By ALEX DIMITROPOULOS
My walk to Cali ‘N’ Tito’s takes less than four minutes, but the destination feels like it should be a border or an ocean away. The first step onto the property falls on gravel, the staff is bilingual and the chips come in the colors of the Mexican flag.
The restaurant uses the casual slogan, “Enjoy Our Latin Thing!” and has an appropriately eclectic menu, featuring dishes native to several countries outside the United States. Visitors can order Cuban sandwiches, fried catfish burritos, fried plantains and staple Mexican selections like quesadillas and tacos. With the exception of the “Latin Lover’s Delight” tilapia dish and the 30-piece order of wings, no item on the menu exceeds $10. All trips abroad should be this reasonable.
The principal reason a dining experience here is unique, however, lies in the building, its decorations and the open, social atmosphere. Half the fun in visiting Cali ‘N’ Tito’s is playing the part of tourist or scavenger, noticing trinkets and details that are new to you, even if they aren’t new to the restaurant. The ceiling fans are idle not because of the temperature indoors, but because they could loosen items suspended from the beams overhead, possibly striking a customer with more culture than intended.
Depending on where you sit, you can spot a Super Pac-Man arcade game, a suspended bicycle and suitcase, framed paintings of matadors and advertisements for everything from Inca Cola to Nong Shim Bowl Noodle Soup, whose advertisement features both “The Best Taste Ever!” and “El Major Sabor de Siempre!”
“I feel condescended to by all these signs that aren’t in English,” my friend and one of two dining companions joked.
Cali ‘N’ Tito’s’ atmosphere is not foreign enough to induce culture shock, but some of the restaurant’s practices could jar first-time visitors. If you choose to bring your own beer, as you can in many indoor/outdoor restaurants, you have to pay $2 per person to drink them on any day Monday through Saturday. In addition, the staff provides little overall service—customers order up front, bus their own tables and fill up plastic cups from large metal cylinders marked “water” or “sweet tea” with Sharpie.
I had been to the restaurant before, and at least one thing remains constant: Cali ‘N’ Tito’s has the best burrito in Athens. “Tito’s Big Burrito” features a savory mix of meat, onions, peppers, mushrooms, rice, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese, and it has a more satisfying flavor than similar items at Agua Linda, Taqueria La Parilla and Willy’s Mexicana Grill. The first two lesser restaurants satisfy hunger more than taste, and their additional sauce or meal combinations fail to conceal a uniform blandness. The ingredients in Willy’s Mexicana Grill’s burritos are fresh and distinct but often unbalanced.
Cali ‘N’ Tito’s’ burrito delivers more color, smell and taste than the menu’s other items, which I often use to stave off my jog to the main-meal finish line. The potato-y slabs of fried sweet plantains, tiny tacos and empanadas are good, but pale in comparison. Avoid the overpriced, crumbling “Ricky Saltado” fajitas. The burrito is more filling, requires no assembly and gives a subtle unraveling of naturally sweet flavors.
Even with a BP gas station outside the window to my left, it was easy to forget that I was in a restaurant on 1427 South Lumpkin Street in Athens, Ga. A trip to the bathroom involves passing clothes lines, stacked dead televisions and doors marked with painted skeletons and “Men” or “Woman,” even though both units are single occupancy. Even the restaurant’s mistranslations are endearing.
The bulk of customers usually sit out front, where shrubs, trees, hanging records, plastic lounge chairs and a small boat attract hungry pedestrians, drivers and other potential diners. The business at Cali ‘N’ Tito’s has decreased dramatically and will remain low because of the cold, not the quality of the food. Cali ‘N’ Tito’s, like other exotic locales, depends on a tourist season. Brave the weather or make the trip when the heat and your appetite are on the rise.
VERDICT: Off-the-wall decor and on-the-spot burritos.
CALI 'N' TITOS
1427 South Lumpkin Street
Athens, Ga.
(706) 227-9979
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2 comments:
Right on with the feeling of being i a different world. I feel like whenever I'm there there's something new to see and discover. I especially love the long boat kids table. It's one of the most brilliant pieces of urban reclamation I've seen in a while.
Great review! I've been there several times and my opinion is biased because I love Cali n Tito's, but I feel like you included everything someone would want to know who has never been there before. You do a great job of including the pro's but also noticing the con's, whatever they may be. You mentioned which foods to try and touched on some of the more ethnic foods that people may be afraid of. You also warned about what foods maybe you shouldnt try. You included decor (which is hard to avoid with Cali's) and even mentioned the bathroom and the BP next door. The review was very informative but remained concise and interesting.
To the group: The blog looks great! I love the addition of photos, more quotes, your bios and the google maps icons below each review. That really adds to the direction and overall appeal of the site.
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