The Cowboy Chef

(c) 2013 Colette Copeland

Starring Randy Burt
Music by The Ducks--Rumble & Tumble (c) 1995
Sound Engineering by Steve Dupuis

When I moved to Texas, I didn't expect to meet real cowboys much less learn that there is such a thing as cowboy cuisine. Here's a short glimpse into one cowboy chef's life.

#44 Papa Lopez--another ordinary culinary experience

Papa Lopez Mexican Cantina
Allen, TX

After my 7 week road trip with NO Mexican food, I was having serious cravings. First stop was Papa Lopez in Allen. My son and I went at an off hour--3:30pm. The place wasn't crowded, but still had 6 or so tables of late lunchers.




The low-down:
*Yellow corn chips too heavy for my taste.
*Salsa had tang, but not much complexity. It would have benefited from a bit more cilantro.
*Fresh guac! Simple and without spice. Just lime juice.

*Fish tacos with a white wine sauce. Perfectly grilled tilapia. Since tilapia tends to be rather bland, the sauce is crucial. The white wine sauce lacked UMPH. Some chillies and lime would have livened it up.  I ditched the sauce and poured salsa on mine.

*Build your own 12" burrito. My son chose fajita beef, refried beans and cheese with queso on the side. We left our measuring tape at home, so we can't verify this, but it looked to be a couple of inches shy of 1 foot. Meat had good flavor, but was a bit greasy. Smart move to get the queso on the side. It resembled Velveeta in texture, appearance and taste.

Highlights:
*Friendly, attentive service
*Fun ambience
*Fresh ingredients with generous portions
*Kudos on the build-your-own concept

funny drawing on el bano