201 Harvard Dr.
Edwardsville, IL
I have had the privilege of dining at La Casa twice now. The first was late on a Sunday evening. The seating was immediate and the waiter was attentive. The second experience was much different, but in both cases the food exceeded my expectations. My expectations were to find an establishment that was like every other Mexican restaurant that drowns its dishes in cheese sauce, and uses meats that are tough, and shredded. This is not what I found at La Casa.
The menu was extensive, authentic, and moderately priced. My biggest gripe with Mexican food is that its generally bland and sauced far beyond what is necessary or healthy. La Casa had neither of those problems as the food was fresh, well seasoned, and beautifully plated. The restaurant itself is beautiful as well. They have a small bar area and several dining spaces with booths set apart from the other diners creating a kind of intimacy in your dining experience.
Now for the picky bits. As I stated, my first experience was near Mexican Nirvana "cielo", but my second was more terrestrial. We went on a busy Friday night and had to wait to be seated. This is not only expected but good to see in a new restaurant. Our first unpleasant surprise came when they seated us in the VERY small bar area without asking if we would prefer something else. We had to stop a couple of times on our way to the table because there wasn't enough room for the servers and passersby. We were also seated about a foot and a half from the actual bar, where a girl and her friend were lamenting over a pitcher of Margaretta's about a recent break up. A few times patrons backed right up to my right side to gather around an amigo at the bar.
To me, this was tolerable, because what will we not tolerate for good food. Our waitress was straight off the set of a Mexican soap opera, perhaps the one that was distracting my dining partner as it played on the tv over my head. The real unpleasantness for me started when my food came very quickly along with my dining partners side dishes. His main dish took 15 minutes longer and 3 servers to make it to the table. Being a polite table mate I attempted to wait for his food to arrive before eating. Some nibbling took place... by both of us. Our waitresses beauty was tempered with a general disinterest in service. We actually had another server approach our table when he saw us looking lost. He was kind enough to refill beverages and agreed to check on our missing dish. There weren't any apologies or explanations made for the mix up or delay. Oh, and to add to the overall joy of the service my cornbread came late and overcooked as well.
Given that negative experience, the food was still delicious and fed my dining partner for days. I would recommend La Casa to anyone interested in delicious, fresh, authentic Mexican food. Just avoid the bar... unless you just broke up with your boyfriend and need a pitcher of Margaretta's.
No comments:
Post a Comment