Skatalicious

My morning started early. Four thirty in the morning early. I had two little kittens, so cute that I couldn't be angry. I was taking them to the veterinarian this morning for their little kitty tubaligations. My brother hasn't been up to dealing with a lot since his divorce, so I offered to take care of this for him.

okay, can we say sticker shock! Before I went to this animal hospital for their Wednesday Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic, I got a quote for the reduced clinic price - special on Wednesday, right? It was reasonable.

But just like a car, or any other big ticket item, you have an option to do that, add this, be humane and give them that. Thirty minutes later, I'm looking at an inhumane bill of close to $500 for two kitties - and they aren't even getting something in return - it's being taken! God giveth, vets taketh away - from the wallet too.

But it had to be done. It was the right thing to do. These kitties are loved by my niece, who is going throw her own trials as she adjusts to mom being out of the picture. If it isn't done, I know they'll get the Chicago Ride - one way ticket to a field somewhere if they end up pregnant. I couldn't bear not doing this, but I didn't want to stress my brother out with an exhorbitant cost either. The receptionist was more than kind and patient while I worked this out, and she helped me bring down the price by getting shear necessitities.

It all worked out - a deal was brokered and the two little cuties are there now under medical supervision. I pick them up tomorrow. But enough of that. That was just the start.

Later, I was back home, thinking about the Skatalites - a wickedly fantastic Ska band. I was turned on to them on Sunday when I stopped at the new Mexican restaurant, Lola's on 4th Street (across from the Art Theater). This section of Long Beach is becoming the 'It' place to be in Long Beach. Take my word for it.

Anyway, I was thinking about it because I had such a good experience there on Sunday. On Sunday I was in need of a nice place to relax, good ambiance, good food to nourish myself while I read a couple of pages of my new favorite magazine, the Art of Eating.

Here's the deal. The restaurant immediately makes you feel embraced. The music was initially a little loud, but that was okay because it was good stuff, and before you know it, you settle into it. I was alone. I needed a comfortable space - I don't like to be seated in a small corner table, or the counter just because i'm alone. I was ready for a fight if my aloneness became an issue.

It didn't. The young man, who took a bit too long to acknowledge me, made me wait until he was ready to look up at me, was very gracious and let me sit where ever I wanted. Even though it was the dinner hour and more people could pop in at any minute. He made up immediately for having not noticed me.

The colors were familiar to me, which only added to my level of comfort. The prints were not too loud or obvious, but there are definitely a few pieces to catch the eye. Then there's the music. For most of the time that I was there, there was this music that settled well into my bones. What was it?

Now, I love corn. I love corn tortillas, corn meal, corn on the cob - I love corn. The tortilla chips were brougt out almost immediatly, with two small sides of red sauce and a green tomatillo sauce, but with some texture to it. The tortilla chips were fresh! The tomatillo sauce was excellent - right amount of salt too. I don't care what anybody says, a salsa, to cut muster with me, needs to be salted properly while in prep, not at the table. The salt does not get enough time to incorporate if not blended in previously. Things were salted nicely here.

I love this place, already. I know it's going to be a place I visit often because it fits in its own skin, perfectly with what, I believe, this restaurant is after: savory familiarity - interpreted. And I think they've almost got it.

But more about the food later. The first piece that caught my attention was a Beatles tune, I should have known better. I don't normally care for covers - unless it so different that it is rendered better. And this was. Shortly after that, I caught a familiar favorite standard of mine Begin the Beguine -- a la Ska! Who are these guys?

I called the waitress over because I had to know what it was.

"Ska," she said when I asked her about the music - it's my husband's favorite - it's the Skatalites.

The familiarity: Ska has elements that one would easily recognize in Mexican music. This is what I mean about interpretation. The menu is pretty straight-forward Mexican, and some things are done, again, interpreted like the green mole with chicken breast I ordere, "hands down our best dish" the waitress assured me. There are four things I test in a Mexican restaurant to authenticity: Mole, the house salsa, Chiles Rellenos, beans and rice. Those are the benchmarks. In this case I was swayed into trying the green mole.

It was flavorful, a nice blend of tomatillos, seasoned beautifully - just enough to let the tomatillos dance on your tongue for a while. I like that. But at some point, the tomatillo should blend with the rest of the dish, to complete the dance if you will. Unfortunately, in this case the chicken breast stood out like a wall flower that no one asks to dance.

I asked my waitress about this. I told her, frankly, I was expecting my dish to be blended together, like a mole dish should be. She told me that they had been experimenting with this dish. That they had found that aesthetics were lacking - they couldn't serve the dish that way, because traditionally, the chicken is shredded into the mole and served.

Okay, but you're sacrificing flavor and richness for aesthetics. I'm not so sure I buy that. In any regard, the mole was so nice, and it complemented my tortillas so nicely that I forgave that.

The beans - oh god, the beans. Not pinto. I love pinto. Lola's unabashedly did not serve pintos. Each dish is accompanied by Frijoles Peruanos - beans not traditionally served in a Mexican restaurant, but you're getting my point, right? It's traditional here at Lola's, but not typical.

The Sangria was served in the wrong glass. In order to drink it, you need a straw. I'm sorry, I don't care to drink my sangria out of a straw. There were no juicy echoes, more on a dry than anything. I also couldn't pick up a trace of Brandy. It was a bit flat. But it drinkable.

The rice. Well, it was rice - nice and fluffy without being dry or too clumpy - it was very light, yet moist. But, ah, it didn't bowl me over. I would have loved to have seen it done white with strong essence of onion and traces of tomato for coloring - they way our grandma's would have done it.

Then on to dessert. I had two choices - pumpkin pie or flan. Are you kidding? I'm having pumpkin pie tomorrow with my family, of course silly rabbit! I took the flan. It was cool, nice texture and a fair amount of caramelization.

Then the music again. All in all, it was a lovely evening. Good food, good music and good reading - there's a wonderful critique by John Irving in this months issue.

Now, you know I'm going to be going back to try the red mole and chile rellenos - you know that, right?

And now, because I've been thinking about Sunday so much, I've spent my Wednesday trying to get some work done - to no avail. Maybe now that i have this posting out of my system, I can get back to earning my keep.

Lola's ....Skatalites.......skatalicious!