The Unusuals

El Monterrey

I'm a sentimental person and the El Monterrey restaurant in Clovis, N.M. will always hold a special place in my heart. The place closed down in the early 1990s, but all throughout my childhood (and later), it was the place that my family went to celebrate special occasions.

The restaurant was established in the 1930s and served the best enchiladas ever. They developed their own sauce that is still sold in stores, and melted a thick layer of cheddar cheese across the top of their enchiladas.

The ambiance also was special. Just inside the front door, hanging on the wall, was some sort of silver, tribal mask from Mexico. It had small red light bulbs where the eyes were supposed to be ... just a bit scary when you're a little kid. The wooden tables were thick and featured small paintings on each corner. Not-so-good paintings also decorated the walls of this old place.

I was sad when I found out El Monterrey had closed. There was no warning. It just happened. A couple of days after I got the phone call from my mom giving me the news, I was driving home from work about 1 a.m. and it finally sunk in. My family and I would never be able to eat there again. I was brought to tears.

A few years later, I was back in Clovis and drove by El Monterrey. It was still there, but beginning to fade and crumble. I took a picture and a brick from the sidewalk in front of the building. I'm not very materialistic, but I do like to keep old objects that represent a connection to something I love.