El Nopal

El Nopal: it's my old neighborhood Mexican restaurant, serving mostly enchiladas, tamales, flautas and the like. The first time I went there I had a pork tamale that was quite good.

The place has a homey feel, very chill. The service is professional yet relaxed; and the food is dependably good. I asked for the best dish in the house and here's what I got:

I could have just gotten a Chili Relleno plate, but I wanted a little more, so I got the Chili Relleno with Beef Enchilada. El Nopal uses an Anaheim Pepper, not a Poblano! Which makes this a very distinctive stuffed chili, or relleno.

The beef enchilada was quite outstanding too--the little beef cubes reminded me of Carne Guisada. Note the red sauce swimming around the plate in the final photo of the sequence. The flavor was a savory almost fruity mix of beef juice and chili. The beans and rice were spot-on as well, pintos refried in manteca (pork fat), and the spanish rice with a subtle hint of mild chili.

And you can't beat the price. $4.75 lunch specials.

El Nopal: 406 Virginia St, Vallejo · (707) 557-0456.