ANOTHER GOOD RESTAURANT NEAR CHURCHILL

(Photo by Churchillian)


A colorful atmosphere and good Mexican food is a short walk away for Churchillians.
The Montezuma Restaurant is on the west side of Dixie Highway, in the Pizza de Roma strip shopping center about a block north of Churchill. The place doesn't look like much from the outside.
But step inside, and the smell of sauteeing vegetables and sight of bright-colored walls make a cheerful atmosphere.
On a recent Friday night, we were quickly greeted by a friendly waitress who had no problem switching from the Spanish to English. She brought a bowl of warm chips and cold, lively salsa, which were excellent and set a relaxed tone.
Pina coladas, margaritas and sangria are available. We had a Mexican beer and margarita and relaxed before ordering.
The inside walls are splashed with the bright green, white and red of the Mexican flag. There is a small bar with a half-dozen stools, and maybe a dozen tables with intricately designed tile tops. The floor is shiny red Mexican tile. We liked the fact the tables are not crunched together. The music was just right, not too loud.
My chimichanga was a mix of three burrito styles -- rice, chicken and steak. The red and green peppers and onions were all softly sauteed, and the meat was cooked just right and just spicy enough. Combined with the black beans and rice, it was a colorful, authentic-tasting meal.
My dining companion's chicken burrito was not as good. The chicken chunks inside were spicy and well cooked. But the pastry wrapping was a little too much. On a second visit, I ended up just eating the innards and leaving the pastry.
We had the burrito, chimichanga, three beers and two margaritas. The total bill -- before the tip -- was $28.