MARCH MAD NESS
Last fall, both El Meson locations were renovated: Bars and dining sections were expanded; and more margarita machines, beer taps and flat-screen TVs were installed. Now the restaurants are more colorful than ever among the shiny, hand-painted tables; the mosaic wall murals; and Raul Ruiz Sr., who co-owns El Meson’s Hamilton Place location, and on a recent Friday afternoon sported a vibrant Tennessee-orange shirt and matching wristwatch.
“We are big football people here, but we love all sports,” said his son, Tony Ruiz, who owns the Hixson location. “March Madness is just starting and it’s exciting!”
Sí, the Ruiz clan is a festive bunch. They love what they do, and theirs is a passion that’s evident to patrons. For instance, when Tony began to talk about his one-of-a-kind recipes concocted for “Fish Friday,” his eyes got wide and he grinned from ear to ear.
Fish Friday is a weekly special that offers different seafood soups, appetizers and entrées. Each week, both El Meson locations compete against each other to craft new recipes. And for us diners, it is a win-win.
On the Friday that I visited the Hamilton Place location, the featured dish was ahi tuna. At Hixson’s location, Tony told me, it was fried shrimp in spicy mango sauce served with rice and pineapple.
“Oh, but let me show you my favorite!” Tony said, flipping through his cellphone to find pictures of a recipe he had featured a few weeks earlier.
He stopped on the seafood tower, a cylindrical stack of shrimp, octopus, crab, avocado, onion and special spicy sauce. The beautiful, decadent dish gives new meaning to the phrase “March Madness.”
And while a fun environment is part of the El Meson experience, the restaurant recently unrolled its new online ordering option, making it easier than ever to enjoy the most delicious part of the experience. To learn more visit elmesonchattanooga.com.