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Open bottle of Valentina salsa picante on the table, Univision’s congenially nutty noon-hour game show Buenas Tardes slightly too loud on the telly, a basket of warm, salty, and somewhat greasy chips arriving within a minute of sitting down--the familiarity of a Tex-Mex restaurant is like a comforting embrace. And while we’re going to leave a full review of this newish upper Broadway stop for an evening when we’re hungrier, do note that Carolina’s also serves that wonderful El Salvadoran treat, the pupusa. Basically thick harina de maize tortillas filled with yummy goodness--such as cheese or pork or cheese or beans or cheese or jalapeños or cheese or veggies and did we mention cheese?--you can order these à la carte as an appetizer or go for the plate ($5.95) that offers three hot, fresh pupusas with sides of rice, beans, and a tartly palate-cleansing scoop of slaw. Accent these bad boys with sides of OK pico de gallo (50 cents) and fantastically fresh guacamole ($1.50) and you’ve got plenty of tasty reasons to come back and sample the rest of the menu. We are so checking out the lengua tacos next time around.

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