El Parador...Draft Beer served at 46-degrees

If you are ever at a sporting event and the soda pop or lemonade vender comes by and he only has one or two of his product left in is carrying case, take my advice and let him go by. Don’t buy his last cup, because by the time he gets down to the end of his tray, all the ice will be melted and the drink will be watery and warm.

If you ever go to an early lunch and are looking for a cold brew, you may want to wait awhile as the first beer of the day will usually pour warmer than usual.

My brother Ed and I stopped by El Parador Restaurant, located at 2744 E. Broadway, around 11:00AM for an early lunch on a Friday. I ordered a Dos Equis on tap and it was served at 46 degrees. I am sure the cerveza, which came in a 16 oz beer glass, was warmer than if we had ordered it later in the day after the lines were cleared and running cold. Also, because this was a darker beer, which is traditionaly served warmer to bring out the flavor, I was satisfied with the temperature. The Dos Equis was the “Ambar”, a dark and rich tasting lager poured with a 1/2 inch thick head and went down easy with the tortilla chips and salsa served as an appetizer.

The name Dos Equis, comes from the lineage of the original brewery formed in 1884. As the turn of the century approached, over a hundred years ago, the brewery made a special cerveza named Siglo XX or “20th Century”. The beer was later re-named Dos XX or literally two XXs.*

For lunch, I order the number eight which consisted of two deliciously, crispy chicken taquitos served along side a savory cheese enchilada. On the side were served refried beans covered with melted cheese and chopped purple onion and a mild Mexican rice that was topped with chopped green onion.

Ed ordered the number seven which included a small carne seca chimichanga, a cheese enchilada and refried beans.

We both enjoyed our meals as we sat and talked about how the restaurant had not changed much over the years. I remembered attending Press Box Association luncheons in one of the back rooms at El Parador over twenty years ago. Local and national sports figures would come and speak to us as we honed our reporting skills between the rhythmic dunking and munching of tortilla chips. The restaurant is still a great place for business groups to meet and for private parties.

Over the years, tenants have moved in and out of the side spaces nestled along the courtyard, tropical garden restaurant, and on this particular day the center divider was closed, providing a shell for a salsa band set up, which gave the place a different look. But by and large El Parador has remained the same, offering great Mexican food and cold beer. Cold beer, that is, if you don’t purchase the first glass of the day.

* Information taken from www.dosxx.com