RESTAURANT REVIEW Yucca Fries with Beef and Curtido OCTOBER 2016 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 37 The building that houses Judy’s Place is small and intimate, but very homey and welcoming. Orders are placed at the counter, above which is an extensive menu board for patrons to peruse and make their selections. There is interior seating available, and there is also patio seating that runs the full length of the building. Sunshades above the patio help shield the sun and elements from patio diners. Alongside the patio, Judy and her husband maintain various plants and shrubs, including some home grown vegetables and herbs, for her customers’ enjoyment and to add to the ambience of the patio seating. This location once housed a Foster’s Freeze and later, a Taco Bell restaurant. Subsequently, it became a Mexican Restaurant that later went out of business. Although Judy’s Place opened six years ago, the outdoor signage still advertises Menu Board (Half) that it is under new ownership to entice passers-by to visit the venue who may not have visited since Judy established her business. Judy runs her business only with the assistance of her husband and occasional helpers who work during the busier periods. So when she was contacted about the restaurant review, Judy made special arrangements for me and my guest to visit Judy’s Place on a Sunday afternoon when the restaurant is typically closed. This gave her the opportunity to prepare a number of different menu items for us to sample and also allowed her to visit with us to share information about the business. Judy and her husband were consummate hosts! We sat at a table on the patio under a sunshade and Judy served each of her creations personally. Our starter was a plate of chips with homemade salsa and guacamole. The salsa had a wonderful, fresh, spicy flavor, but was not hot, and was very enjoyable. I especially liked Judy’s guacamole, which had a distinct flavor that I could not immediately place. When asked about the ingredients, I realized that the unique flavor that I’d tasted was mint! It added a very enjoyable twist to the guacamole. Soon after, Judy brought out her next creation—home made Pupusas filled with chicken, cheese and loroco. Loroco is small green unopened flower buds that are frequently used as an herb for flavoring in Central American cuisine. The filling of Judy’s Pupusas had an excellent flavor. All ingredients were blended, and had a smooth consistency similar to chicken salad. We enjoyed our Pupusas with the accompanying curtido, a type of salad made of pickled cabbage. Judy’s curtido Monday – Friday 11 AM – 7 PM | Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Contra Costa Marketplace - Oct 2016
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