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| - Sometimes You Can't Return Home
Years ago, I used to frequent Casa Del Sol on a regular basis when there were far fewer options for Mexican food. It was relatively inexpensive, the food was decent and the kid's menu provided options for the finicky eaters. When my wife and I were looking for a place to grab a quick lunch, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and revisit Casa Del Sol. Let's just say that it may be another ten years until we return for our next visit...
Service ran hot and cold during my recent visit. There was no one to greet me when I entered the restaurant... It wasn't a big deal, since it gave a chance to peruse the menu while waiting for my dining companion to arrive. We were seated by an energetic server, but it was the stoner server (see Heather C's review) who took our order. He was exceptionally mellow this day and spoke in a whispered tone, so I had to repeatedly ask him to repeat what he was saying. It was Comedy Gold, but the novelty wore off by the end of the meal. To his credit, he kept the chip basket full and checked in periodically to make sure everything was to our satisfaction.
The food was more miss than hit. I did enjoy the chips. While not freshly made, they were warm, well seasoned and not greasy. The salsa / tomato puree was bland, so I asked for some hotter salsa. Big mistake - what we got was vile, grainy mixture of vegetable oil and chili powder. To their credit, it was spicy. So spicy that it completely blew out my palette for the first half of the meal.
The chili verde was an impressive entrée. The pork was tender, the green chili added a dollop of heat and the onions and cilantro completed the dish. The sides were a letdown, the rice was over-cooked and the refried beans had that fresh out of the can feeling. If you find yourself staring that the Casa Del Sol menu awaiting culinary inspiration, just order the chili verde and don't look back.
My wife did not fare as well with her chicken fajitas. The meat was dry and chewy from being overcooked and lacked any hint of seasoning. The vegetables were mushy from being over-cooked and swimming in a pool of oil.
The fried ice cream was also a flawed dish. The coating lacked any crunch at all. It was as if someone poured a bowl of corn flakes and milk, let it sit overnight and then pressed the resulting mush over a ball of ice cream. Total train wreck. Also absent was any nutmeg or cinnamon. The ice cream was of poor quality, heavy on the ice, light on the cream. I did enjoy the fried tortilla at the bottom of the dish, lightly dusted with sugar and cinnamon using it to scoop up the honey and whipped creams served with this dessert.
Despite the thoroughly satisfying chile verde, I don't think I'll be beating a path back too Casa Del Sol. The kitchen is just too inconsistent and there are much better options for Mexican food in Madison.
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