Delicious posole from Loncheria Sonora, in San Vicente...

When I stopped for lunch at Loncheria Sonora, in San Vicente, Baja California, on a sunny Tuesday, September 23, 2008, a meal of posole wasn't on my mind, as I had my heart set on a carne asada torta, which happens to be one of my favorite items for lunch when I visit Mexico. As I approached the restaurant, I was greeted by a friendly lady sitting at a table, enjoying a lunch of what appeared to be either menudo or posole. It seemed obvious that this lady worked at the restaurant, as she was chatting with an older lady, who was working in the kitchen. I looked for a menu, and of course no menu exists, which is very typical for small restaurants in Baja California. I asked the lady if they had any carne asada tortas, and she replied that they didn't; they were about ready to close and the only thing that they had to sell was posole. No problema! I love posoloe, so I sat down at the vacant table next to the lady, and ordered a bowl of posole for lunch.

Photo: Loncheria Sonora is located just north on the only stop light in town, which can be seen in the background. That's Mexico Highway 1 in the background, and that's a southbound big rig, behind my white F-250.

Loncheria Sonora is easy to find, as its located along San Vicente's "restaurant row," on the east side of the highway, about 100 feet north of the only stop light in town. With only a couple of exceptions, all of San Vicnete's restaurants are located along the highway, clustered near the stop light and the only gas station in town, which makes restaurant-hopping an easy endeavor to pursue. Loncheria Sonora is a typical, family owned-and-operated small Mexican restaurant, and it's facade is open to the elements, and the highway. During the time of my visit, two women were working in the restaurant, Vicki, the friendly, talkative gal who was enjoying a bowl of posole when I arrived, and Donna, who seemed content to keep a low profile running the kitchen.

Photo: Loncheria Sonora does double-duty as a bus stop, as a local tour bus line arrives and departs from the location of the restaurant.

Donna brought me my delicious bowl of posole, and all of the trimmings, including chips, chipotle salsa, and a bowl of diced cabbage and white onions, with the obligatory key lime slices on the side. The posole made at Loncheria Sonora is brick red, the color of menudo, which is a little unusual, as most posole that I've ever enjoyed is clear. But after enjoying a few chips, and spooning some cabbage and diced onions into my bowl, and taking a big ol' spoonful of posole, Loncheria Sonora's posole made a true believer out of me, as their posole is delicious... in fact their posole so good, it almost seems like it should be illegal. It just might be the best posole that I've ever eaten,..

Photo: Friendly Vicki working in the kitchen, preparing a bowl of the most delicious posole on earth!

The chipotle salsa is also some of the best chipotle salsa that I've ever eaten, as it's just the right consistency, it's flavorful, smoky tasting, with just a little bit of kick, but not too hot. Spooned over the fried tortilla chips, it made a delicious side dish to the wonderful bowl of posole.

Picture this: I'm sitting at a table, open to the elements and the nearby highway, enjoying a bowl of the best posole that I've ever eaten, and Vicki is sitting at a table next to me, enjoying a bowl of posole herself, and talking rapidly, non-stop, about just about anything you could imagine. I love the picture! I found out a lot of things about her and the business: she and her husband have owned and operated it for several years, other family members work there on an as-needed basis, and all food is prepared in-house, from locally procured ingredients, and yes, they serve menudo on Sundays. They are open for breakfast and lunch only, and they do serve tacos and tortas, but their heart and soul is in posole, and they have quite a following among the locals. Vicki told me that they get a lot of business from the highway traffic, as it seems posole is a favorite among the guys that pilot the 18-wheelers up and down the Baja California peninsula. For my part, Vicki put my rusty Spanish to the test, as she talked very rapidly, but in the end, we were able to have a very interesting conversation.

Photo: Vicki poses with a bowl of freshly-made posole, and a bowl of delicious chipotle salsa. For her gracious permission to photograph her, I gave her a MEX $10.00 tip.

When you're dining in the 'states, how many times to you get to sit down with the owner of the restaurant, enjoy a meal with them, carry on an intelligent conversation, and actually get to know the person that owns and operates the restaurant? Not too many times... Loncheria Sonora offers authentic, delicious food, at very reasonable prices, and the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a meal with a real, local person. What better way than to learn the culture of a foreign country? The bowl of posole and the fixin's cost MEX $40.00, but the cost of the conversation was priceless.

Photo: My lunch of delicious posole, chipotle salsa, homemade chips, and all of the trimmings. The key limes are located on the plate that the bowl of posole is placed upon. Note the brick-red color of the posole.

If you're in the mood for good company, delicious food, served with outstanding local atmosphere... you just can't go wrong by paying a visit to Loncheria Sonora.

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