Bite Me | A blog for all things tasty

Carousel Restaurant now closed

Carousel Restaurant and Tequila Bar is now vacant and looking for a new tenant, according to a sign posted above the restaurant's entrance.

The restaurant, located at 3800 N. Mesa, was open for about a year. According to several commenters on urbanspoon.com, the place was plagued with bad service and not-so-good food.

What was your experience like at Carousel, and what would you like to see taking its place?

Football food favorites

With the AFC and NFC championship games coming up this weekend, and next month's Super Bowl game on the horizon, what are your favorite indulgences while watching a great game of football? Do you go the pizza-and-wings route, or do you opt for homemade favorites like chili and nachos?

Out with the old and in with the new

Several restaurants have come and gone along Mesa Street in recent months. Among the closures are The Kitchen by Chef Sai, Coach's Grill and International Deli and Bakery, while new standbys such as Zino's Greek Food and the Hoppy Monk are drawing in crowds with their lunch and dinner options.

Which restaurants do you miss and which ones are you looking forward to trying?

Happy New Year!

With the new year comes a new focus on getting into shape and eating healthy. What's your favorite way to eat healthy? Do you eat out less and cook more at home? Do you incorporate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats into your diet? Leave your healthy eating tips here.

Name your own price at Ciao Sicilia on Saturday

Ciao Sicilia has an unusual request for customers on Christmas Eve.

The restaurant's owners are allowing customers to "name your own price" from the restaurant's special menu on Dec. 24th.

The restaurant is located at 6900 N. Mesa Ste. A.

It will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Information: 584-1801 or 504-9869.

Holiday eats

The holidays usually mean visits from out-of-town relatives who live too far way to normally enjoy the delicious food many El Paso.

Visiting family members usually gives us a great excuse to visit El Paso standbys such as L & J's, Kiki's, Forti's, Chicos Tacos, the Charcoaler and other great eateries. Which ones are your favorites to take family members?

Also, there are a handful of restaurants that will be open on Christmas Day, including Corralito Steak House on Doniphan Drive and Golden Corral. If you know of any restaurants that will be open that day, please list them here.

And if you'd like to share your favorite holiday recipes, feel free to share them in the comments section as well. Happy holidays!

Food bites

•CBS's "The Early Show" featured legendary El Paso coffee shop H&H Car Wash and its co-owner Maynard Haddad on their "Local Legend" segment Wednesday. To watch the video, click here.

•The original GeoGeske, or G2, restaurant in the Cincinnati Entertainment District is turning 10 years old this week, and restaurant owners are celebrating by offering dishes at 2001 prices starting at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. The restaurant is located at 2701 N. Stanton. Information: 544-4242.

•All Marble Slab Creamery locations, including two in El Paso, are offering customers a free ice cream cupcake from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. to celebrate National Cupcake Day.

Burger King is also offering free food this week. Restaurant employees will be giving out free fries on Friday in honor of their new french fry recipe.

Gyro crazy

Everyday Gyro is a new restaurant in the Cincinnati Entertainment District that promises delicious gyros at affordable prices (to read our recent review, click here).

Interestingly enough, Sinbad restaurant on Mesa Street, just around the corner from Everyday Gyro, recently put up a banner advertising their gyro offerings. Right down the street sits Al-Zaituna Middle Eastern restaurant, which also offers some pretty tasty gyros, and at 7040 N. Mesa, Zino's Greek restaurant opened up a few months ago to rave reviews.

Which restaurant offers the best gyro, and how do you like your gyro served? With extra tzatziki? No onions? Heavy on the meat?

Two new West Side restaurants

Two new restaurants have opened along Mesa Street: Lai Wah Yen, next to Shellsy Oyster Bar, and the Square Cow at 4172 N. Mesa.

The Square Cow is located at the Real Burrit-O's old spot near Al-Zaituna, and boasts meat ground in-house and a large selection of beer and wine. Chinese restaurant Lai Wah Yen is located where the former Bonny's Cafe/50's Cafe used to be.

What new restaurants are you interested in trying? Are there any new eateries in your neighborhood?

This weekend at the Ardovino's Farmers Market

On Saturday, I ventured to the Ardovino’s Farmers Market—finally. I kept my expectations in check, considering the region and its climate, this year’s freeze and drought, and my last experience at the farmers market, which was heavy on handmade soaps and candles and low on food. I have nothing against arts and crafts—in fact, how cool to buy a handmade doll, apron, or necklace as a gift at the farmers market! But I’m more into cooking, as you know, and often I dream in farm-to-table sequences! And to boot, I have been working hard to finish school the last six months and have cooked a total of three or four meals. I was aching for inspiration.

Nonetheless, I was kind of excited because the last two summers I remember seeing some pretty out-there stuff in my friend Rebecca’s kitchen. If I remember correctly, she had okra and some beautiful Japanese eggplant.

My husband Michael and I arrived late—around 10. And as produce goes, I can tell you that at that time, there was still a good amount of corn, garlic, squash, onion, tomatoes, peppers, and even nopalitos. So, at minimum, the prospects of a good salsa or a nice squash stew. We were not blown away, but we decided to keep going and see if behind the arts and crafts any treasures lurked.

As I examined who knows what on a table, I heard my name, “Lucia!” EP Times editor Paula Diaz waved with a toothpick pinned to a piece of barbecued meat. Julio, Paula’s husband makes an outstanding barbecue sauce. Yum! Homemade sauce, but to go with what? How about grass-fed beef? A few booths down you could find almost any cut of beef (based on availability for that day). Oh, and fresh eggs. Not bad at all!

As we walked back to the trailer café to get some water, and possibly a burrito or pastries, we stopped by booths with samples of granola and beef jerky. I decided to give them a try (pictured above), and guess what? Better than any store-bought brand I have had. The beef jerky comes from a booth that is famous for its pumpkin bread, so you might already know it. It is very thin, with a nice spicy kick. Just perfect. My Tia’s granola comes in several varieties. I got the cranberry kind, with sunflower seeds, almonds, and pecans. It only has three grams of fat per serving, and it is sweetened with Agave nectar!

Good, good for you, ready-made or raw materials, the farmers market is a great place to take a mini-vacation and enjoy the summer in your own town. Make a day of it; take a stroll and then go home with quality stuff. One of the farmers let me know that he would have okra and Japanese eggplant (as well as regular eggplant) in a few weeks. It’s not huge, but I’m hooked and I’m inspired.

Thank you farmers and thank you artisans for contributing to our regional quality of life!

More information is available on the Ardovino’s website: http://www.ardovinos.com/farmersmarket.html