I went back to El Camino Real last weekend. I just couldn’t help myself. While I sampled some of my favorite appetizers from the last visit (fried pickles, stuffed jalepenos) I also tried the vegetarian wings, which were so inceadible – juicy and crispy and spicy – they could make any meat-eater forget the difference.  I also order the Chili Rellanos (above) a chili stuffed with seitan, cheese, and vegetables, served on a bed of black beans with a tomatillo salsa. It was very satisfying, with a subtle smokey flavor. I wished there were two chilis so I would have had one to take home!

My friend Krista ordered the BBQ Seitan sandwich with both the sweet and the spicy dipping sauces and was quite pleased. After that big Texas toast sandwich and slaw, it was difficult to make it through the pile of fries, though with all that extra dipping sauce, I  “helped” by sneaking a few off her plate and dunking them deep in the spicy sauce.

Senor Lanky ordered the burritos, “two little donkeys.” He briefly considered saving one for lunch the next day, and then promptly ate both. He ordered his with carnitas, but our friend Steve ordere the grilled seitan (another vegetarian option is the cactus and potato)and they looked identical!