re write about half of this entry.
Once again, Big Ups to Nina Shield for the write up, and a warm welcome to any new Ivy League readers. I also think that Marisa should let me write a bi weekly guest segment about hip hop for her pop culture blog.
I’m also adding a new edition to my entries. It’s called “Fun Facts about Marisa and Gabi!”
Fun Fact #1: Despite looking white and attending very white institutions (the name of Marisa’s school might be “Brown” but it is actually filled with white people and was built by slaves) both Marisa and Gabi have Latino fathers.
Adios,
Gabi
