Cali n Tito's offers a Latin excursion

Cali n Tito's
1427 S. Lumpkin St.
706-227-9979

By TAHNI SEGARS

As soon as I walk through the squeaky hinged screen door at Cali n Tito’s and hear the quick, loud slap of the door hitting its raw, wooden frame, I’m transported to a faraway land. That very door is a portal to a small beachfront restaurant on the coast of some South American country. Perhaps Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica or Belize. The atmosphere here takes me right up to the warm and inviting sandy shore via an authentic Latin food experience.

Most of the seating is outdoors, so this dining event is more suitable for nice, warm weather, but the restaurant also offers a small section of tables inside and expands the dining room in cooler weather with a plastic tent and heaters. Under my feet, I hear the crunch of sand and pebbles, as I approach the long line of hungry patrons waiting to place their order at the counter. The progression of eager diners yearning for a bite of the sweet and savory smell that fills the air twists and weaves through the tables.

At a worn, wooden picnic table with a few friends and a cooler in tow, we took advantage of one of Cali n Tito’s most enjoyable features: its BYOB status. For just $2 a person, Cali n Tito’s allows its visitors to bring their own brews. The tables and chairs around us are an eclectic mixture of furniture. It seems that no two items match. The tables are of varying heights. The chairs range from wooden benches to orange plastic chairs common in grade schools in decades past. An old wooden boat with chipped paint serves as a water feature in front of the restaurant. At night, the lighting is intimate with a few bell-shaped fixtures hanging from wooden beams and strands of stringed lights placed around the dining room. The walls and ceilings are heavily adorned with eclectic accoutrement — a bevy of baskets, blankets and Spanish posters.

When the food arrives, it’s clear this is quality fare. The portions around the table are generous. The ingredients are brightly colored and fresh. The chicken quesadilla, simple in its construction and contents (a folded tortilla of white rice, pinto beans, chicken and cheese), offers some complexity and depth when accompanied by the side sauces and offerings — lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and tomatillo sauce. The warm slices of the quesadilla serve as a hearty base for the cool sour cream and guac, while the tomatillo sauce adds a little spicy kick. The dish also comes with a spicy green sauce made mostly of green peppers, onions and jalapeños, but its aftertaste isn’t pleasant. There’s a hint of something bitter and sour left behind, not to mention its watery, green appearance isn’t exactly inviting. The fish tacos are topped with cole slaw, providing the perfect combination of a crunchy slaw with soft, warm fish. A faint whisper of something slightly sugary lingers on the tongue. Tito’s Big Burrito, a huge serving of steak, green peppers, onions, lettuce, cheese and mushrooms, was nothing short of delicious and messy — the kind of messy you don’t mind licking off your fingers.

And now for the sides. The real winners are the maduros and the yucca frita. The maduros, sweet plantains, come in a plastic red basket. The warm, smooth texture is comforting and the plantains are larger than those typically served in Latin restaurants. The yucca frita, or fried cassava, is cooked perfectly. It is like a firm, thick-cut french-fry with a little more flavor and a bit more of a starchy texture. The real star of this side dish is the sauce. Every table comes equipped with a bottle of this delicious creamy dipping sauce. With the look of Thousand Island dressing, it’s very familiar in appearance. Its cool and refreshing taste gives the yucca frita an inviting sweet flavor.

Cali n Tito’s is no fine dining affair, but its eclectic, casual atmosphere, complete with a grainy, turn-knob TV perched in a dark corner, tuned to a soccer game, gives the feel of a Mexican beach bar with a superb local menu. The menu includes favorites from Peru, Cuba and several other South American countries. This Latin dining experience is worth the wait in line and the lingering smell of onions that follow as I walk away with satisfaction and the assurance that I’d be coming back.