Focus on Business: Dimarie, El Vaquero West, and San Marcos Restaurants
By Jeff Curtis, Director Orange Downtown Alliance | Posted: Tuesday, June 09, 2009
This month we present the three Hispanic restaurants that our town can boast about: Dimarie, El Vaquero West and San Marcos.
To many of us a Mexican restaurant is a Mexican restaurant, but in writing this article it was immediately evident that that is far from the truth. Each one of these three provide a distinct and varied menu particular to their country of origin. There are both subtle and obvious differences between Puerto Rican, Salvadorian and South and Central American cuisines.
To better present the style of these restaurants we've taken the privilege of using the word Hispanic. The terms Hispanic and Latino tend to be used interchangeably in the United States for people with origins in Spanish-speaking countries. We present these restaurants to you encouraging your patronage of them. The author has taken advantage of the bi-lingual abilities of his good friend Toyita Rivera, to assure that in no way he offends, misrepresents or slights any of these wonderful people who were willing to share their stories with us.
El Vaquero West
215 Madison Rd.540.672.3880
To use the term Tex-Mex in trying to describe El Vaquero West would be a disservice to the true essence of this restaurant, but it's a good start. There's a full complement of authentic and sometimes hard-to-find more cultural dishes as well as those we are more familiar with. Certainly the highlight of dining here is the menu: an extensive listing of everything you'd imagine at a more familiar Mexican restaurant and some things that will tempt the culinary adventurous.
There's a reason why EVW is always packed. Besides having as convenient parking as possible for a downtown eatery, the place has good, affordable food and one heck of a choice from which to order. You'll undoubtedly be greeted with a warm, "Ola amigo!" as your shown the way to your table and presented a plate of warm fresh tortilla chips and chunky salsa with lots of cilantro. (By the way this is a cilantro lover's haven.) Sometimes it's the little things that make an experience so memorable. Here, the warm sincere greeting is complimented with background music indicative of an ethnic restaurant, décor that helps frame the mood and a wait staff that hints at close communal, if not family ties. Then, your order comes with plenty of rice and beans.
Ah, the food: grilled tuna, shrimp soup, Chile Verde with that wonderful green sauce, platters of shredded pork and grilled fish. There are actually several pages of selections to consider and combinations of those dinners. It's a diverse menu with over 100 choices. One thing to take note of at EVW is the almost perfect use of bell peppers, onions, avocado and cilantro. None used to excess, each complimenting a steaming, fresh plate.
Besides the easy parking, the warmth of the staff and the extensive menu you'll find a large beverage list of mixed drinks, tequila drinks, domestic and imported beers. And to finish off your meal may I recommend their Sopapilla's. Or the Flan. Or the Fried ice cream.
San Marcos
12399 James Madison Highway540.661.0079 sanmarcos1@verizon.net
Mon through Thursdays 11 - 8p
Fri and Saturdays 11 - 9p
When my Spanish-speaking friend Toyita Rivera and I arrived at San Marcos to conduct the interview for this article you would have thought we were long expected family members. I was quickly introduced to owners Gabriela and Alfonso Martinez who for the past 18 months have been making this family-run business the culturally-specific restaurant it is. We were immediately joined by their son Mario and daughter-in-law Brandi who each added to the lively conversation and dishes that were being brought to our table.
In 1996 the Martinez's moved to Charlottesville from their home town of Aguascalientes, (interpreted as "hot waters") Mexico, for a position Alfonso was offered with a private company assisting with immigration papers and translation issues. As they settled in to the area the couple made plans to open a restaurant in anticipation of the Wal-Mart that was to be built on Route 15, just outside of Orange. It was then that the present location was chosen. However, with that store being relocated to the other end of the county the Martinez's realized that the responsibility of maintaining a successful Mexican restaurant in the location they chose was going to be a challenge they hadn't expected. "We keep going. We've put everything into this, the investment was large," said Alfonso with a reassuring smile.
San Marcos has the benefit of outdoor dining and a location that affords easy parking and plenty of open air space for outdoor events later this summer: an idea that has been encouraged from the success of the music San Marcos presents on weekends. I asked Alfonso that, besides the music, what makes his place distinct from most other Mexican restaurants. His reply was that everything is home-made, traditional, real Mexican food. "A good meal requires fresh ingredients and demands time." said Alfonso, "This is not fast food but meals we make with care, home-cooked." For instance, the undisputed national sauce of Mexico is mole, (moh-lay), an intoxicating blend of chocolate, chiles, garlic, onions and nuts and so much more. At San Marcos, the sauce is crafted with 20 different peppers and the recipe is based on that from the estate of Puebla, maybe where the most famous mole in all Mexico comes from.
The menu is an adventure of dishes not often encountered: Mario's special Tortilla Soup, Green Salsa, Mole Poblano, Chilaquiles (an authentic traditional Mexican breakfast of a tortilla with a stew of chicken and onions), Empanadas Macha con Huevos, and a favorite appetizer is the Taquitos with Guacamole. Although almost 25% of their customers order the green Enchiladas San Marcos, there's a variety for everyone's culinary experience. With a five star retsaurant rating on Yahoo! And a loyal customer base coming from Culpeper, Charlottesville, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and even Richmond, San Marcos rounds out our three extraordinarily unique Hispanic dining experiences!
Dimarie Restaurant and Grocery
153 Byrd Street540.661.0013
While finishing my perfectly prepared Chimichanga I again resolutely referred to Dimarie as one of Orange's hidden treasures. I have probably said that about this place 4 or 5 times now. It's amazing how few non-Hispanic folks have ever been here because they never knew about it. It's easy to get to, and parking is everywhere: go past the 7-11 heading south on Byrd street, pass East Church on your right and Dimarie is on your immediate left.
Owners Edith and Raul Luciano, natives of Puerto Rico, bought the restaurant 4 months ago from a friend and have been steadily making improvements both to the menu and the grocery store. Raul, a district manager for a company based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania covers a territory including Potomac Mills and D.C. and Edith left her position with Prince William County to assume the daily responsibilities of running Dimarie. Their daily commute of an hour and half keeps the couple of 32 years busy with some very long days. The restaurant is spacious, colorful, adventurous and clean. Rosa Andrade, who prepares the meals, proudly manages the organized and clean kitchen and smiles with every meal she carries to a table.
The menu lists dishes from Mexico, El Salvador and Puerto Rico, such as fried plantain, Pupusa's, menudo, pork, fish and beef tortas, Mexican style steak, seafood dinners and my favorite, tacos de lengua. This is not a Mexican restaurant by usual standards. It's a dining experience of proud fully prepared, original, cultural dishes for the weary of the same old. Try chicken chimichnagas or the succulent carne asada.
Besides the original food, Dimarie has a grocery store of rare products, imported drinks and canned goods, coffees, mangos, cheeses, dried produce and piñatas! The piñatas are hand-made, colorful party favorites for birthdays. Edith assured me that special piñata orders should be no problem.
