Holes in the Wall

This type of eatery can be a bit of a mystery and even a scary thought for most people. A restaurant that is considered a "hole in the wall" would actually probably be high on a germaphobe's list of places to never go to. I do agree though, the cleanliness and sanitation of these places is almost always in question. However, that does not stop me and hundreds of thousands of people from frequenting these places. Case in point, Pollo de Oro in Santa Ana. A group of people from my church this past Saturday went up to Santa Ana to tour a Children's Activity Center as well as walk around Downtown Santa Ana, ultimately having lunch there as well. Our group ultimately decided on Pollo de Oro because it seemed to be the only place large enough to seat 15 people. I think it's the fact that these places are a little less than perfectly clean and that they do a not so great job of keeping their kitchen appliances clean either makes the food taste SOOOO good. I ultimately decided on a carne de res torta and a chicken taco.





I know, I realize as a chef, what goes on in these places goes against perhaps about 90% of what I learned and know about sanitation, but ultimately, as long as I don't get sick, which I haven't yet *knock on wood*, then it's all good.