Consistently, the best meals in this "best thing I ate" series have come from reader suggestions. Sure, I've stumbled onto some greatness on a whim, or by reading reviews online, or by asking around in the newsroom. But there's nothing better than when a local reader comes forth with an idea.
And that's the story this week. A former QuadCitian who has read the column from afar reached out on social media and recommended La Rancherita, a Rock Island Mexican restaurant that they said is a can't-miss institution. Just when I thought I'd made a dent in the local Mexican cuisine — Abarrotes Carrillo, Rio Grande, El Patron, Coya's Cafe, etc.
— here comes another curveball. But this World Series week, this was no strikeout. It was a home run.
In fact, it may be my new favorite dine-in Mexican food joint in town. Perhaps best of all, they're open on Mondays, a day notoriously difficult to find a lunch in the Quad-Cities. That's when I dropped into La Rancherita this week and left with a full belly and a fuller appreciation for the readers with great taste.
Often, when I know I might write about a restaurant, I try to order the wonkiest thing on the menu. Something so novel that you could only get it at this location. But on this particular lunch visit, I kept it simple: three tacos, refried beans and rice, AKA the Taco Dinner at La Rancherita.
Curious about which meat might be the best, I mixed and matched my tacos, trying them with pork, chicken and steak. You can also get groun.
