Inspirational Salsa

Craving Mexican food as I usually am, I decided to try something I haven't tried before. Well, actually, this was only after attempting to go to Mi Nidito only to find out they were closed on Mondays. So I headed over to El Parador on Broadway.
The first room you see when walking in is a spacious courtyard dining area that looks more like an open air garden than a restaurant. I was told that the room used to be an open air shopping plaza before being made into a restaurant by the owner John Jacobs in 1977.
I was seated quickly as dinner rush hadn't yet begun. Having never been there before, I asked my waiter, Miguel, what their specialty is. He told me they're known for their homemade salsa. I ordered a house margarita, hoping that I wouldn't regret not including El Paradorin my Margaritour. After trying the margarita, I was glad I didn't include it in the tour but the salsa was another story. The salsa was so good that it inspired me to embark on a Salsatour 2008 TBA.
Miguel then recommended the El Parador Special. For $16 I got a cheese enchilada, chile relleno, beef tamale, 2 rolled chicken tacos, rice and refried beans. The enchilada was maybe the best I've ever had. It had that classic tomato-based enchilada sauce that I love and the cheese inside was perfectly melted. The tamale was decent, but a little dry for my taste. The rolled tacos were amazing and the chile relleno wasn't bad considering I'm not usually a fan.
All in all the food was delicious and the service was exceptional as well. When I first arrived, there were hardly any tables seated, but while I was eating the place began to fill up. Next to me, a guy was sitting with what appeared to be his wife or girlfriend but he was talking on his cell phone the entire time. That reminded me of one of my favorite pre-movie commercials:

Anyway, Miguel informed me that they also have live music and Salsa dancing on Friday nights. A band called Descarga plays from 10pm-2am and they even offer Salsa lessons! He also told me that it's rare that the restaurant is as dead as it was when I was there so be sure to make a reservation.