July 15, 2005 - Eating Out

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

EATING Out

Joe Zuber and Darryl Ciarlante are two wild and crazy guys looking for American chicks with big breasts. But those large breasted chickens are turned into lip smacking versions of great Mexican food at Dos Locos. When they took over Dos Locos a few years ago, Darryl and Joe had the goal to try to combine seafood and Mexican cooking on their menu, and the results are a combination of tasty successes.

You'd expect any restaurant with a Mexican theme to be bright and festive, and Dos Locos lives up to that theme with its decorations of fanciful piatas, vibrant blue and yellow walls, and wonderfully festive hand painted tables. Susan and I were barely seated when our server, Linda (whose eyes are an amazing amber green!) put down a basket of nachos with home- made salsa. A good start, and we had to remember not to gorge ourselves on these so we'd have room for what was to follow.

This is a place where you could be totally intemperatethe list of drinks is mind boggling. You can choose from over twenty seven martinis, twenty four brands of beers, muchas margaritas, and a wide array of wines. Think apple martinis are so last winter? Then how about a Purple Armadillo (Hanger One Citron, Rose's Blue Razberry & cranberry), or maybe a Peggy Lee (Absolute Vodka, Orange, banana liqueur and cranberry). If you really want to get to a happy place fast, order the Big Girl Margarita, a 42 ounce concoction that just might put you under the table, or on top of it, depending on your mood!

There's a lengthy list of starters, or Loco Munchies, and choosing from them isn't easy. The Seven Layer Dip looked interesting, but I had already put away a fair share of chips. Then my eyes fell on just the right thinga Mexicali Corn Dog, served with a small side dish of homemade honey mustard. Corn breaded and yummy, it tops anything you're likely to get on the boardwalk. Susan ordered the Black Bean Skins, which were four potato skins filled with black bean chili and topped with melted cheese with sour cream on the side. It's a delightful version of an old favorite, the black bean chili really raises the bar for potato skins.

Dos Locos fajitas were voted 2005 Best of Delaware in Delaware Today. Susan focused on the eleven fajitas listed and finally decided that the Shrimp Fajita would do the job. And did they ever. Three flour tortillas stuffed to overflowing with onions, peppers and plump shrimp. They come with a huge side plate of rice, beans, tomatoes, shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole. I thought, "there's no way she'll finish all of that"wrong! And when I sampled it, I understood why she scooped it up.

Huge Burritos and Big Chimichangas are a large section of the menu, I picked the Ground Beef version, which is served spiced to order. Some like it hot and I'm one of them. The size of this burrito was intimidating, huge they said and huge they meant. It was a large flour tortilla crammed with beef and slathered with a tasty red sauce, topped with cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. The accompanying Mexican rice and refried beans were really good. As flavorful and delicious as everything was, I just couldn't finish it all. You really need to bring a huge appetite with you to Dos Locos. The portions are generous to a fault.

That said, you might wonder how either one of us could possibly have room for dessert. Hmmm. I think I mentioned earlier on that this is a place where you could easily be intemperate. Well, bring on the dessert list. There's a low carb cheesecake listed. Sounded good, but the Nuevo Sliced Plantains sounded ever better. They arrived warm, browned, sugar dusted with a dish of honey to dip them in. Susan selected the Sopapillas. These were the perfect ending to the meal. Golden triangles of fried crisp pastry smothered with sugar and cinnamon and served with a smooth vanilla sauce. Ay yi, yi.

As well as the great tasting Mexican food, the extensive menu offers dishes with American Flare, as well as salads. There's also a Sunday and Thursday Mexican Lobster Menu with fourteen tempting dishes made with, what else?, lobster. Lobster burrito anyone?

You don't have to go south of the border for authentic Mexican foodDos Locos is right here a few steps from the ocean. The food is delicioso, and the price is right. Vamos!

Dos Locos, 10 Wilmington Ave., is open daily for dinner from 5 p.m. and for lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 p.m.

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 9 July 15, 2005