Chez Ramona's

This location is across the street from a local community college. No, I never worked nor attended that institution, but I envy the students who have this option so conveniently located. My place for comfort food was trusty old Tommy's Burgers, up in Westwood, always good for a satisfying chili burger. And yet Tommy's doesn't inspire any cravings the way Ramona's does.

It just so happens that this establishment is close to a major freeway that leads to the airport, and as such, it is convenient to visit. It also happens that, out of the three locations for this particular establishment, this is the one that is the least crowded and thus, prepares your order the quickest.

I discovered Ramona's when I was working as an engineer in the 1980s. A fellow engineer told me about it, and I used to frequent another locale. If I didn't bring my lunch, and if I felt the need to leave work in order to escape the tedium of my working day, then I would go to Marco Pollo or Ramona's. There was also the possibility of Thai food at a corner strip mall, but somehow a strip mall depresses me just as much if not more so than life trapped in a cubicle. I was happy to escape that life.

Ramona's is famous for the cafeteria-style service. You order, the frumpy servers prepare your plate, and you take it with you because there is no space to eat inside. The specialty was burritos, and I was always partial to the beef and potato option with rice. If not that, then a combination plate. Perhaps what most attracted me was the tanginess of the enchilada sauce. It tap-danced on your tongue and resonated in a pleasing, mildly piquant and yes, sweet way.

I passed by Ramona's on my way today to another location in that great sun-baked metropolis known as "El Lay".Things were much as they have been. The expectation of great food, a minor wait, and then pure pleasure as I carted my precious plate back to my car.

It's not haute cuisine, as is abundantly evident from the photos. The ambiance leave much to be desired. It has a turnstyle and gates that remind one of Disneyland, and the service is, frequently, indifferent. However, I'm addicted.

Perhaps nostalgia has added to the taste that I remember and savor.