Las Palomas

This was my third trip to this establishment. I am in Lovelock for business quite a bit and was really hard pressed to find anything to eat. So far everything I have had from there has been pretty decent. The chorizo and eggs were good, not too salty. The chicken burrito I had was large and full of big chunks of chicken and vegetables. This is a good place for Lovelock and only mediocre for a larger place like Reno. The service is a little spotty and the dishes will vary slightly depending on who is cooking. I will go back and my sensitive stomach is more than happy eating there. It is also a good place to eat if you are driving a semi-​truck pulling a 53′ trailer because of the massive dirt lot next to it.

This is the worst so called Mexican food I’ve ever had. As non-​residents of Lovelock my friend and I were almost completely ignored the entire time. We had to seat ourselves, since no one would acknowledge us. We also, had to then wave someone over as they passed by to take our order. The prices were affordable but in hindsight we should have just bought TV dinners and microwaved them in our motel room. Eat anywhere else but here. My enchilada was a cold corn tortilla dipped in canned enchilada sauce and filled with Cotija cheese (which is the salty crumbly cheese you sprinkle on top of tostadas and beans for flavor) and little bit of lettuce. Had to order rice and beans on the side, which was basically a kid’s portion and also cold.

Las Palomas opened its doors to the public after a very long wait — since the closing of China Palace Chinese restaurant in mid-​2009, previously at the location — last Saturday, 6 March 2010. Word of the impending opening spread through Lovelock for weeks leading up to Saturday, and when it came, so did Lovelock. Almost literally. I –and my dining companions — didn’t dare try getting in until tonight, four nights later.
A local meeting us on her way out warned of a long wait, although they weren’t filled to capacity.
«But is it worth it?» one of us asked.
«Yes,» the diner replied.
We’d had our worries, remembering our foray into China Palace’s opening night and how it took weeks (some would say even months) before it settled in to being able to adequately provide service and edible fare. But we’d wanted it to succeed. All of us, just about. The town of Lovelock. Where a new business opening up to the community is a rare thing and one that does it well is more so. Not to mention that we were really jonesing for Chinese.
China Palace tried. It seemed to find its stride for awhile. But it was a family-​run operation. And the family, at times, seemed overwhelmed by the operation and one day it ceased to exist. Nobody had warned me of this… No one asked for my approval nor even my opinion on the matter. It just closed and never reopened and the proprietors disappeared and there’s nothing more to be said of it except for that, not long afterward, a local Mexican family voiced interest in opening a restaurant of their own in the then-​deserted building where the Chinese place had been. That was the rumor, at least. But the rumor was confirmed and there was likely the typical funding and the cleanup of the property and repairs and the gathering of equipment and the lining-​up of suppliers of the restaurant variety and the garnering of licences and all that, culminating in Saturday night’s grand opening of Las Palomas. Which some feared would happen as had that of China Palace’s. I don’t know if that’s how it turned out, exactly. The joint was packed on opening night after months of struggling to get it there and stories trickled in on the morning after about one negativity or another from those whose opinion I hold in ill repute. Later that afternoon, however, a local couple came into my place of business and regaled a co-​worker of mine with a tale that refuted previous claims.
The place wasn’t packed. Service was good. And the food was great.
The co-​worker called in a «to go» order, left to pick it up, and returned with a bag of dinner that did no less than please the hell out of her. And this is someone I know to not be shy about expressing her feeling of disgust at a dinner gone awry.
She’s got a bad stomach, you see.
So. It’s tonight. And we’ve been greeted by our fellow citizen at Las Palomas’ entrance, warning us of the wait but assuring us that the food was pretty good. We enter. Let me warn you about the building, since this is where we’re at. Its exterior is kind of rough and somewhat «ancient”-looking. There’s nothing fancy to it at all, and the parking lot surrounding the place is dirt. Or gravel. I think that in some spots its gravel, some dirt. Okay. Go inside, and the interior sort of corresponds with the outside the joint. Terms like «spartan» or «plain» or «run-​down» or «greasy spoon» come to mind. Don’t worry; this is what the place has looked like in any of its incarnations for years and, anyway, you’re not there to eat the décor.
I ran over my 5000-​character limit, so I’m editing this down into something more concise.
As I’ve told friends on Facebook, earlier tonight, it was good. Everyone enjoyed their food. Portions were decent, but we all kind of wished there was more — tipping a salute more toward the quality of the food than to the quantity presented. Service was well-​intentioned but reflected a «green”-ness that should improve shortly with experience. The prices are very reasonable, but I wish there was a greater variety of dishes on the menu. Rumor has it, however, that there will be more offerings in the future. Overall, I liked it and plan on Unilocaling it positively. Which I’m doing now.
Incidentally, I had the Chile Relleno. $ 6.99. Pepper was roasted exquisitely. Their beans, rice, salsa — all freshly-​prepared and scratch. But, if you plan on ordering a beer with your meal, nevermind; they don’t offer liquor. At least, not yet.
That’s close to 5000 characters. I think I’m done.
*Edit (14 March 2010): Although I can’t report on this first-​handedly, I’ve had several folks I know tell of bad experiences with the food, here. This seems to be so only when the head chef — Rosa — isn’t on duty. Handmade fare surrenders to ready-​made and the cooking just isn’t as tasty as it is when Rosa’s said to be working. So, beware.