Tortilla West: Back on the Good Foot

After my anti-salt throw down during my last visit, I put Tortilla West on double secret probation for a while. This past weekend, my mother and grandmother, Chas* and I decided to give it another whirl. A neighbor told me that his wife had been recently and that T Dub has a few new items and everything was really good. I also knew cigarette smoke was no more, as well, and T Dub had been one of the smokier places that my lungs could not handle too often.
With good attitudes and appetites, we arrived around 11:45 for Sunday brunch. I was pleased right away that the air was clear and indeed, there were a few new entries on the menu. Of course, we ordered chips and guac, as T Dub has some of the best guac around. I was a little disappointed because the chips were not seasoned as they usually are. I have had this happen once or twice before and I think the almighty T Dub seasoner misses a section or two of the chips. The gauc was better than ever though, so I kept my gripe to myself, at the table. Historically, I have always ordered the Vegetable Frittata, but this time the new Toasted Ciabatta Benedict caught my eye. Two poached eggs, goat cheese, spinach and hollandaise over ciabatta bread. For my side, I chose grits. I was extremely satisfied with my choice. The eggs were poached to perfection, the hollandiase was just right and the ciabatta was a nice alternative to the usual Benedict foundation, the English muffin. My grandmother had the other version of the Benedict. This had ham and did not have goat cheese, but was very similar to my meal otherwise. She had the potatoes as her side and was very pleased with the meal.
Chas had an omelet and said his was fine, but nothing to write home about. He is not a huge fan of T Dub, so it might be hard for him to make an unbiased statement about anything there. Nikki ordered the shrimp and grits, against her better judgment and was greeted with what had initially deterred her...the portion size. This is the smallest dish at T Dub and its sister restaurant, A.W. Shucks and most of it is composed of grits, which are CHEAP. She was disappointed and said her own version of the dish is better and I do not doubt her. The meal looked pretty paltry. T Dub is back on my good list, but I advise you not to order the shrimp and grits. Anything else seems reliable. Like James Brown says 'get on the good foot'. I think T Dub is back on their good foot. Now, get some seasoning on those chips!

~Alex