El Vitral
2015 Birch Rd. #710
Chula Vista
619.421.7067
After a tumultuous week at work, it was steadily decided that my partner-in-dine Ruby and I needed a night out to recuperate, recover, and reconstruct. What better place to set our sights on than a tequila lounge, right?
The El Vitral in the Otay Ranch Mall is a spawn of the El Vitral in downtown San Diego. Touted as a place for fine mexican cuisine and top-shelf tequila, I looked forward to the possibilities of tacos and shots, shots, shots.
Having said that the restaurant itself is in the middle of the Otay Ranch Mall, I already had some preconceived notions as to what I was getting into that night. The restaurants of the area are notorious for being pricey and short-lived, albeit delicious and outside the realm of the norm. However I'll leave the philosophical discussion of whether or not it is wise to open expensive eateries in the midst of primarily military family developments for another time.
The moment we walked through the front door, something was amiss. We were seated in an empty dining hall, joining the other strangers who ventured out in pursuit of a dinner. The sheer lack of bodies in the room was noticeable, and the thought had crossed my mind that we might have chosen the wrong spot.
"Quaint little spot, isn't it?" Ruby said.
"Let's hope we're in between dinner rushes." I replied.
A happy-go-lucky woman came over to our table and introduced herself as our server. Our unfounded fears were quickly quelled as she took our drink order and made some menu recommendations. I decided to keep things simple while Ruby's taste buds demanded something more profound.
"Two margaritas and an order of camote fries. I'll have the carne asada tacos and she'll have the pescado a la tallo."
The server took off and we were left with the empty dining room. I noted the simplistic design of the space, with the lack of visuals reminiscent of an adobe household. However, Ruby saw things a bit differently.
"It's lacking art. There's absolutely nothing that ties the room together," she observed.
I looked around and had a change of heart. The atmosphere wasn't purposely unembellished; it was just a bare room with tables thrown together. The lack of decor became more apparent, and it all felt lackluster when we realized that this was more of an absence of effort than it was an idealistic statement. Yet, our margaritas came and we forgot about the whole ordeal.
We toasted to each other and took hold of the drink. I immediately noted the strength of the tequila they used, ending my sip with a wide-eyed look and mouthing a 'wow' to my cohort. She acknowledge the drink and upped the ante.
"By the way, I didn't tell you before but I took three vicodin before you picked me up."
I laughed. Nothing much else I could do; it's the price I pay for dining with a wild child. However, her drug-ladened admission was less about substance abuse and more about her current state. The woman had surgery the day prior, and was obviously still in pain.
But Ruby is a fighter. Wild horses couldn't hold her back from coming out.
"Well thanks for sharing!" I teased her.
The camote fries came and we commenced our Vitral experience. Lightly baked sweet potato fries sprinkled with cotija crumbles entertained our taste buds. Then the main courses came. My tacos were perfectly assembled with cilantro, avocado, and a saucy chipotle cream. Ruby's pescado dish was exquisitely made; tender flavorful fish served on a bed of rice.
"This tastes amazing." Ruby exclaimed.
"These tacos are on point."
Another round of margaritas came and we began to converse about life. The emptiness of the dining room, though initially off-putting, was a welcomed setting for the night. We had a cozy meal without any interruptions.
"Save room for dessert? We have churros and chocolate!" The server suggested.
"Do you happen to have a dessert menu we can look over?" I asked.
"No, you don't understand," she said. "We only have churros and chocolate."
My companion laughed as I nodded for an order of the cinnamon sticks.
Within minutes, a warm plate of hot churros and a mug of chocolate came out. The sugary pastry melted in our mouths, tying up the journey in fine mexican cuisine seamlessly. If for nothing else, El Vitral is my number one spot for the traditional dessert.
Ruby and I split the check and headed for the door. We lamented on the lack of patrons in the place and how good the food was that night. I want the restaurant to do well, but I feel that its destiny is already written. Unique cuisine at a high price in a financially unstable neighborhood -- not exactly the recipe for success. However, this El Vitral is the second of its kind, so maybe they know something that I don't.
The night was a success, but I feel that it was more due to my partner-in-dine rather than the restaurant itself. Though the food was good, I doubt I'll ever go back for anything other than the dessert.
Well, maybe for another round of those generous drinks.
RATING: 6 out of 10
I'm ashamed to admit that in all the years that I've been in SoCal, I've never once traveled up to L.A. to partake in these delectable dogs. I rectified that with an order of the Spicy Mojave Dog and a margarita. Moments later, this monstrosity of a meal lurked from the kitchen and onto my plate. Covered in nacho cheese, jalapenos, grilled onions, guacamole, and tomatoes, this little polish dog was barely able to peek its head from around the corner.
