El Portal Fresh Mexican Grill

mmm-yoso!!! is this.  The blog about food.  It is just Kirk and some friends writing a sort of diary about meals.  Really.  We tell you what we like and don't like.  That's it.  You  get to vicariously enjoy it. Or not.

Hi again.  It's still Cathy writing.  I happened to be on Genesse  and Balboa Avenues not too long ago and remember Kirk posted on El Portal and liked it...I just didn't remember what He liked, or when I had read the post.  So, anyhow, I walked in, ordered some "to go" stuff and came home and read the blog. 

Kirk really likes the salads.  I didn't order a salad. 

Then again, He posted about this place, like waaay back in November 2005...so this is pretty much a whole new post!

Anyhow, it was crowded, considering it was after 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night.

The menu looks interesting, but they had no paper menus nor a website- so you can look at it as I did...

I noticed that carnitas was listed as a "new" item, so decided to get a plate. ($8.45)

 

The plate comes with refried beans, rice and a small corn cake on top of the rice along with a choice of corn or flour tortillas.

  You can see the serving of pork is quite large and the meat is cut in large chunks and not shredded, as some servings of carnitas happen to be served.  The food here is more healthily prepared than I have had at taco shops, and the carnitas tasted dry and did not have much flavor to me.

I also decided to try the spinach enchiladas, one of the many vegetarian choices on the menu. (2 for $4.55).  These were excellent.  Fresh spinach, melted cotija cheese and a simple salsa (chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro) filled the corn tortillas, which were topped with a very good, slightly garlicy tomatillo (green) sauce.

I have to go back -soon- and try a salad.  El Portal has been in that location forever, and must be making money.

El Portal Fresh Mexican Grill 4104 Genesse Ave San Diego 92101 (858)571-7771 Fax (858)974-1448

Comments

[nhbilly]

Talk about some fancy enchiladas. Great pictures even though the carnitas was a miss.

[ed (from Yuma)]

I love spinach enchiladas. My faovrite place for them out here in the desert fills the enchilada with just spinach and a little onion, and tops them with a similar green sauce. So nice to find a (somewhat) healthy Mexican dish.

That place also recently served me enchiladas verdolagas - enchiladas filled with purslane (pigweed). Whodda thunk such a thing?

Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[Michelle]

I like El Portal's spinach enchiladas. I also like their huevos divorciados, only served in the morning.

[Cathy]

They were *wonderful* enchiladas, Bill. Thanks for the nice words about the pics.
Hey, ed- I thought about you and the pigweed. Everythihng with spinach is healthy, right? {Stouffers Spinach Souffle comes to mind...)
Hi, Michelle- I saw the 'divorced eggs' on the menu but forgot to ask what those were. Sounds like a breakfast run for me and The Mister.

[foodhoe]

The rice and beans look good too, although yeah that pork didn't look nearly as appetizing as when it's shredded and fried... Whoa the spinach enchiladas look and sound amazing, I've never noticed spinach before. Mmmmm. Oh and I love divorciados, mexican breakfast is my favorite!