FOOD: Monterey Grill in Biloxi, MS

I watched them slowly build Monterey Grill / Cafe / Cantina , on Pass Road, in Biloxi, MS, across the better part of six months. So the property is brand new. Means it is very nice and very clean. Some interesting murals, too. I especially liked the fact that there was a full length glass partition between the bar (ie: smoking section) and the rest of the place (non-smoking.) Since we took our Meg and her cousin Alex, it was nice that we didn't have to worry about sitting too close to the bar. A smoke free dinner is a great dinner.

I had the "Monterey Special" which is three burritos prepared with three different ingredients and covered with a cheese sauce. The first burrito was of the fairly traditional steak (ground beef?) variety. Good stuff. Liked the seasoning. Liked the flavor of the meat and the cheese. Didn't even spice it up with salsa. The second burrito was my favorite: spinach! Never had that anywhere else. It was fantastic. Very tender spinach. Great idea, if they came up with it. The third burrito was chicken. Nothing surprising or overly interesting about it, though. Paled in comparison to the first two. Next time, I'm going to try to order ala cart, with two beef and two spinach, with red sauce on them. (Mister Parker at the office recommends the red sauce!) And I didn't like how NOTHING else came on the dish. No beans, no rice. Nada. Could have been a better presentation, too.

Cindy had the shrimp burritos. She was a big fan. Said the tortillas were very fresh, the ingredients were very fresh, and the shrimp were not only huge but also well prepared. And her dish came with several extras. Much better presentation. All told, she loved it. She said it is her new favorite Mexican spot. Well worth the extra travel time.

The kids had cheese quesadilla. I think they mainly enjoyed being out, being together, and not having any boys around to distract them and be silly.

Cindy and I had a drink from the bar. She had a clever frozen drink that I can't remember. I had a margarita on the rocks. Both were good and adequately priced.

The price of the meal, as a whole, wasn't too bad. With the tip it barely broke $50.

We'll be back. Maybe this weekend.