Review: Taqueria Los Hermanos Restaurant, Lilburn, GA

For the first time in my life I stiffed a waiter. Not just a waiter, a pretty darn good waiter (up to a point).

For the first time in my life I will not be going back to a restaurant that had some great food that made me want to return.

Why? Read on...

My sisters and I took my daughter-in-law out for her birthday. One of the stops on the weekend treat was dinner on Saturday at Taqueria Los Hermanos on Lawrenceville Hwy in Lilburn.

We all ordered something different. My dish, a shrimp dish, was excellent. My other sister's dish and my daughter-in-laws food were also good  to excellent. The Cesina Steak Salad was a colossal fail. The way the staff reacted to problems was worse.

We noticed that my steak-ordering sister was mostly moving her food around. I'd noted when the dish arrived that it was a rather sparse plate, especially when compared to the large, heaped plates the rest of us received. However, I "assumed" that she ordered light.

I heard her say that the dish was swimming in grease. She pushed the lettuce aside and wow, the entire bottom of the curved dish was grease. She tried a bite of the steak and said it was so tough she couldn't chew it.

Not wanting to ruin the fun time we were having she didn't say anything -- not that the waiter came over to ask if everything was OK (something we didn't think about until later when discussing the experience in the vehicle). When we asked why she wasn't eating & she told us we told her to tell the waiter. She said no, she didn't want to put a damper on our day.

Didn't work! My daughter-in-law said something when the waiter came over to bring our bill. He told us "that's just the way the dish was fixed". He said it was the dressing on the bottom. Shrugged it off, ignored the fact that she'd told him the meat was leather.

My daughter-in-law had the same sauce on her chicken salad dish, but she'd asked for it in a bowl on the side. She wouldn't eat it, said it was disgusting. I stuck my finger in it and tried it. Yep, disgusting. The oil was rancid in my opinion. My other sister tried it. She said maybe not rancid that to her it just tasted like oil that had gotten hot and sat around for a long time, was old. Horrible either way.

When we asked to speak to the manager, the waiter said he wasn't there and walked off.

He also told my sister it looked like she'd eaten enough of the dish. She had not.

Now we're all about as honest as the best of the best. We're not ones to complain. I've never stiffed a waiter. His attitude really ticked us off. We'd have been happy with an apology and maybe giving us the cheese dip free ($3.75) or an offer of a free dish the next time we came in.

We didn't tip the waiter. The tip amount worked out to be about the cost of the bad dish. I HATE the idea of not giving a hard-working waiter a tip. I NEVER take out my problems with a dish on the wait staff. It's not their fault when the cook screws up or there's a problem with the food.

In this case, the waiter got a big fail. His attitude means that four separate families and their friends will not be coming back. The three of us that enjoyed our food had all talking about bringing our respective spouses and family back, making Taquiria Los Hermanos a regular haunt.

I seriously doubt our opinions will hurt the restaurant hugely. They've been there for a long time, the place was hopping while we were there. I would guess that little $10.50 dish will probably cost them hundreds and hundreds of dollars from us though.

If you do go there stay away from the steak dishes (Cesina Steak Salad in particular) and definitely do NOT get anything with their "extra virgin olive oil" and lemon juice dressing. If you insist on trying the dressing be sure to get it on the side.

Because You're A W-O-M-A-N

(NAPSI)-You shuttle the kids to school, do the dishes, help with the homework, handle the company's high-profile accounts, pick up the dry cleaning, hit the supermarket, cook a hot supper and tuck everyone in at night. No, this isn't "Survivor Suburbia"...it's your life. Isn't it time you think about yourself, too?

Women have different nutritional requirements during life's various stages. In adolescence, extra calcium helps healthy bone growth. Childbearing years need iron and folic acid, while seniors need monounsaturated fats and soy foods that keep heart disease and certain cancers at bay.

Fortunately, there are delicious foods for every stage. In fact, if you eat wholesome natural foods rather than overly processed foods, you can justify just about anything. Craving a gooey wedge of Brie? Go ahead, it's great for your bones. Salivating over a juicy steak? Dig into that iron. Ogling another can of California Ripe Olives? Go for it. Just remember, all things in moderation.

Grilled Flank Steak With Avocado And Olive Salsa

1 cup finely diced red onion (⅛ inch)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. chopped tarragon

1 Tbsp. chopped thyme

1½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 medium avocado, diced (½ inch)

1 cup California Black Ripe Olives, halved

1 cup sweet 100 tomatoes, halved

1½ lbs. flank steak

In a shallow baking dish, combine red onion, vinegar, oil, tarragon, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Set aside. Spoon ⅓ cup of the red onion mixture into a small mixing bowl. Gently toss in avocado, California Black Ripe Olives and tomatoes and set aside. Place flank steak in baking dish with remaining onion mixture and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes. Season flank steak with remaining salt and grill over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side. Transfer to a clean cutting board and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes, then slice diagonally across the grain into thin strips. Place onto serving plates and top with avocado olive salsa just before serving. Serves 4.

Visit www.calolive.org for more recipes.

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Arts Across Georgia

Avocados Add Pizzazz To Your Party

(NAPSI)-Planning a party? Add sparkling color and fresh flavor to the occasion with Avocado Mango Salsa. This elegant and versatile recipe is so easy to make with just a toss of a few tasty ingredients. The rich flavor and buttery texture of Mexican avocados are highlighted in this recipe with colorful chopped tomato and mango seasoned with the vivid flavors of jalapeño, onion, garlic, cilantro and lime juice.

No matter what kind of party you have in mind, Avocado Mango Salsa will fit right in. For a casual get-together, put the salsa in a bowl surrounded by tortilla chips and sliced veggies and let guests help themselves. On a party buffet, this salsa will star. Make a pretty buffet platter with Avocado Mango Salsa layered on grilled chicken, pork or salmon. Or start a formal dinner party with panache-simply spoon the salsa into stemmed glasses, add a sprig of cilantro and a few cooked shrimp, if you like.

Avocados from Mexico are grown in rich volcanic soil, with mountain rain and abundant sunshine. In this land, growers harvest high-quality fruit year-round so you can enjoy avocados from Mexico whenever you like. And you can feel good about entertaining your friends and family with avocados because they're loaded with fiber, vitamins and heart-healthy fats.

To get more information and easy recipes for special occasions and everyday meals, go to www.avocadosfrommexico.com.

AVOCADO MANGO SALSA

2 ripe avocados from Mexico, peeled, pitted and diced

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

1 cup diced tomato

¼ cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

In bowl, combine avocados, mango, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeño, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and olive oil; toss gently. Serve, if desired, with sliced veggies and chips, or with shrimp, grilled chicken or fish.

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Georgia Peaches: Sweet, Succulent & Satisfying

CC Note: Georgia peaches-- yummy. Nothing better on a hot summer day than biting into a fresh juicy peach from the Peach State. We highly recommend this peach salsa recipe.

NAPSI-For a snack, dessert topping or succulent ingredient in a favorite recipe, a popular fuzzy fruit is always a peachy idea. And when you pick a peach from Georgia, you’ve got something extra-sweet in your hand.

Home to about 1.6 million peach trees, Georgia’s central region produces 100 million pounds of peaches annually. And these round beauties are not only delicious, but also incredibly nutritious. Packed with natural goodness, Georgia peaches contain several major nutrients, including vitamins A (beta-carotene), C and potassium. They’re also an excellent source of fiber, good for blood sugar and keeping cholesterol low.

But it is their distinctive, sweet taste that sets Georgia peaches apart from others in the orchard. This makes them an excellent choice for snacking, salsa and raw sauces and toppings.

“Georgia peaches hold a real place of honor on the Southern table,” says chef and popular cookbook author, Virginia Willis, whose newest book is “Bon Appetit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking” (Ten Speed Press). “Like the wonderful generations of families who grow them, these delicious beauties are very special. They have a sweetness all their own and really make a statement on the plate,” Willis adds.

One way to enjoy Georgia peaches is with this sweet-and-tangy salsa recipe. Stir up a batch and you’ll be on your way to better health by getting at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. To learn more, including recipes, health information, pointers on picking and storage tips, visit www.gapeaches.org.

SWEET GEORGIA PEACH SALSA

Yield: About 31/2 cups

2 cups peeled and chopped Georgia peaches

¾ cup chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup seeded, chopped cucumber

¼ cup sliced green onion

1 to 2 tablespoons seeded, finely minced jalapeño pepper

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill for several hours, stirring occasionally.

Uniquely versatile Georgia peaches have a deliciously juicy, sweet flavor.

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