MARY FURR -- Dining Out

It’s family all the way over at El Ranchito Mexican restaurant, opened in

Huntington Beach by Sergio Avila a little more than two months ago.

Avila, owner and host, uses his mother’s margarita recipes. The

charmingly authentic yet trendy decor is by his wife, Mirabella. The

beautiful mural on the left front wall is by his 13-year-old niece,

Nathalia.

What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than to come to the party

Avila plans. He’ll throw open the doors, remove the tables and have a

bountiful buffet and roaming servers with trays of finger food. It’s a $5

all-you-can-eat affair Friday.

Among the foods to sample will be Chingolingas -- wonderful flaky pastry

wrapped around pieces of charbroiled chicken. Don’t bother to check the

name in a cook book. Avila made it up to fit this appetizer. We had them

for lunch and liked the crisp texture combined with the tender chicken

meat.

The family comes from central Mexico, where meat is a dominant part of

the cuisine. The Botano de Carnitas ($11.95) is a meat lover’s dish --

shredded tender pieces of lean pork piled in the center of a platter

surrounded by fresh greens, slices of butter-rich avocado and bright red

tomatoes with pieces of lemon and lime squeezed over the flavorful meat.

Chef Gabriel Lozano, who has been with Avila’s for 15 years and just

bought a house in Huntington Beach, has perfected the Camarones (shrimp)

al Mojo de Ajo ($12.95), garlic-flavored, butterflied and charred around

the edges. A serving has about nine of the shellfish surrounded by the

freshness of botano-style greens with sprigs of cilantro across the

serving. It’s really springlike, but like spring, it has a little bite --

in this case from spicy green peppers.

El Ranchito possibly serves the largest burrito around. The Azteca

burrito ($7.95) is stuffed with that chunky chicken or shredded pork,

rice and refried beans smothered with ranchera salsa and melted cheese.

The size of a small loaf of bread, it’s a lunch or dinner to share. The

salsa served with everything is rather thin with chopped onions and

peppers.

Sergio likes to tell the story of his specialty Avila’s soup (bowl $6.45)

with big chunks of breast meat and wonderful ripe avocado pieces bonded

with thick, white rice. Avila says he recommends the soup as his best --

nutritious without being heavy. It’s the kind his mother kept hot on the

back burner.

The only dessert is homemade flan ($3.45), a 2-inch-high wedge with a

nice brown sugar topping, but which lacks the usual caramel sauce.

Mexican food has been described as earthy, festive, happy celebration

food. So if you’re looking for a party, Avila’s El Ranchito will be

having one on Cinco de Mayo.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments or

suggestions for her, call (562) 493-5062.

FYI

Avila’s El Ranchito

WHERE: 318 Main St., Huntington Beach

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily

CALL: 960-9696

MISC.: Credit cards accepted