scooby did

My neighborhood just lost one of my favorite places to eat.

For the past few years, Octavio Cruz has run what could be called a taco-plus restaurant just around the corner from my place.  (trading my mark)  He made great tacos.  But he also put out a full plate dinner of ribs, fish, chicken, lamb  -- with mashed potatoes and a caesar salad.
 
During the winter, it was a waiting-line northern tourist restaurant.  Big plates with low prices.  (As a Vancouver acquaintance put it: "What more could you want?")

The rest of the year, it was a snappy local taco restaurant patronized by my neighbors.  My favorite time was the summer.

No more.  Scooby has left the neighborhood.  But not Villa Obregon.

Our local message board tracked down the new site.  On the northeast corner of Alvaro Obregon (or, as we colloquial types say -- Whorehouse Street) and Emiliano Zapata.

To those of you who do not know our fair town, Obregon is a major thoroughfare.  And not just because of the tranny bar at the top of the hill.

For Octavio it is a great business move. More foot traffic.  More vehicle traffic.  But, more importantly, it is closer to where the northerners hang out during their winter visits.  If you are goose hunting, you follow the flocks. 

And I suspect he will also serve more Mexican tourists in the summer.  That is why he is opening now in the new location.

Now, my selfish whine.  I really liked having Scooby just around the corner from me.  Even when I was not eating there, I could stop by and find people I had not seen in months.  The table talk usually made good copy.

For those of you who are in the area (or will be), you may want to know when the place is open to serve up those big plates.  I stopped for a chat yesterday.  Here is the ambitious schedule:

• Open every day
• From 5 PM to 1 AM (just in case you get a midnight taco urge)

And the menu is supposed to be the same as it was at the late-lamented site on Esmeralda.

I may stop by next week to try the lamb.