dinner with the dukes - el patio

Last Wednesday Nic and I headed up to Iowa City for our April dinner with John and Diana. Since it was quite the hectic month and being that we could only fit in our April dinner on a weekday, we all decided going out to a relatively new to us restaurant would be a good idea.

At our last dinner, John and Diana told us about a hole-in-the-wall authentic Mexican place they had been to with their friends in West Liberty. Authentic Mexican? Heck yes please!

There are quite a few Mexican restaurants in the area, but surprisingly few authentic places - at least that I know of. I say it is surprising because our corner of that state has quite a large Hispanic population. I am sure there are more out there that I am not aware of...but from this day forward I am making it my quest to search out some new gems.

After my session of Girls on the Run (it was my 2nd to last....YEAH!!), the four of us headed out to El Patio in West Liberty.



El Patio is a quaint little restaurant located in the same building as a small grocery store (like a three isle grocery store).

We ordered some beer (dos equis dark of course!), munched on some super fresh salsa and chips, and  after a little catching up, we placed our order.





In true Mexican restaurant fashion, our dinner was brought to the table no more than 7 minutes later. Is this a good sign or not...I always wonder.  Regardless, the food was good and we all managed to stuff ourselves well beyond the point of being full (I purposefully ran eight miles earlier that day so I would not feel guilty!).

Nic merely glanced at the menu just to make sure they had a chimichanga listed. Of course they did, but they did not mention how large it would be...



I ended up with two bean burritos. Sure, I might have played it a little safe, but I really didn't feel like ordering the cow tongue tacos.



The food was great - however my dish was very similar to what I can get at the Mexican place in town. Heck - maybe that one is authentic too!

We headed over to a Mexican bakery after dinner (as stuffed as we were, this was so not necessary), but I couldn't help be be lured to all the sweets.



I grabbed two cookies with the intent on savoring them the next day, but of course broke into them on the way home.



They weren't the tastiest cookies, but sugar + butter = little self control.

Nic abstained from eating them until the following day and after one bite of each handed them over to me and claimed them to be "not even compost worthy."  Yeah - as much as I wanted the not that delicious sugar + butter creations, I tossed them into the trash.


Clearly this photo was taken before he sunk his teeth into the cookies.

In the end, if we ever find ourselves back in West Liberty, I would not hesitate to stop at El Patio - although I might have to pass on the Mexican bakery - or if I am being honest, at least give something else a try.