Publication Date: Friday Jul 10, 1998

Restaurant Review: Family fare from Central America

Central American cuisine incorporates a complex network of indigenous and international influences that does not exactly stop at the Mexican border. Costa Rica boasts of dishes such as gallos (tortillas filled with meat and vegetables) and olla de carne (soup made of beef, plantains, yucca and chayote). Guatemalans like to dine on verduras en escabeche (pickled vegetables) and fried black bean paste. People from El Salvador chow down on casamiento, a mixture of rice and beans, and the national culinary treasure, pupusas, a cornmeal pancake stuffed with farmer's cheese, refried beans or meat.

The family-run Amelia's Restaurant in Redwood City is a great place to start experimenting with those dishes traditional to El Salvador, while offering a wide variety of tried and true Mexican specialties for those who prefer more familiar fare.

The setup is simple: You mosey up to a cluttered counter, make your selections from a large, overhead menu and then take a seat wherever you like. The decor is pretty nondescript, although some effort has been made to create a south-of-the-border feel with some woven wall hangings and pictures of Mexican scenes. Servers bring over chips and some extremely hot salsa while you wait for your meal to be delivered to your table. It's a straightforward system, and it works just fine.

The big draw are the unusual dishes from El Salvador. Along with a delightful take on Salvadoran pupusas (corn tortillas stuffed with chicken, cheese or meat), Amelia's offers the national variation on tamales ($1.95), several varieties of fried bananas ($1.95-$5.25) and tripe soup with vegetables ($6.95). Amelia's menu also covers all the basics of Mexican cuisine and then some. Along with the traditional offerings of tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas and burritos are some interesting special dinners (5.95-$9.95), including chicken Vera Cruz, chili verde, eggs with spicy sausage and carnitas.

We went a little overboard on one visit, ordering enough food for twice the number in our party despite a gentle warning from the pleasant young woman who took our order. Our plate of pupusas ($1.60 each) consisted of large, flat, slightly sodden pancakes loaded with chicken and cheese and served with a generous bowl of cool, tangy cole slaw. Some people like to just load the cole slaw on top of the pupusa; I prefer to make a slit along the side and insert forkfuls of the cabbage salad inside the tortillas, mixing up the flavors, textures and temperatures all the more.

For our main course, we were steered toward the steak with onions ($8.95), another traditional Salvadoran dish. Thin slices of grilled beef were drenched with sauteed onions and mixed with a thickened, rather too-salty sauce. Our chicken in mole ($8.95), on the other hand, was an unequivocal success. Tender pieces of chicken were simmered until fall-off-the-bone tender in a robust dark red mole sauce. The result was a surprisingly delicate blend of flavors in a hearty, filling, piquant meal. Both specialties were served with beans, rice and salad, and portions were all generous enough for big appetites.

We also ordered a real treat: atole de elote ($3.75), a traditional beverage made with cream of corn. Since we didn't get the best description of this dish when we ordered, we were expecting a Central American take on corn chowder and were pleasantly surprised by how far awry our expectations were. Heavily spiced with vanilla and cinnamon and served warm in a coconut shell, it reminded me of homemade custard straight off the stovetop, before it's been firmed up and chilled. Our server told us that most people order atole de elote as a dessert, but that it is also common to savor it in between courses to cleanse the palate.

Amelia's is a pleasant, neighborhood spot when it's time for some filling, satisfying Latin soul food. As an added bonus, it's one of the few pupusarias in the area, where you can sample and savor the culinary diversity of traditional Salvadoran dishes.

Amelia's Restaurant, 2042 Broadway, Redwood City, 368-1390

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday

Atmosphere: Extremely casual, neighborhood feel with some Latin American touches.

Highlights: Hard-to-find traditional Salvadoran specialties; straightforward variations on classic Mexican dishes.

About the Owners: Amelia Ramirez worked in a variety of restaurants for 15 years before opening Amelia's 10 years ago at its current location in downtown Redwood City. Though originally from Michoacan, Mexico, she picked up some Salvadoran recipes over the years and then refined them in the kitchen. No lard is used in the restaurant, and Ramirez says her Salvadoran customers prefer her pupusas to the ones they get back home because of this. Her family, including the grandchildren, all help out in the restaurant.

Reservations: no Credit Cards: no Parking: yes Full Bar: no Takeout: yes Wheelchair Accessible: yes Banquet: no Non-smoking: yes Highchairs: yes Outdoor seating: yes 

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