Frida's: More Than Just Contemporary Mexican

Restaurant: Frida's Contemporary Mexican Cuisine
Location: 14861 Metcalf, OP KS
Food: Upscale Mexican
Service: Traditional Waitstaff
Atmosphere: Suburban Strip Mall Mexican
Price: Apps $7-$9, Entrees $15-$19
Rating: 3 Napkins

A couple years ago, here in Kansas City there were just two types of Mexican restaurants: bustling family-friendly Americanized places specializing in burrito platters and those salads that come in a big fried tortilla bowl, and smaller holes in the wall that had a higher degree of Mexican authenticity but mostly unremarkable atmosphere. The former are typically staples of the busy suburban/white areas of town, and the latter dotted Southwest Boulevard and KCK near actual Mexican neighborhoods. There's tasty food to be found in both locations but they all left me wondering whether this really was all we should expect from Mexican cuisine.

There was also the freakish Mi Cocina on the plaza, a clubby over-priced hot spot with a curious basement drunk partiers would think of late on a Friday night… perhaps the closest thing to an upscale Mexican place in town, but with a reputation for bad food and worse service that led to a collective public understanding that it was on its way out. And soon enough it did croak.

All the while, my affinity for good Mexican food has grown. What started as a weekly pilgrimage to the rug rats’ heaven that is The Salty Iguana in Prairie Village gave way to a new found love for asada and adovada street tacos at Cancun Fiesta Fresh and Tacos el Pastor and Enchiladas de Mole at El Patron. I lost my taste for the concept of ground beef in a basketball-sized flour tortilla covered with cheddar and iceberg and migrated to fresh corn tortillas, slow cooked pork and beef, cilantro and raw onion. And as my tastes have mutated, I believe the Mexican restaurant scene in Kansas City has been evolving.

I surmise this with three relatively new Mexican restaurants in mind: Frida's Contemporary Mexican Cuisine, Zocalo and Mestizo, all of which tout a more sophisticated and proud Mexican dining experience. And of the three new joints, I've started by trying the elder of the group, Frida's.

Frida's, indeed, offers just what I think we've needed in Mexican cuisine for so long: good, carefully prepared and authentic Mexican food in a more sophisticated, cleaned-up atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, the dirty little taquerias have their place and their food is great for what it is, but we've needed a Mexican restaurant that felt nice inside and Frida's provides just that.

My opinion of the atmosphere at Frida's isn't entirely positive, though. After the solid 30 minute drive southward to their 149th & Metcalf location, I found Frida's to be typical of an upscale south KC-suburban restaurant, located in a nondescript strip mall, with mostly forgettable but perfectly suitable decor, enhanced with nice Frida Kahlo-themed touches. It's not at all unpleasant but neither is it noteworthy. Suburban-classy or suburban business casual is how I'd term it.

But for however normal the decor may be, the food is equally as much a surprise if you're not in the know about what they serve there. The food at Frida's is special, flat-out. Heck, just go to the website and check out the hero shots of some of their specialties on the home page and instantly you'll see what I mean. The dishes are beautifully plated on artful white dishes... a far cry from the cafeteria-style black heatproof plastic and aluminum trays they plunk down in front of you at, say, Ponak's. Then peruse the menu and you'll start picking up on ingredients you didn't even know were part of authentic Mexican cuisine. Pomegranate seeds, slivered almonds, raisins, walnut cream sauce... sound like your usual Friday night chiles relleno in Johnson County? Not quite. But that's basically what I ordered and all those ingredients were included.

The dish was called Chile en Nogada and it darn-near blew my mind. And not just because it was spicy--which it was. It's basically two stuffed poblanos in a cream sauce but the refinement and preparation of this dish were wonderful. First, I noticed that the waxy, touch skin on the chiles had been removed, which made them infinitely more enjoyable and easy to eat. Great touch. Stuffed inside each (there were two) was a sweet mixture of small strips of grilled beef, lots of slivered almonds and plump, juicy raisins. The green chiles came smothered in--not stringy, cheap yellow cheese--but a wonderfully decadent walnut cream sauce and bright red pomegranate seeds.

The flavors of the dish play off each other in amazing ways. There's the initial sweetness of the raisins and cream sauce, balanced nicely with the core flavor of beef and the meaty flesh of the poblanos, offset with a pop of acid from the pomegranates, all of which is layered with an undertone of chile pepper spice. Great layers of flavor! Poblanos can be very mild or fairly spicy depending on the individual peppers and these two babies were high on the Scoville scale. Hot enough, in fact, that I had a full-on stomach ache after finishing just one, but I cared not. I was in heaven.

Separating the Mexican flag-colored chiles was a nice big lump of green rice that, too, was far better than average but was mostly lost on my dazzled palette by the time I got to it.

Elizabeth opted for the chicken. Number 24, actually, called Pollo en Hoja Santa. Her rectangular platter came with two thinly pounded, grilled pieces of chicken which were unimaginably moist thanks, I'd say, to the technique of being wrapped in the hoja santa leaf when initially cooked (I'm dying to go back into the kitchen and see how this dish all comes together - I've never had chicken like this before). The chicken was folded around generous hunks of creamy goat cheese and wonderfully flavorful sauteed squash blossoms. The whole thing is sauced lightly with a tomatillo almond concoction that lends some bright acidity to the rich, cheesy chicken.

We loved it. We loved both entrees. And with the clearly discernible buzz from our giant margaritas to compliment the fantastic Mexican food, we were blissful.

So the tough question we debated in the car on the way home was: would we be back? Truth be told, we don't venture south of 95th much when there's as much good stuff in midtown/plaza/brookside/westport/downtown, so much closer to home. Frida's is half way to Tulsa, it's a little pricey (by Mexican restaurant standards) and the atmosphere isn't terribly remarkable. The real answer is that only time will tell. But I have the feeling I'll be seeking excuses to make a return voyage and see what other delights are in store on the menu. Everyone in KC who enjoys Mexican food owes him/herself at least one dinner out at Frida's.

And look for comparison posts in the future when I've had the chance to check out Mestizo and Zocalo.

Rating: 3 Napkins

Port Fonda: Taco Tweets

Restaurant: Port Fonda (food truck)

Location: Crossroads (follow @PortFondaKC)

Food: Authentic Mexican with a flare

Service: Walk-up window

Atmosphere: n/a

Price: Single-digit selections

Rating: two napkins

Five years ago, I had no idea the process of making dinner reservations would become a game of cat and mouse involving social networking applications on my mobile device.

Five years ago, I had no idea that some of the city’s yummiest food would be served out of trucks and Airstream trailers.

Enter: @Portfondakc

These guys, cooking fun, authentic Mexican street food out of a gleaming chrome Airstream trailer, usually in the Crossroads downtown, have become the most shining (literally) representation of the nation’s food truck craze in Kansas City.

The hardwood trimmed main door to the trailer, held open at 180 degrees, serves as the life-sized daily menu board for Port Fonda. Each day they feature a handful of street food-themed selections for downtown lunchers who know where to find the truck. Figuring that out is easy, but requires some digital savvy; the proprietors make their location known via Tweets from their Twitter handle, @PortFondaKC. Their most common landing pad is the parking lot on 20th next to The Rieger Hotel Grill & Exchange.

When I showed up with coworkers Erin and Brandi the other day, we found several other friends from the office there, too. And therein lies the intrigue of the Food Truck methodology. We felt as though we were heading out to a secretive underground food connection that only a few of those who are in-the-know would find. And yet, what we actually discovered was a festive gathering of friends, excitedly deciding their orders, hanging out on the curb oohing and ahhing over their delicious food and generally enjoying the escape from the office. It’s a great way to spend a lunch hour, start off or recap a night out carousing.

On this particular day, I tried three different items. I’m a bit of a torta freak, so I had the Ahogada version: lots of slow-cooked, shredded beef short rib meat and rancho gordo beans with chile de arbol and pickled onions, adorned with some crema. Surprise number one was that it was served in a horizontal bun type of carrier instead of on flat bread, as is traditional. This was likely a calculated decision by the chef to make the sandwich easier to pick up and eat with one hand, hot dog style, rather than needing two hands—a thoughtful gesture knowing his customers are, most often, eating the food right then and there on the curb with no table to accommodate plates, napkins and perched elbows for two-handed sandwich eating.

The sandwich was massively filling and the meat was cooked perfectly. Being short rib, it was fatty, though, so the guilt factor was pretty high by the time I was done with it. Leaner beef or pork would have been better for me but I’m sure a lot of people like the luxurious fatty short rib and it made for heightened interest.

The tacos, though, were the star. These were carnitas tacos, so basically Mexican pulled pork. So much flavor and such great texture! And with the addition of pineapple, adobo, onion and cilantro, were nearly a classic serving of Tacos al Pastor, one of my favorite Mexican treats. After tasting my taco, I honestly wished I could give back the torta and have more of them. Not a knock on the torta but a testament to how good the tacos were.

A special that day were the chilaquiles. I’m not the biggest fan of chilaquiles which are like smothered tortilla chips (purposely saturated, not crunchy like a nacho) as I find them to be more filling than delicious. These came with chorizo verde – herb, spice and chile-infused chorizo sausage – as well as crema, salsa de mocajete and a fried egg on top. They were, true to form, quite filling but the flavors infused in them were delicious. Probably the perfect food for alcohol saturation after a long night of drinking.

Altogether, my first impression of Port Fonda was strong. As the choices for Mexican food get stronger and stronger in Kansas City with heavier emphasis on serving authentic dishes over yellow cheese-slathered Tex-Mex dishes, Port Fonda holds its own and then some.

Adding to its intrigue, Port Fonda also does private dinners in the tiny sitting area toward the front of the trailer. Reservations fill up months in advance and the menus—still authentic Mexican cuisine—sound divine. I hope to get in on the action soon and report back on the experience.

Rating: two napkins

  

Burrito Joe's Moves In on 39th

Restaurant: Burrito Joe's

Location: 1403 W. 39th, KC MO

Food: Burrito plates, mostly

Service: Traditional waitstaff

Atmosphere: Casual

Price: Cheap eats!
Rating: two napkins

A Chinese restaurant called Szechuan used to inhabit the corner spot at 1403 W. 39th, across from Donna’s Dress Shop. But it’s gone now. I know. I, too, am shocked.

The new lessee is KC restaurant veteran Jose Mendoza Jr., whose former establishments include Mendoza’s Deli and Elijios Cantina. The new place: a Mexican concept called Burrito Joe’s. The Chipotle just west of Burrito Joe’s on 39th is a staple of my weekend lunches and the idea of local competition immediately drew my interest. And truthfully, new restaurants opening up in historically unsuccessful locations like the former Szechuan garner my instinctual gawking, like driving by a bad traffic accident. I giggle shamelessly when I see these predictably empty dining rooms with staff perched on bar stools watching Sportscenter, trying to pass the time. But it’ sad. I really shouldn’t.

Burrito Joe’s doesn’t look like much from the outside, at least not yet. I like the corner-facing doorway and its big gas lamps (though right now they’re shrouded by a nasty maroon awning) but it could definitely use some kind of sprucing up for added curb appeal. On the inside, I found it to be more cozy than Szechuan had been (yes, I did eat at Szechuan, but it was so unremarkable and pathetically void of business, I knew it just wasn’t going to make it and felt it would be kicking a man while he was down to give it a one napkin review in that state; it wasn’t too bad, though).

There’s a fresh coat of paint on the walls—white and red—and new carpeting throughout. While a big U-shaped wooden bar eats up the center of the floor, currently unused as their liquor license is still a few weeks away, I noticed the space is larger than I’d thought previously. On the East side there are several booths and tables, a few small tables lining the north wall by the big windows, more tables and booths on the West side and then, through a curtain, an unused secondary dining area.

Overall, the space isn’t impressive, but it’s not offensive, either. Given the relatively simple and fun concept it espouses, though, a small menu basically focused on big burrito plates, I couldn’t help comparing it to Chipotle and thinking Burrito Joe’s needed to step up the liveliness a bit. After eating the food, though, I backed off this notion.

Yes, the menu is comparable to Chipotle. They serve burritos with a few obligatory alternative entrees for those who refuse to conform. But no, they’re not going to be a faceless corporate quick service restaurant. Although an in-n-out style of service is apparently in the works, the vibe conveyed at Burrito Joe’s through their food and even their service is one more along the lines of an informal Mexican family meal. And not a fancy, massive Sunday afternoon family feast, but something on a smaller, more intimate scale. It’s almost like the feeling of being a kid at home, going into the kitchen at lunch time and your mom (assume your mom is Mexican) happily asks, “What would you like for lunch? I can make up a burrito for you!” Friendly, casual, informal, and they’ve got just the right mix of ingredients to pull together exactly what your empty stomach needs.

Burrito Joe’s serves breakfast, so I’ll be returning sometime to review that, but on our trip it was lunchtime. I was pleased to be served free chips and salsa to start—a bonus not offered at Chipotle—which were decent but not revelatory. The salsa seemed fresh enough, but for whatever reason lacked flavor. It reminded me of the salsa at Manny’s, but better. Hot and mild are both provided.

We tried two different burritos, two different ways: first, one of their three vegetarian burritos, called The Happy Veggie Burrito. Going vegetarian is a good way to keep the calories in check when eating Mexican food, which can be awfully taxing but I refuse to cut out of my diet, so I was excited to see they hadn’t skipped this important option. It hit the spot, too, filled with deliciously grilled veggies like peppers and onions, either squash or zucchini, and black beans. Inside, too, there was a sauce to bind the ingredients a little.

I’ve gotta pause and mention the tortilla in specific, though. It stole the show. At first glance, these tortillas almost garner a double take as they’re slightly yellow in color and thicker than what one normally finds in a tortilla. My inquiry to our server, however, yielded the fantastic news that the Mendoza’s grandmother (Abuelita) makes the tortillas herself! A homemade tortillas is a thing of beauty, like homemade bread. The mass-produced stuff is normally a fine product and tastes fine, too, but the homemade tortilla just reeks of care, comfort and love. It’s the je ne sais quoi (how do you say that in Spanish?) of Mexican cooking. Almost crepe-like in appearance and texture, but tasting more of flour than an eggy crepe does, these tortillas had a major impact on my opinion of our food at Burrito Joe’s.

The second choice was a beef burrito, which can be ordered with ground or cubed/shredded beef. Loving slowly braised, fall-apart meats, I always opt for shredded over ground when I get the chance, and I was not disappointed in the least. The beef inside this burrito was, indeed, incredibly tender, a dark hue showing that it had been saturated in a seasoned liquid and its own juices for an extended period of flavor-fortifying and texture-perfecting time. Smoothing out the beefiness of the burrito were creamy refried beans.

I ordered my burrito with queso fresco and then opted to make it a spread for an extra buck, meaning it gets topped with more meat, sauce and cheese and reheated to melt the cheese. This turned out to be a dollar well-spent. The sauce and melted cheese really dress up the tortilla and please the eyes when the platter is placed on the table in front of hungry diners.

Burritos come with a side of rice, as well as lettuce and diced tomatoes, both of which actually appeared to be fresh, a somewhat shocking revelation as far as burrito accoutrements go. We ordered up a half-sized portion of guacamole for $2.75 which was a fairly generous cup-full. It was super-creamy which, to me, isn’t necessarily a great thing, but overall it was a pleasant addition.

We cleaned our plates but had to roll ourselves out the door. We were stuffed and I remained so until late that evening.

In the end, I left Burrito Joe’s surprised. I liked it quite a bit more than expected. I liked that it was a little different than the other Mexican restaurants around—more focused in its offering with a killer hook: those homemade tortillas. I was impressed with the value; for fast food prices, we got large burritos with a side of rice and free chips and salsa. And to have it right there on 39th, owned and operated in a space I’d love to see successfully inhabited by a Kansas City family was a special kicker for me. It will be interesting to see how they do, as well as interesting to see whether it truly reels me back in for repeat visits or not. I can’t quite tell if I’ll become a regular at Burrito Joe’s or not, but my first trip in was definitely enoucouraging.

Rating: two napkins

More Mexican Mediocrity

Restaurant: Paparico’s
Location: 8314 Wornall, Waldo, MO

Food: Mexican

Service: Friendly, traditional waitstaff

Atmosphere: Disappointing.

Price: What you'd expect.

Rating: zero napkins

What can a restaurant blogger say about a place like Paparico’s?

Friends said they loved it; their favorite new neighborhood Mexican joint. Then a cheap Muncharoo certificate became available so we jumped on it and a few days later we’re sitting in a sad, ugly restaurant with one other full table completely depressed.

The problem is that I am definitely becoming a dreadful,  unapologetic Mexican food snob. I don’t really know why but the utterance of the half-words “Tex” and “Mex” brings an uncontrollable sneer to my upper lip. I scoff at misused sour cream or shredded cheddar cheese at phony Americanized Mexican cantinas.

I can’t take it anymore. I’m absolutely yearning for an innovative, contemporary yet authentic Mexican restaurant in this city (thus, secretly hoping the rumors of an Aaron Sanchez-owned spot come true).

And so it was with this Mexican food baggage that I arrived at Paparico’s, admittedly skeptical, but hungry and hoping only for something adequate. Unfortunately, adequate turned out to be the nicest word I could use to describe our experience.

There’s no need to go into much detail about this place. The staff was nice and eager to serve. They were prompt and friendly. The salsa was fresh and tasty. Better than a lot that you find in KC. The atmosphere was glum. Décor is relegated to a massive lineup of plastic two liter and glass soda bottles. And piñatas. Ancient, dated-looking wood paneling consumes the dank space.

My pork tamales were decent, with the requisite rice and refried beans on the side. Elizabeth’s tacos al pastor were comprised of under-ripe, hard bits of pineapple and many bites of pure fat and gristle. She only ate one of the tacos, and was only able to choke down about 50% of the meat therein. A bad bite in Mexican street tacos here or there is to be expected, but these were inexcusably bad.

As we ate, the hostess stood at her post and watched our every move, apparently having nothing else to do to fill her time. It was truly pathetic.

Paparico’s was a sad story from start to finish. I wish nothing but success for a hard working family that’s doing decent work, but I won’t be going back for dinner. Everyone in Kansas City, no matter where they live, has a Mexican restaurant at least as good as Paparico’s just around the corner. I'm sure there are people who live in the Waldo area who will say they love this place, and that's fine. That's how all these neighborhood Mexican restaurants go. We all like chips and salsa. We all like rice and beans, tortillas and spicy, cheesy hot plates of food. So it's not too hard to find loyal patrons for these places. But our standards are just too low. I know someone can do something better and I'm going to wait for that place to come before I start handing out napkins to any more boring, uninspired Mexican places.

(The one exceptional bright spot for Paparico's, however, may be its breakfast. I've not had it but I'm a huge fan of Mexican breakfast and I might recommend that if you go there at all, you do so for that menu as opposed to the lunch or dinner we had.)

So until a new, great place opens, or I get a chance to go down to the much-heralded Frida’s, I’m sticking with the usual favorites (read: CFF & El Patron) for my Mexican food fix. This widespread Mexican food mediocrity is just too depressing.

Rating: zero napkins

The Westport Torta Throwdown

I may never be hungry again.

Today was part deux of the Westport Torta Throwdown, between Cancun Fiesta Fresh and El Rancho, a stone's throw over the Beaumont Club and Gold's Gym in the Westport Landing strip, and let me tell you, hogging out on these filling subs is a task best left to the gastronomically well-endowed.

Tortas have become one of my ultimate cravings. Simply put, they're Mexican sandwiches, their most Mexican aspect being their authentically flavored and prepared meats. At CFF, one simply specifies which meat from the street tacos menu they'd like placed on their 'baguette' (term used loosely), meaning either asada (marinated chopped beef), adovada (barbecue beef), carnitas (shredded pork), chicken, ground beef, shredded beef, lengua (beef tongue) or cabeza (beef cheek). I could go on and on about the preparation of each, but suffice it to say they're cooked using techniques that, like traditional barbecue, maximize the flavor and enjoyment that can be rendered from less expensive cuts of meat.

My CFF torta was asada. It was my first torta there and, as hoped, it was an expected extension of the flavor I like so much in their street tacos. Simply seasoned beef was piled on an oblong single-sized bun with tomato, lettuce, onion, jalapeno and guacamole. While the bread was tasty, it was a bit stale. I doubt this is a persistent problem but something to keep an eye on. Given my addiction to spicy food, I could've used a few more jalapenos, too, but for an otherwise delicious sandwich, that's a small gripe. The tomato was plenty fresh and added a nice coolness to the sandwich, along with the crunchy shredded lettuce. Grab some of CFF's delicious salsa on the way out the door and feel free to pour it on, as well, but it's not needed. I love the guacamole spread, which adds a great moistness and rich quality to every bite.

El Rancho began in Columbia, MO, as that quintessential type of Mexican pig out place for the local college students. In particular, it serves after hours recovery kickoff food in a jovial, student (and student wallet) friendly atmosphere. In Westport it serves a lot of the same purpose, but with a slightly different demographic and vibe, though one can feel the original's persona quite easily walking in the front door. It' a fun place to be.

The meat choices at El Rancho are similar, with some more breakfasty options, as well, including: eggs, ham, chorizo, milanesa (think Mexican chicken fried steak), steak, pastor (marinated pork) and chicken. My first torta experience in life was a late night chorizo torta from El Rancho, whose salty sandwichy goodness prompted this worthless post back in August of last year. I loved it. On this recent trip, I went with steak for the sake of an even comparison with CFF.



On the bread front, El Rancho was the clear winner. I believe I saw them swath some butter on its open faces and then, for sure, it got some time on the flat top grill, adding flavor and texture the CFF version lacked but desperately needed.

El Rancho's, too, came with avocado (whole slices, not guacamole), but with mayo, as well--enough mayo, it would seem, to kill any glutton who would eat it all. I realize that complaining about the amount of mayo on a fast food Mexican sandwich is like complaining that your fries at McDonald's are too... fried... But from a flavor and textural perspective, all that mayo really hurt the sandwich. The avocado (and salsa I dumped on) did plenty to moisten the bread. That mayo just turned the whole thing a gooey mess. So in the condiment arena, the prize goes to Cancun Fiesta Fresh.

There was no discernible winner in the meat category. Both were fine, but the chorizo version I had previously bested either of these two. The chopped up beef in both was a little dry. Not bad, but just not as craveable as other choices on both restaurants' menus.

El Rancho's torta also featured tasty, juicy tomato and delicious, pickled jalapenos. These jalapenos, more plentiful than on my torta from CFF, were plump and juicy. A delicious ingredient that I'll seek out next time I'm picking up a jar in the grocery store, instead of the thinly sliced Mt. Olive brand I'm using now. Really delicious.

Those are the ingredients of importance. The lettuce, of course, is a wash. And although one can't tell from the pictures, the torta at El Rancho seemed significantly larger than the one from Cancun Fiest Fresh. I don't see this is a leg up, though. It was unnecessarily large, but for the sport eaters out there, I thought there might be some appreciation if I mentioned whose was the biggest.

So who's the winner? If I had to go back for this exact sandwich, I'd go to Cancun Fiesta Fresh. I liked the guac spread and was just so overwhelmed by El Rancho's mayo, my mind was made up for me. But, with that edge in the bread category, and knowing the other protein selections they offer which are right in my sweet spot (eggs and sausage!!!), my gut tells me that next time I want one of these hog-out hoagies, I'll be headed to El Rancho.

Going forward, my conclusion is this: for tacos, it's Cancun Fiesta Fresh, whose may be the very best in town; for quick and cheap tortas, I'll go El Rancho, sans mayonesa.

[Note - tortas are available at many other Mexican restaurants in town. I enjoyed a more luxe version at El Patron once, featuring sliced ribeye.]

Baja 600's Doors Closed for Good

It seemed as though Baja 600 had a pretty good run in its primo location on the Plaza at 600 Ward Parkway. That torch-lit stone patio out front always looked like a great spot for an al fresco (how do you say that in Spanish?) margarita when the weather was right. But its reputation for poor service and hit or miss menu items (seemingly identical to Cactus Grill) kept it from solidifying a good base of business in this critic's estimation.

Between the various articles and comments I'm finding online, the excuses for unpaid rent to the tune of over $160,000 are varied:

• Inability to recover from costs related to 2009 fire
• Highwood Properties wanted Baja outta there so they could get a classier tenant
• Loss of liquor license killing income

But whatever the case, it's gone for good. Personally, I'm looking forward to a potential upgrade inhabiting the space. 

Links of interest:

http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2010/08/what_the_hell_is_going_on_at_b.php#comments

http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/7973

http://www.kctv5.com/news/24609761/detail.html

Poco's: Being Good Wins Out

Restaurant: Poco's On the Boulevard
Location: 3063 Southwest Boulevard, KC MO
Food: Latin American Cuisine, both upscale and traditional, plus down-home breakfast
Service: Casual, but attentive and nice
Atmosphere: Laid back, easy going, but not rundown
Price: All over the board. Entrees ranging from the $20's down to single digits
Rating: two napkins

Poco's On the Boulevard is a restaurant it seems few people know much about. And after my recent trip there, I'm still not sure I know much about it, either. The one thing about Poco's of which I am certain, however, is that it's surprisingly good.

It was quite some time ago I read a story in The Pitch saying the vacated Waid's on Southwest Boulevard was going to become a new Latin American restaurant called Poco's. The owner had apparently achieved some success with a place on Broadway called Poco's, among other things (The Grille/Boca Boca). Always looking for upgrades to the Mexican and Latin American cuisine scene in KC, I was pretty excited to try it. And then the next three years passed. So it felt like a long awaited and fateful moment last Saturday night when we found ourselves rolling down the Boulevard and pulling into that old diner's lot, hungry for something spicy.



Walking in I said, "I have no idea what to expect with this place. I think it'll either be close to my expectations and extremely pleasant, or totally bogus and a huge letdown." My confusion about what Poco's really is starts with their website. The logo in the upper left - used on all the restaurant's signage - though presumably tasteful, is fairly whimsical and lighthearted in its design. The food photography and fonts used on the rest of the pages, however, would make one think the place had a black tie dress code. Let's review the restaurant based on the main pods on the website's home page:

Reservations: The scripted, styled font and photo of a hard-backed, lined, formal guest book with gold-tipped fountain pen screams "fine dining - better call ahead". When we walked in at 8:00 on Saturday, there was only one other couple in attendance, mostly done with their food. So calling ahead would seem less critical than we were led to believe. Regardless, our hostess/server was nice, fun, prompt, happy... she was a true pleasure. Not at all formal, but perfectly professional. A great fit for the place. (She also did a fantastic job of complimenting our choices, like corn tortillas over flour for my mole and Elizabeth's decisions to switch from beer to a margarita. She made us feel... wise, almost. How nice!)

Menu: Here the site showcases a lamb chop, with the rib bone perfectly "Frenched" (if that's a word), cleared of meat for use as the handle of a beautiful meat popsicle. Red wine and delicate greens are romantically blurred in the background. And to Poco's credit, grilled rack of lamb (Cordero Borracho) is the first thing listed on the dinner menu. Indeed, the small-ish menu is all over the place, with the aforementioned elegant $24.99 entree juxtaposed with Mexi-classics like Fajitas ($13-$16) and Fish Tacos ($12.95), also mingling with real head-scratchers like Risotto and the Pasta of the Day. With such a romantic yet strangely varied menu, I'm calling Poco's the Don Quixote of the Boulevard.

The chips and salsa were... interesting. The salsa seemed fresh, yet somehow muted in flavor. Little spice, little acid from the tomato. Not a whole lot of flavor, but not terrible, either. The chips were slightly thicker than the "restaurant style" tortilla chips you find most other places in that area. Better, I'd say. They were lightly salted and seasoned with what looked to me like cumin, or possible paprika. All in all, a good chips and salsa combo, but nowhere near the best in town.

Elizabeth went with the Goat Cheese Vegetable Tamales appetizer, which turned out to be a tamale revelation for us. Two nicely sized open corn husks were the bed for tightly packed massa, inside of which were thin strips of roasted onion and red pepper. A green sauce and crumbles of goat cheese sat atop each of the tamales and looked to have been quickly heated under a broiler. As tamales can be slightly flavorless, these were exceptional for the charred taste that came on the pepper and onion, and the tang from the goat cheese on top. I'd had jalapeno cheese grtis for breakfast that morning and these tamales seemed almost like a fancied, more exotic cousin to that dish, the main difference being they were pressed and steamed, drier and holding their form. Delicious, indeed, though I wish the order came by the dozen.

I had a furious mental debate - enchiladas v. mole (chicken) - when contemplating my order, but decided I was craving the sweet sauciness of the mole the most and went that direction with the server's nod of approval. The platter that was returned as my reward was exactly what I'd envisioned. The left third of my plate held the typical Mexican rice and refried beans (hearty, flavorful beans, though, not the runny bland ones I'm more used to getting). The right side was a big pool of deep brown mole sauce and tender chunks of chicken. Admittedly, it was a lot of sauce and only a little chicken, but definitely enough to fill the three warm, pliable corn tortillas that came wrapped up in a paper towel on the side.

I found it exceptionally pleasing, then, that when our server noticed I'd gobbled down all three tortillas, she took it upon herself to offer up additionals... at no extra cost. It was insightful that she apparently knew I wasn't loving the idea of either wasting the rest of the sauce and chicken left on my plate or being forced to eat it like soup (either way, I was going to consume every last bite of it). The mole was a chocolatey one but, unlike others I've had in town, had the nice slow burn as an undertone. Clearly the appropriate regimen of chilies had been employed in the cooking process, which made this mole's depth far better than its local competitors that I've sampled.

Cutting the richness of our slightly heavy meals were a couple of sugary, citrusy margaritas. I couldn't quite see how they were made, but given the server's recommendation and the flavors I was picking up, I'd bet they were NOT from a bottle of Jose Cuervo pre-mix. It really hit the spot.

And then a funny thing happened. When we reflexively declined a look at the dessert menu, being completely full and with sport-eating regret seeping into our psyches, a beautiful plate of honey and cocoa scented flan showed up. A darn good flan. Now, Elizabeth and I are not custard people. Creme brulee has to be really good to not gross us out, and flan has even less of a chance of hitting the mark, what with being cold and served outside a container, molded like a Mayan temple of fat (okay, I have issues). It was firm, yet so incredibly smooth, and the cocoa gave the caramelly liquid in which the flan rested a wonderful bitterness and depth of flavor. It was truly a sweet treat to end the meal.

Catering: On the right hand side of the web page is the Catering pod, decorated with a photo of shining stainless steel heated trays with linens primly knotted around each handle. Contrastingly, but not disappointingly, the Poco's catering trucks were parked out back, somewhat less ceremonious in appearance. If they serve the same food as can be found in the restaurant, though, who cares? Bring it to me in a dump truck as far as I'm concerned.

To end the evening, our server told us that Poco's also still specializes in breakfast/brunch, too, which contains both diner classics like those found at the Waid's back in the day, as well as great Mexican favorites like huevos con chorizo. A promising idea for our next fuzzy morning after over-indulging, perhaps.

Poco's may not be exactly what it's trying to market itself as, but I'd urge you not to get hung up on that confusion. It's a Latin American restaurant on the Boulevard with good service, a comfortable dining room, and some solid food. That's really all you need to know.

Rating: two napkins