EL SALVADOR IN THE SUBURBS

[June 29th, 2005] Located on Beaverton's quiet main drag, Gloria's Secret Cafe is easy to pass by without even noticing. It's worth the effort to find it, though, as the restaurant is sure to school all in El Salvadorean cuisine. The dishes are reliably good, the atmosphere warm and kitschy, and the staff overwhelmingly welcoming.

The brightly painted restaurant, decorated with a pair of faux aquariums, is tiny-just two four-tops and counter-seating facing the street. It's cramped, but the grub and owner Gloria Vargas' expansive personality are reasons enough to squeeze in. Most of the time Vargas, an El Salvador native, is both chef and server, which means a visit to this Central America-in-the-suburbs is a little like going to a friend's house for a terrific home-cooked meal.

Vargas' cooking origins are equally modest: While living in Laguna Beach, Calif., this restaurant dishwasher dove into recipe experimentation after she found a book on paella at a garage sale. Soon she relocated to the Portland area and graduated to a repertoire of seasonal salsas, many of which she still makes fresh for the Beaverton Farmers Market. She opened her under-the-radar cafe two years ago.

Each meal begins with a free helping of fresh tortilla chips and a dish of that salsa, a tantalizing blend of peppers, tomatillos, tomatoes and raisins that dances across your palate with a long-lingering finish.

Tamales ($5.50-$9.95) arrive on the traditional bed of banana leaves, looming large, with a thick layer of corn masa surrounding the mildly spiced filling of chicken. This dish is excellent with a side of Vargas' smoky chipotle sauce. Every meal is accompanied with a lovely cabbage salad, addictively spiced black beans and light, fluffy rice.

The chile verde ($10.50) is loaded with the layered flavors of tomatillos, pork, lime, chiles, garlic, cilantro and cumin, and is topped with a bit of melting cheese and a dollop of sour cream. The chicken mole ($7.95), another great pick, is homemade and exceptionally complex for the price. A common Latin American dish with many variations, Gloria's chuletas ($6.75-$10.50) consist of pork or steak in a sauce of tomato, onions and peppers, and is served with salad, black beans and a flavorful rice to soak up the sauce.

Last time I was there, I asked for her flan dessert ($3.50). The proprietress apologized profusely-she'd run out. "You probably wouldn't like it anyway," Vargas said. "It's different. A layer of bananas, then custard, topped with coconut. Very unusual." I did a double-take. I used to have a flan just like that at a little restaurant in Los Angeles. "Gardens of Taxco?" I asked. It turns out that's where she had gotten the idea. Letting Vargas guide you through her own vision of her homeland's food, is what makes this Secret such a find.

A freelance writer, Chuck Gilkison has been eating for almost 50 years.