MARIO'S PERUVIAN RESTAURANT in LA MIRADA!!??

i know, i know. you are skeptical. you think, there is NO WAY IN HELL it's the same MARIO'S PERUVIAN RESTAURANT as on Melrose and Vine, next to the Radio Shack and Popeye's, across the street from that church. there is absolutely no way it is the same saltado de ______, the same ceviche mixto, the same inka cola, for chrissakes.

then, you pull into a parking lot across from a steinmart and a mexican restaurant, next to a burger place, on the intersection of IMPERIAL HIGHWAY and SANTA GERTRUDES in la mirada. the place looks like an old Coco's Restaurant, which in fact, it IS. you walk up to the door, and there is no queue of ravenous mario's lovers. you walk inside and you're greeted by a manager guy in beige shirt and slacks. you're seated in what definitely used to be a Coco's Restaurant. then, they hand you the menu...

YES! it is the same menu, pale yellow in colour, laminated, with the peruvian carving/design on the cover with the black block lettering. you're thinking, "hmmm, could this possibly be the same mario's?" YES, it is the SAME saltado, ceviche, and inka cola...and the flan...except, NO HOUR LONG+ WAIT FOR A TABLE! in fact, the food is as fast as the original store, but there are many, many empty tables waiting for you to fill!

i have gone to the original location for over ten years now. i have travelled from my home in orange county to the original location in hollywood. i used to bring it home on occasion, condensation on the inside of the styrofoam container, devouring my bread after dipping it in the perfectly spicy green sauce on the drive home. NOW, it is YOUR turn to take a little drive to Mario's in La Mirada. you won't regret it. oh, but don't forget to ask for some lemon.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=34.02364,-117.997284&spn=0.241865,0.450439&z=11&om=1&msid=115329167909327958751.000440d5fd0e73fbbce2a

nice and easy was nice and fun...and plastic

went to the nice and easy store in la mirada california on santa gertrudes and imperial highway. it was a weird combination of trader joe's and albertsons, with the lighting of 'one hour photo' thrown in.

IT'S LIKE TRADER JOE'S!

• cheap cage free eggs
• tons of their own 'nice and easy' brand
• pasta is 69 cents for a pound
• organic this and whole wheat that
• super friendly employees
• decent wine section

IT'S LIKE ALBERTSONS!

• self checkout
• accepts coupons
• name brand stuff like fritos and stouffers
• lots of fresh meat [sausages with i think synthetic casing] and fish [we're talking freaking catfish with their heads and whiskers!!!?]

i guess i was bummed about their supposed green approach, which in reality meant: plastic wrappers on individual pieces of produce, and 'reusable' shopping bags, which were like those huge plastic to-go bags that you get at buca di beppo's, except sans the sturdy cardboard bottom. the thing about these is, once they're worn out, you turn them to the store for another plastic bag!??

i was also bummed cos the store wasn't fully stocked [read: shelves were empty];the nice and easy chips are in 10-ounce bags only [although still less than $2.50];and although they carry secret and mitchum deodorant, they don't carry mentadent toothpaste or filo dough.

we went out of our way to shop here tonight, and i think i'd go there in the same way i go out of the way to shop at trader joe's. plus, the food actually tastes pretty damn good. the thing i REALLY like about nice and easy, though, is how they are committed to serving underserved communities with their healthy, somewhat green approach. that's a LOT more than trader joe's can say, with their cropping up in every bougie neighbourhood that doesn't have a whole foods.

shop there and tell me what you think.