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Rhapsody Owner’s Roots Mix With Local Needs

Many new dinner items will have Mexican flare.

 
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These pork chops served at Rhapsody Cafe in Deerfield come with a southwestern black bean hash and salsa verde guacamole.
Photos (6)

Photos

When Rhapsody Café owner Ramon Abarca wanted to enhance his dinner menu, he found his personal roots fit in with a Deerfield need.

The Village does not have a Mexican restaurant and Abarca was born and raised in Mexico. He knew he wanted to expand his dinner menu—the eatery is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner—and was looking for the best way.

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“Deerfield has a lot of Italian restaurants and no Mexican so why not go back to my roots,” Abarca said. “Of the 60 items on the menu, at least one half will be Mexican dishes.”

The new items include filet mignon fajitas, a ranchero combo featuring a skirt steak and chili relleno with beans and rice, shrimp jambalaya with andouille sausage, egg plant parmesan and thinly sliced pork chops with black bean hash and salsa verde guacamole.

“A thicker pork chop is easier to cook but the taste is enhanced for a thin one by the char broiler,” Abarca said. Abarca is also proud of the egg plant parmesan which some customers have told him is the best in town. “It is 100 percent vegetarian so it serves a double purpose.”

Take a look at the pictures and descriptions of the five items and let us know which one most appeals to you.

Dining is also not the only thing that goes on at Rhapsody. On Wednesday afternoons a group of women gather for lunch and either Maj Jongg or Canasta. “They are very loyal customers,” Abarca said.

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Related Topics: Mexican Food, New menu items, Rhapsody Cafe, and Southwestern food

JPBB

9:02 am on Friday, March 1, 2013

Ramon is the best, and if you haven't been to Rhapsody, you must go ! Pitchers of ice water on each table at all times ! Sandwiches (tuna,chicken salad) come with a small side salad. Support a local business. Ps. It not only old ladies as the picture suggests.

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Joe S.

9:19 am on Friday, March 1, 2013

I love this restaurant and Ramon and his wife and son are awesome. You can customize anything on the menu with ZERO questions. Why? because everything is made to order, no microwaves used here. And his soups are to die for.

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Redhead

9:43 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013

This is such a terrific restaurant and Ramon deserves to be patronized - there isn't a nicer guy or one who is more into providing quality food for his customers. The decor may not be fancy, but it is homey and comfortable with a wide price point and good variety of choices. I can't go too long without my egg white chili omelet (I know, it sounds yucky but it is addictive!). My husband has eaten just about everything on the menu - he makes very good liver and onions, wonderful chicken dishes, grand soups, and his steak one night was delicious. Sandwiches and salads are always good too. The best bargain in town - at least as good as some of the fancy places around town! Run, don't walk!

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