Dives and Diners Road Trip: San Jose Carniceria
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist
Column Note: This is the third column in the Dives and Diners series in which a small group of Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club members and their guests explore the diners and dives of Kosciusko and the surrounding area.
WARSAW — I pushed through the glass doors and squinted. Where was the restaurant? Instead, I saw hanging pinatas, a tower of dried beans, and the lush colors of piled-high mangoes, red peppers, cactus leaves, and something exotic that I didn’t recognize.
At San Jose Carniceria, you walk through the grocery store to the back for the lunch counter. Peering down one of the aisles, I could see a line of guys on stools.
The waitress pushed a table out from the wall, so we had enough space. San Jose isn’t the kind of place to be shy. Get yourself a spot to sit, go up to the counter and order, and grab yourself a coke in a glass bottle from the cooler.
“You know, we are kind of failing at the road trip part of this.” I sat on the metal chair next to a lime green wall with the others: Remax Realtor Jeff Owens, First Source Banker Paul Finley, and today’s wildcard and non-Optimist Attorney Antony Garza. “Here we are eating in a Warsaw diner again.”
“But it’s hard to get people together on a lunch break if they have to drive out of town.” Banker Paul shrugged. He dressed casually today in jeans and a flannel shirt. One of the waitresses asked us something in Spanish. She wasn’t fazed by my look of non-comprehension and pointed at the menu on a chalkboard over the grill.
“This is at least a culinary road trip.” Attorney Antony Garza nodded at another waitress, a cheerful woman with Judy on her nametag. They chatted in Spanish for a minute before she turned back to the rest of us for our orders.
“Everything is fresh and good,” Judy assured us. She helped behind the grill and so had on a bright yellow apron and plastic gloves. “What’s the plastic container for?” She pointed an elbow at a Tupperware with a blue lid in the middle of the table.
“It’s a secret!” Remax Jeff laughed. “Come back for dessert and we’ll share.”
“Oh no!” Judy shook her head. “I’m pre-diabetic. No dessert for me.”
After some deliberation to get four different menu items, our real food arrived, and my eyes grew as enormous as my three lengua (beef tongue and yeah, it’s amazing) tacos with rice and beans.
I eyed the sauces Judy plunked down with our tortilla chips. “Spi-cee!” She winked at one. Those red and yellow squirt bottles may look like catsup and mustard but choose wisely. I liked tomatillo the best. Remax Jeff liked the spicy. We bit into steaming burritos and tacos.
While savoring the meat juice running down my chin, I checked out the crowd at San Jose which was mixed with lots of younger folks in sweatshirts and jeans. But there were guys in suits at the counter laughing too. Everything moved quickly. Food arrived, people joked, maybe did a little dance to some Mexican music, and headed back to work.
Tip
Order three amazing Lengua tacos Mexican Style with rice and beans plus chips and salsa for $9.99.
“Absolutely not!” I heard Attorney Garza say and turned back to the conversation. He waved his huge burrito for emphasis. “I don’t do store-bought tortillas at home.”
Banker Paul dipped a chip. “So, how should you make a tortilla then?”
“Mom uses lard, flour, salt, baking powder, and water, of course!” Tony shrugged. “She hand-rolls them and cooks them on a comal on the stove. If you’re lucky every day.”
“Comal?” Remax Jeff unwrapped tin foil from half a burrito.
“You know, cast iron griddle.” Attorney Tony smiled. “And don’t get me started on how to clean one either.”
“Like making tortillas is the only authentic way?” I interrupted their rant about cast-iron care. Tony nodded emphatically. I pressed, “Like eating jalapenos and cilantro and avocados. That kind of authentic?”
He scowled. “Nah, I don’t eat those. And not because cilantro tastes like soap either.”
Remax Jeff bit off the question he was about to ask, his brow creasing. “How did you know I was going to ask about soap?”
Tony squirted more sauce from a bottle. “Nope. I just don’t like them.”
I admitted to the crime of purchasing store tortillas in plastic bags instead of making them at home.
Judy rescued us from saying anything stupid by returning to remind us about the cake. Yes, we did bring leftover anniversary carrot cake with cream cheese frosting to a Mexican restaurant, cut it into slices, and eat it off napkins. And yes, Judy decided to have a small piece, and so did the others behind the grill. At the end we were all licking our napkins and grinning. It was a bonding moment. We don’t apologize.
When You Visit
San Jose, 896 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw. Take five minutes to shop the store as you’ll find excellent fresh produce, amazing sauces and great deals on staples.
Also, don’t park in front of the store or you’ll have trouble backing out onto East Winona Avenue. Park across the road in the empty lot.