Finally, a good Mexican Restaurant!

We saw it on tv, they were in a competition to see who made the most delicious chile relleno between the owners of this restaurant and Bobby Flay.
Well, from a distance the chile relleno looked appealing and actually they won the throwdown so we decided to try it...it was just a matter of finding the place.
Scott found it and we went yesterday. The name? Mi Casita Mexicana.
Located in Bell California.
Of course, it was kind of funny because Scott was wearing his hat and camera. I was just dressed like a normal person :)
And then came the menu. We found what we thought we would like to try but I instead of having the chile relleno with nopales and mushrooms went for the cecina de res. Scott, on the other hand, was wise enough to try the chile en nogada.
The only problem we noticed was that the waiter was not really very informed of what was in the menu that day (at least, the day's specials or the drinks for that matter, as we found out later).
The first thing we got (as part of the dinner) was a rice cream. Yes, it sounds different and it is but it was tasty. I -as a mexican- had never tasted it. We liked it. Sort of. It was a little salty. But very decent flavor, nothing overwhelming.
Then came the cecina for me and the chile for Scott.
I have had excellent chiles rellenos in my life and the "chile en nogada" occuppies a special place in my taste because -well made- can be a delicacy. And this one was up to the circumstances. I actually tried a little bit and it was good! (the secret is in the sauce! or actually Nogada, a creamy sauce made with three types of nuts). Scott was happy with his choice.
I, on the other hand, was disappointed. The cecina was tasteless, a little hard and didn't have anything special on it. The cactus salad (ensalada de nopal) was good and the beans were also good. The good news is that they did not serve it all together (as many places around here like to do). They serve each thing in a separate place. That, I like.
The tortillas looked orange (a strange color to me) but they were warm and seemed fresh. I don't know if they make their own tortillas but I doubt it.
A different waiter came after we tasted everything and asked me how I liked the food and Iwas honest about my food. He deeply apologized for not having suggested me the "cecina al chipotle". HE says that one is much better,
And of course Scott took several pictures of the place. Right when we were crossing the door to leave the waiter asked us if we were reporters. I smiled and explained that we just wanted to taste their food, we were very curious about it. He apologized again and he said next time he will make a suggestion for me.
And right when we were out of the restaurant we could read the specials; there were several things that I would have liked to try. Maybe the next time!

Did I mention the Montclair Cafe?

It is good, it is absolutely good! You have to try it.
They serve a variety of dishes like in any other restaurant but they definitely have a good chef; I had the special of the night (shrimp with some sauce) and they were absolutely fabulous. Creamy but not overwhelming, tasty, firm but fresh at the same time.
The dessert was carrot cake and even though it wasn't brilliant we enjoyed it.
Today it is windy in Rancho Cucamonga, very windy. Last night I had a hard time sleeping because the wind was blowing and it was howling. These winds usually bring problems along with them and in the property where we live there are two trees that have been harmed and no longer stand up.
Let's hope tomorrow's weather is a little more benign.