El Patron Round Two

Went back to El Patron Friday night to expound on my first assessment and try something new from the menu. Consider my original viewpoint reinforced.

The dining room was quite busy when we walked in. No surprise. It was Friday night. We got lucky and two people sitting at the bar were seated shortly after we arrived, so we snatched their seats and ordered two margaritas for further reconnaissance on the recipe. Turns out they were telling the truth: no Jose Cuervo mix here, but nothing special, either. The bartender last night used a heavy amount of tequila, a little triple sec and a little Rose's lime juice. No fresh lime juice. Too bad.

A few sips in, we were seated in a comfortable booth, near the spot we had last time (I have yet to be seated upstairs in the two story restaurant). It took almost no time to decide on the Enchiladas de Mole - three chicken-filled corn tortillas topped with chocolaty, deeply flavorful mole sauce and, as you can see, absolutely smothered Mexican cheese.

If you haven't had mole before, I highly suggest it, if the idea of its slightly sweet chocolate background flavor doesn't sound off-putting to your sensibilities. It's a labor-intensive, thick, dark sauce made from peppers and spices, grounds nuts or seeds and Mexican chocolate and is one of the most deep and complex tastes I've ever encounered. El Patron's was quite tasty, as was the shredded chicken inside the tortillas.

Fully stuffed after two Tostaditas covered in generous heapings of guacamole (the Guacamole con Tostaditas appetizer) and two enchiladas, I happily gave in to temptation and gobbled down the third enchilada, pushing my stomach past reasonable limits. If there was a fourth one there, I'd have demolished it, as well. There was something about the flavor of that mole against the moist, savory chicken that turned off the sensor in my brain that says "enough". They're absolutely scrumptious.

Decent margarita, simple but satisfying guac and intensely rich mole enchiladas. El Patron upholds its two napkin rating.