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Where's Chango?

In March this year, one of my favorite restaurants, the Fox Diner, closed its doors because its owner, Tom Williams, had earlier fallen ill and could no longer work in such a demanding environment.

Recently, a new restaurant with a loud color scheme opened in the same spot. I had given some thought to trying the place. After reading Robb Walsh's review, I'm glad I haven't:

Eventually, I asked the waiter if the tortilla dough used to make the sope had been boiled or steamed rather than fried. He went to the kitchen, came back and said, "Yes, it's tortilla dough."

I looked a little disgusted by this nonresponse, but I was shocked at what he said next. "I'm sorry, I tried to find out how they cooked it, but they just laughed at me." I had to feel sorry for the guy.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I noticed one of Los Tonyos' Mexican chefs getting into his car. I stopped and struck up a conversation with him. After a few pleasantries, I got to the point: "Are the sopes steamed?" I asked him in broken Spanish.

"S�, con vapor," he chuckled.

"But aren't sopes supposed to be fried?" I asked him.

"Fried fish, fried tortilla, too much fried," the chef said, succinctly explaining the philosophy of the Los Tonyos kitchen. The chefs may be from Mexico, but the recipes aren't. Evidently, Los Tonyos Cantina has decided to serve a lighter, healthier version of Mexican food. That's why the fish taco was so gloppy, I realized as I drove away. They're not crisping the tortillas on a griddle with oil; they're steaming them. Just what the world's been waiting for: steamed tacos.

The rest of the review is just as devastating.

[Posted at 22:14 CST on 09/04/02] [Link]

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