Do I like nachos? Where do I stand on molten processed cheese? Do I object to beans and guacamole? Yes, I love nachos. I order them reflexively in airport bars. But, out of respect to Ignacio Anaya, I have to say that quality begins with first-rate ingredients — real cheddar, real corn tortilla chips, plenty of jalapeño slices. And whatever else you want to throw on.

That's just what I found on the way south to Eagle Pass, at El Chile Cafe y Cantina in Austin, near the University of Texas. My guess is that this skillful kitchen, in the heart of the heart of Tex-Mex food, cooks nachos tongue-in-cheek. But they're delicious, because the ingredients are all treated with respect.

They do not do this well in Paris, where I recently ate some nachos across the Seine from Notre Dame. If you happen to be in France tomorrow and you insist on watching the game in real time, The Great Canadian will satisfy your Super Bowl lust with real- time action on several wide screens fed by satellites. Skip the nachos. Mine consisted of a dismal pile of chips with a gluey topping of Emmenthal cheese, var- ious other pseudo-Mexican additions, served luke- warm and with barely three pepper slices. Best to eat dinner in a real restaurant and then slouch over to watch the game, chat up barmaid Trish from Toronto and wish you were at home making your own nachos in your own way.