Many people have a daily routine: wake up, get dressed, brush our teeth and take a shower. For me, I go to La Salsa.

That’s why I was traumatized to hear that the Mexican restaurant in downtown Fairfield will be closed for at least two weeks because of a serious fire that occurred at 3 a.m. last Thursday, according to the establishment’s owner Gary Dean.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. I am putting my money on the habanera sauce. That stuff has so much kick that it should a warning label above the tin that contains it saying to wash your hands before touching your eyes.

Word spread through campus quickly, as La Salsa has been a fixture of the Fairfield University community for a number of years. Known for its fast and fresh food, the eatery has prided itself on simplicity.

La Salsa’s manager Miguel Rosas, said that the staff is ‘a little upset that they will be out of business for that time. Fortunately, Dean has decided to pay the workers for the work they will miss.

‘We will all be taking little vacations,’ said Rosas.

But for some La Salsa customers, it may be a period’ of withdrawal’ and remorse rather than a vacation.

During my conversation with Rosas, I explained that I order either the taco salad or, my personal favorite, two taquitos and four quesadillas. Rosas immediately recognized that the latter was the number two special. This is when I knew we were on the same level.

To understand the importance of La Salsa in my life, you would have to go back to a conversation I had with my friend explaining my transition out of Barone:

‘The Stag was my gateway drug. La Salsa has now become my hook. I am going to need a fix soon.’

As soon as news of the La Salsa fire broke, people began texting me, asking if ‘I was going to be OK’ or that they were ‘sorry for my loss.’

I do not know if I could go seven days, let alone seven weeks, without a fresh taco salad or a number two with cheese. I think I am going to need a Mexican food patch or join a ‘La Salsaholics Anonymous.’

College students have all but two things present in their lives: time and money. La Salsa gets that. I could not figure out how a dinner could be as quick and cheap as McDonald’s but with the same quality and quantity as Joe’s American Bar and Grill.

I have used many of my frequent flyer miles driving to the point that separates Old Post Road and Kings Highway in downtown Fairfield. When most people think about a restaurant closing for three weeks, they do not think about how it could affect the lives of the customers that worship the kitchen that produces such incredibly authentic cuisine.

‘A lot of customers have been stopping by and saying they were sorry to hear and are excited for the restaurant to reopen,’ said Rosas.

I stumbled upon a Facebook group titled ‘La Salsa R.I.P.’ The group also said that La Salsa will surely be missed.

If I was La Salsa, mounting a comeback on a marketing campaign, I would use the slogan, ‘We told you not to mess with that habanera stuff.’

Let me be clear; this column is not an obituary. La Salsa will re-open. It will be stronger, spicier and even fresher than ever.

As I drove out of the parking lot after talking to Rosas, only one thought crossed my mind: ‘Now where am I going to eat lunch?’

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