(Image credit: latimes.com)8512 Santa Monica Blvd. (at La Cienega), (310) 289-0077, gogomexico.com
I'm a quarter Mexican, and Alexis is a native Angeleno; put us together and you have two very, very white people who love a good plate of enchiladas with a margarita. So it's a good thing we have Mexico, because we're sure as hell not going to Fiesta Cantina across the street. (Have you walked by that place? It could be Tuesday afternoon and it's like New Year's frickin' Eve in there. Mexico is festive too; it's just not Spring-Break-in-Cancun festive.)
The menu is small and focused. Where your El restaurants (Coyote and Torito, mainly) tend to have an entire novella devoted to tamale choices, Mexico fits its entrees, apps, drinks and desserts all on a single page. The limited selections were somewhat worrisome this time-- we took Divaker with us, and having eaten many a Mexican dinner with him over the years, I can attest to the fact that the man does not tolerate any so-called "vegetables" invading the sanctity of his cheese enchiladas. Fortunately, customizations are available upon request, so he was a satisfied customer. The plates echo the menu in their emphasis on quality over quantity; you can order the guacamole plate, dinner, and a slice of cake without fear of being carted away in a wheelbarrow. Speaking of which: the guac, served in a small dish inside an avocado shell, is chunky and delicious. Our go-to entrees as vegetarians are the vegetable enchiladas and chile relleno, both of which the restaurant pulls off with consistent panache.
Since the place is open late and has two levels of outdoor seating, it also makes a great choice for a late-evening drink. (Comes in handy if you've been underwhelmed by the booze at Spanish Kitchen.) The eclectic alcohol choices reflect Mexico's ownership (it was dreamt up by Larry Nicola of Nic's Martini Lounge) and include the tamarind-infused Cabo de Noche, the Mamasita Mojito (a sort of Brazilian-Cuban hybrid made with cachaca instead of rum), and about a zillion different margaritas. And you know what goes great with a midnight drink? No, not french fries. Well, yes, french fries, but I'm talking about dessert. The Mexican Chocolate Wedding Cake is my recommendation, at least in part because it tastes nothing like it sounds. The first time I ordered it I was expecting a huge, gooey, butter-cream-iced slab; and I got a modest (but filling) section of a lightly spiced, very subtly chocolate cake that reminded me most of German Christmas cookies from my youth in the snowy hills of Baden-Württemberg.*
*That sentence is 100% true except for the last six words.
1 comments:
On the white guilt theme, I don't feel bad at all here, since all the waitresses, although a good pool of fodder for a nice booze-infused game of lesbian-themed Who Would You Rather, are even whiter than I am. I am fairly certain that I am the best Spanish speaker in the place at least 3 out of 4 times that we go.
Post a Comment