0 You people will learn to trust me when I talk about food

I should preface this entry by explaining that I now live about as close to the middle of nowhere as you can get in Missouri.  Seriously.  I love it here but there are considerable logistical challenges, particularly when it comes to shopping.  The nearest market of any consequence is 20 miles away, but if you want big-box stores, it's more like 40 miles to Farmington.  You make a shopping list, and when it gets long enough you make the drive and stay as long as you have to stay to get everything you need.  The exception would be the frantic, spur of the moment trips to Lowe's that I make at the behest of my house contractor.  But that's a different subject for a different day.

Anyway, "trips to town," often involve grabbing lunch out, and I've been sampling the local fare in the hope of replacing my favorite eateries in Jefferson City.  I frankly haven't had much luck so far, but today was an exception.  I stumbled across a Mexican place called Casa Sol and I can now recommend it highly.  Remember that in my former life I spent a LOT of time on the road  and in 30 years I've seen a lot of Mexican restaurants both good and bad.  The worst was a place in northeast Missouri called El Guapo, which by coincidence, is precisely what it gave me for the next day or so.  The best is El Jimador in Jefferson city.  The place I tried today was damned impressive.  I recommend it highly.

I was also pleasantly surprised that it was located in an old garment factory building downtown. I used to haunt Farmington back in the 1970's when I was in High School.  I don't remember the place and it doesn't look familiar to me now.  But I am a huge fan of historic buildings that have been restored and re-purposed.  I can't stand to see anything wasted.  The rest of the building is a little spartan with a few shops scattered around that reminded me of an indoor flea market.  Give it time.  I think it's a seriously cool project with a lot of potential.

I also note that there is a family diner there that claims to have the best breakfast in town.

I'll be the judge of that...