Mexique-French-influenced Mexican fare

This is a new spot opening sometime in May on Chicago Avenue a few blocks east of Ashland. Has anyone heard any buzz about this place?

Mexique
1529 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622

Sounds intriguing. I see Metromix already has a listing which mentions a few of their dishes and refers to their opening as "mid to late May".

Metromix wrote:Off-the-bat, let’s clear up the pronunciation of this new West Town spot: It’s “mehks-EEK” (not mex-i-cue) -- it's French for Mexico.

Whew! I thought it was a Mexican BBQ place! That's all LTHForum needs is another BBQ thread!

I understand from a friend that Mexique is opening tonight. Chef/Owner Carlos Gaytan is quite talented. He's done a number of demonstrations at Chicagoland Personal Chefs Association meetings.

Friends I dined with tonight say it's been open the past few nights; I may give Mexique a shot next week. Although, admittedly, most of the time I tend towards simpler tamales than "a seafood mousse tamale cooked in banana leaves stuffed with crab meat fricassee with lemon confit and clam-tomato sauce"

Website is up at www.mexiquechicago.com. Mains $16.95-$25.95

Can anyone compare/contrast Mexique, with Dorado, the only other French-influenced Mexican place I can think of in the city?

I REALLY want to like this place and I think they have great potential, but they have a few things to work out and I am confident they will based on the enthusiasm of the owners husband(chef)/wife(front of the house). They JUST opened, so I am going to give them a few chances to work on it. Some hits and some misses but DH and I agreed that we will definitely be back again soon.

We were seated rather quickly as it was Sunday night. There were only 3 other occupied tables when we got there. Let's just say the service was lacking. The waitress (who was the only waitress there, however there was a busser helping) didn't pay very much attention to us. I was dismayed at how long it took her to come over to take our drink order (Currently they only serve wine, very reasonably priced wine at that). I was also unhappy that they didn't bring bread until we had been there for about 20 minutes. All the tables were at different points in their meals so I feel she could have stopped by more often as it is a small place.

We ended up ordering a nice bottle of Tempernillo. We ordered the Pescamel, which is described as a seafood mousse tamal. I thought it was just OK, but my hubby really liked it. I wouldn't get it again. It had almost a Campbell's tomato soup-like sauce, color and all. Bleh, but the tamal itself was ok, not great. The highlight was the trio of sopes (which they will serve with a trio of tiny wine pairings for $3 more) Very cute and very good. The shrimp was our favorite, followed by the plaintains and then the escargot...though all were really quite nice. I could have ordered a second round for my dinner!

We then ordered entrees. My husband ordered the duck and I ordered the tilapia.
Our food arrived and my husband GOT the LAMB and I got the tilapia.
We noticed right away of course and luckily for the waitress DH had been torn between the duck and the lamb (as per usual) and was happy to keep the very delicious looking dish.

The lamb was in two parts. The first were pieces of rack of lamb. DH absolutely loved it! The second part was a larger lamb-filled sope, picture ropa vieja but lamb. DELICIOUS. I helped myself to quite a bit of that. The chef stopped by and said that would be the lamb used in the lamb tacos. YUM. Oh and the lamb was served with some very tasty sauteed eggplant.

I had the tilapia. It was MEH. I need to stop ordering fish unless I am at at steakhouse, fish place or sushi place. There was nothing wrong with it, but I could have cooked it in a pan myself. Oh and I believe they again used that Campbells Tomato soup sauce on the tilapia. The sides however were quite good. The slaw it was served with was great and the moniato (kind of a sweeter mashed potato) was delicious. We wanted to order desserts because they looked absolutely delicious but we were completely stuffed. Next time!

Both owners stopped by to check in with each table. They are quite nice and concerned with their guests having a nice meal. Based on the sopes and that lamb filling, I think the chef will excel with his tacos. The fillings sound very delicious on the website. I have yet to have one, but based on those sope fillings, I think they will be outstanding. I am disappointed that he only plans to offer them for weekday lunch.

Mexique
1529 W. Chicago Ave. Chicago, IL 60622
312-850-0288
http://www.mexiquechicago.com/

Santander wrote:Friends I dined with tonight say it's been open the past few nights; I may give Mexique a shot next week. Although, admittedly, most of the time I tend towards simpler tamales than "a seafood mousse tamale cooked in banana leaves stuffed with crab meat fricassee with lemon confit and clam-tomato sauce"

I tend to go simpler too, but this tamale was excellent. The chef shows a keen sense of balancing rich with bitter, sweet with sour, and this dish exemplifies how he harmonizes French and Mexican culinary traditions. I like Mexique.

I just went to Mexique for my birthday this past weekend and I really thought that the restaurant had so much potential (translation: really good and then not so good).

The sopes are everything that the previous poster mentioned, the escargot an intense explosion of garlic flavor on corn. The shrimp was excellent, but I found the mole to be just average. We also had the pescamale, which had a really nice delicate tomato flavor (not at all Campbell Soup like!) but the fish was barely discernible--I couldn't tell if it was crab or any other ocean creature.

Now the entrees, these were like the villain Harvey Dent in Batman--half delicious, half malformed. My duck breast was cooked perfectly and the tamarind sauce was sweet and powerful. But I'm not sure the two should have gone together. The confit leg absolute sank to the bottom of my stomach, it was cold, greasy, and not good. But the boyfriend's lamb was perfect even if he didn't enjoy the eggplant. I'll definitely go back once the menu changes again because I think the chef's great potential and ideas.

Following up on favorable reviews in the Reader (by LTH's own David Hammond) and Time Out, I had a very pleasant dinner here recently with some friends.

I agree very much with the Time Out review and some of the other posters that the concept - fused Mexican and French food - needs some tweaking. I also agree with Time Out that the dishes that are more Mexican in nature and execution are the standouts. However, despite a rather stark and trendy-minimalist decor, this is a friendly, comfortable and reasonably-priced place. The chef appears to be quite young, but also appears to be very serious, spending most of the night actually cooking (!), and coming out to greet customers to get what appeared to be earnest, interested feedback on his food.

The meal started with a very good French baguette and "cheesy" butter:



One of the most successful applications of the French-Mexican fusion was the cochinita pibil rillettes (sorry for the blurry picture):


(Rillettes in foreground; Tinga de Pollo in background)

This finely textured pork was delicately flavorful and melted in my mouth. After a couple of bites, my friend forewent the accompanying toast and started scooping forkfuls into her mouth - it was that good. It is served with a pickled baby onion, which is sitting atop a spicy habanero sauce. All accompaniments are fantastic with this dish.

No Frenchy-ness apparent in the tinga de pollo appetizer, which was pedestrian, but just as good as any I've ever had:



Carne Asada was plated in an appealing basketweave fashion, cooked to the right temperature and well-rested prior to carving. The Frenchy goat cheese fondue, however, was declared to be "unnecessary" by the table:



The pollo en mole was, in theory, a fusion of the ubiquitous French roast chicken with the Mexican mole:



The mole gets extra points for appropriate heat and complexity levels. The 1/2 chicken, while moist and amply-portioned, was missing the crispy roasted skin that a classic French roasted chicken has, due mostly, I think to the mole plated over it, perhaps? Here is another example where the Mexican parts outstrip the French.

I have to admit that when I first heard that a new Mexican-French fusion restaurant was opening in my neighborhood, perhaps too cynically, I groaned, thinking it would just be goofy in execution. In reality, however, both the fusion and the food are taken quite seriously even though both are imperfect.

Don't let the elegant plating and white, minimalist decor trick you into thinking that this is a high-end place. No entree price is above $25, and while my service was professional and friendly, there was no fussiness that accompanies high-end dining service. The noise-level is on the "comfortably-louder" side, which means conversing at a normal voice level is not a problem.

We went to Mexique for lunch a few weeks ago and it was stellar. We shared a salad to start, unfortunately I now remember nothing about it except that it was good. We then had the lamb tacos and the fish tacos and they were both great. I believe the fish tacos were "baja style", battered fish with shredded cabbage and mayo, and the fish was hot, crispy and juicy. The lamb tacos were truly lamb-y, not that "I suppose it's lamb but it's too mild to tell" situation that occurs too often, and really well seasoned and sauced. I would have sworn the tortillas were house-made, but the chef/owner said that they were the only food item at Mexique that were brought in from an outside source. He spent several days doing taste tests at all the local producers, with the end result of very good tortillas.

The three dishes plus two beers and a coffee came to $20 per person including tax and tip, and made for two very happy diners.

I'm quite interested to try their brunch!

Went here with the girlfriend last night. we liked it a lot. the service was perfect -- smooth and not annoyingly overattentive. had the rilettes and tinga de pollo that other people had, and had similar opinions. the vetabel entree was simple but good. we shared the enchilada and guacamole desserts. the gf didn't really like the guacamole, but i did. i've been liking avocado desserts a lot recently. the wine list was also nice and cheap, though the pours were maybe on the shorter side. overall, we liked what we had a lot. looking at the rest of the menu, initially we didn't think the entrees looked terribly interesting, but the vetabel was good enough that we want to try more. i also sort of want to try a torta at lunch.

Despite it being a "local" option for me (and passing it twice a day on my commute) we finally stopped in for dinner last month (March '09) on a weeknight. Executive summary: mmmm! good!

It's been a few weeks, but if I'm remembering correctly, we just had entrees and dessert. The bread was a standard American baguette, but the European-style butter was fantastic. I had the duck: PATO AL TAMARINDO (Duck Leg Confit, Duck Breast, Swiss Chard, Fresh Corn & Cranberry Tamal and Chipotle-Temple Tamarind Glaze) and really liked it. The sauce had a non-hot/non-overpowering distinctly Mexican spice flavor that I thought went well with the breast. I really enjoyed the tamal, and I even enjoyed the chard, which I usually don't.

My veggie fiancee had:VEGETALES (Crepes Filled with Wild Mushroom Ragout, Creamy Corn Soup and Tomato Fondue) and also enjoyed it (and I enjoyed the tastes she would spare me!) I think that the soup/fondue was essentially a sauce over the crepes.

We finished with the "ENCHILADAS" (Crepes Filled with Chocolate Ganache, Toasted Walnuts, Ancho Chile-Chocolate Fondue, Crème Anglaise Vanilla Bean Ice Cream) Just as you would guess - very yummy!

So what if it isn't very French? I lived in and love France and it's food. But it seems like Mexique is doing fine using not much more than French "sensibilities" preparing elegant Mexican based dishes.

We went here this past Friday night. I didn't really notice much about the decor except that the bar seemed to be very dominant for a place where people weren't sitting at the bar. Service was good, though I am glad our waiter came back and confirmed our order, since what he thought we had ordered was completely wrong

The ceviche appetizer was very good, and I wanted to drink the broth/marinade. It was not nearly as acidic as others, and I suspect that the ingredients might have been lightly cooked before going in. It was spicy but not too spicy. I also liked the fact that we didn't get a million chips. Enough to want more, not enough to fill up on (I have no willpower)

DH had the short ribs, which he enjoyed. I had the asado, and I thought the goat cheese sauce made the dish The waiter recommended one of the Malbecs (we had asked about the differences between them) and we enjoyed that too. The wine list was short, but I didn't think it was boring. They do seem to emphasize the sangria, but we didn't feel pressure to order it.

Parking was not difficult, either.

Looking over the previous comments on Mexique, it's clear that they don't change their menu all that often. I went recently for the first time and had an outstanding meal.



It's hard to really get into what differentiates one sangria from another, but whether it was the freshness (it's made in-house), the chef knowing how to pick a great wine that will mesh well with the various sweeteners and fruit added, or some non-traditional ingredient that was not outwardly detectable, the result was a remarkably refreshing drink that was the best sangria I've had.



The first appetizer was beef tartare, which was somewhat mixed some kind of avocado/bland guacamole and topped with pickled red jalapenos, onions, cilantro, capers, and a boiled egg. The flavor from the meat was great and the various random toppings all went well, but the avocado diluted the meat flavor and made the dish a bit mushy.



Here's a bonus picture of the tartare. Despite the avocado problems, it was still good. And it was the worst dish of the night.



The second appetizer was a much better blend of French and Mexican that's been described upthread: cochinia rillettes. At Mexique, the pork is braised in achiote and tequila and then Frenchified by turning it into a rillettes.



More than any other dish I had, this one really blended French and Mexican. The other plates had identifiable elements from both, but this was a true marriage. The ridiculously soft, fatty and flavorful pork was fantastic, especially when eaten with the mango-habanero coulis.



The rillettes set the bar high, but I thought both entrees measured up well. Up first was the Cordero, which was a duo of lamb. There was a magnificent herb-crusted rack of lamb and a tender lamb shoulder barbacoa braised with coffee. Both were insanely good, but the most memorable part of the plate was the sweet & spicy eggplant. I don't think it had anything to do with Mexico or France, but that tangy mess of vegetables was pretty special.



Lamb close up.



Keeping in the duo theme was the pato al tamarindo, which came with duck leg confit and duck breast along with swiss chard and a corn and cranberry tamale. The breast was rare and served atop a chipotle-tamarind sauce that was a shade on the sweet side (as tamarind always is), but not overwhelmingly so.



There was a comment above about a flawed duck confit, but this leg was great. That French classic was Mexified by what the restaurant calls a corn and cranberry tamal. It didn't look like any tamal I've ever seen, but the intense corn flavor, balanced by the cranberry and the chard underneath it all was great.



For dessert, I went with the enchiladas which were crepes filled with chocolate ganache and topped with melted ancho chile chocolate and toasted walnuts. It was ridiculously rich and was complemented well with a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream.

Another couple and us had dinner at Mexique last night, and we thought the cooking was of the highest level.

We were intrigued by the complete menu, but took advantage of the "Chicago Originals" restaurant week menu, which was three courses for a very reasonable $29.11.

We ordered three of the four offered first courses, a trio of sopes (shrimp, snails, and plaintain), a tostadita of shredded chicken in ancho sauce, and bowls of french onion soup with strips of poblano pepper. We thought the soup was a good meld of French and Mexican flavors, with really nice intensity in the broth. Only the sopes disappointed, we thought they had been prepared earlier in the day, and had gotten soggy.

Three of us opted for the pork tenderloin in teloloapan mole, serving size was outstanding, lots for the gourmands to eat, and something for the ladies to take home. A side of mashed sweet potatoes and ratatouille(!) was amazingly good, and a "perfect bite" of all components was a flavor explosion. The chile relleno was also excellent, especially for vegetarian inclined patrons.

An apple tart was essentially a tarte tatin, guacamole pastry cream with crispy cinnamon tortillas was a trip, and the chocolate enchiladas, shown in the Jan 26 post, were luxurious.

Wine service was pretty good, with a number of decent wines at OK price points. Service was outstanding, and I mean outstanding, our complements to Alex, who made the evening very pleasant, dealing with the issues of seating a wheelchair with aplomb!

Bottom line: this chef knows exactly what he's doing, and the food tasted like it was prepared with incredible care, and sensitivity for the balancing of flavors and textures. The composition and ingredients were nearly the match of Topolobampo, at a vastly more tolerable price point. We'll be back.

P.S. The fact that this place is a block away from Hoosier Mama Pie Company is just icing on the ... pie!

So, Dr. Cutie (my wife) and I were curious what changes might have taken place at our old favorite and "go-to" place, which is now sporting a shiny new Michelin star.

The operative word would be tweaked. The ambience is still rather casual, and homey without sacrificing an overall understated elegance. (I should mention that I love this restaurant - it's been one of our favorites since they opened. We wish we could dine there more often).

The service and the front of the house, as a whole, has had hiccups now and then - more so early on in their run. Last night, we could clearly see the next level of professionalism and efficiency. Wait staff has been added since we were there last, with a higher level of experience. We were quite touched that one server who recognized us from previous visits came by to welcome us back.

I've tried just about everything on the menu, and it is consistently good to extraordinary, but I keep coming back to the Trio of Sopes as a starter, and something braised, usually short ribs, as the entre. Dr. Cutie had the steak tartare, which she loves, and the wild mushroom [ragout] stuffed crepes as her entre.

The short ribs were served with a parsnip puree topped with brussel sprout shavings. Superbly braised, while the parsnip puree was the perfect compliment.

Mexique has improved where they arguably needed to, and are still serving food at the highest levels deserving of a Michelin star.

I recently dined at Mexique for my first time in approximately two years; I had high expectations as I had greatly enjoyed my two previous meals there and they had since been starred by Michelin. Unfortunately the experience was somewhat disappointing; while it was still a decent meal it was not what I was expecting.

The evening got off to an odd start; one of our favorite servers from a restaurant where we were regulars had recently left the other restaurant for Mexique. When had noted in our reservation that we wanted him as our server and when we arrived we asked to confirm this. We were told he was not working that night, but they were giving us their "best" server. We also were told that our table was not quite ready (this was fine as we were a bit early) and asked to sit at the bar. While at the bar nobody came by to see if we wanted a drink and then when we were brought to our table our server promptly informed us he was brand new (would not have been a problem, but just odd when we had just been told they were assigning their "best" server). Other smallish issues arose in service that would not be a big deal, but just are not expected at a Michelin starred venue (i.e. our table was not asked if anybody had any allergies, a mistake was made with the bill etc.).

Our table (my wife and another couple) opted for the tasting menu as we had loved our meals in the past at Mexique and wanted to try as much as possible. Some of the courses this time through were really good (the asparagus soup and the duck breast were the standouts) but others were mediocre at best (the beet course had a bizarre appearance with copious amounts of beet puree spread across the plate looking a bit gory and most and taste wise was bland) and for the pork belly course two of the four in our party had significant amounts of what appeared to be cartilage in the meat (I have never experienced that before with pork belly). Portions were also a bit strange; the total amount of food was a bit small and the ratio of proteins to carbs seemed really out of proportion; most courses were served with massive purees and tiny proteins (i.e. the pork belly was a single smallish strip, the seafood dish was a single medium sized shrimp and the duck - while outstanding - was also a single piece of breast). Wine was delivered pre-poured (without bringing the bottle to the table) and the same style of glass was used for all wines (again unusual for a Michelin starred restaurant). The venue was packed and it also was really loud; tables are quite close together and acoustics poor - again just not the vibe of a Michelin starred restaurant.

I am hoping this was just an off night as previously I had enjoyed two wonderful meals at Mexique. In fairness Chef Gaytan was not in house the evening we dined and there was a full house. I am curious what other people have experienced recently at Mexique.

My wife and I had dinner at Mexique this past weekend. The restaurant had been high on our to-do list for a while and it did not disappoint.

Mexique is clearly quite proud of its Michelin star - the award hangs prominently above the hostess stand and they feature a "Michelin" tasting menu. When trying out a new place, I love having the tasting menu as an option to try out a number of different dishes and see what the chef decides to feature. However, my wife is vegetarian and we frequently can’t partake in the testing menus due to their rigidity. So when the waiter mentioned that they would gladly offer a vegetarian tasting menu, we happily decided to partake.

According to our waiter, Mexique’s tasting menu varies each day depending on the daily specials and what is in season. For me this one was spot on, especially for the main dishes: scallop, pork belly, lamb rack and sausage all with interesting, flavorful components, and generous portions - especially for a tasting menu. My wife’s vegetarian menu in some instances featured veggie-friendly versions of the regular menu but also had its own unique veg-only dishes. One featured a cauliflower puree that was one of the best things I tasted all night.

Our waiter, Tom, was great and spent extra time chatting with us on our first visit. Chef Gaytan was also present and he stopped by to say welcome shortly after we sat down and then came by as we were finishing up to ask how we enjoyed the meal as he was making his way around the restaurant.

Overall we had a great meal and we’ll definitely be visiting Mexique again.

I was about to recommend the birria tacos they have for lunch. I had them last Friday and they were melt in your mouth spicy deliciousness. Definitely the best thing I'd had there.

But when I tried to order them today they were overly sweet, extremely gamey, and gummy. I never send dishes back, but I sent this back. I understand goat and lamb meat is sometimes gamey, but that's what good sauce is for. Adding a sweet sauce to a gamey meat is just going to make it worse.

I often find the inconsistent lunch service bedevils well-meaning restaurants. I understand dinner is where they concentrate their resources, but it's better to have no lunch service than a mediocre lunch service.

Perhaps with Chef Gaytan currently on Top Chef, it possible things might be a little shaky there for a brief period. Although I did see him walking around a few days ago in the neighborhood... maybe he got voted off already?

Gaytan was there last week when I had the excellent Birria and he was not around today

I still need to stop in. I live close by and I haven't had a chance. I really want to support them

Has anybody been to one of their Monday night Back to our Roots themed tasting menu event? I was considering trying one out, but curious if people have had positive or negative experiences attending them.

jbrady3324 wrote:Perhaps with Chef Gaytan currently on Top Chef, it's possible things might be a little shaky there for a brief period.

They tape most of the season well ahead of the air dates; all chefs are sequestered in the host city even if they are voted out early . . . at least until the finals.

I finally went in last night and did the tasting menu. The flavors of each dish were unbelievable. Big bold punchy flavors. Plate presentation was top notch. The last time I had flavors like this was at Volt. Truly astonishing. Easily one of the best dinners I have had in Chicago. I can't recommend it enough.

Stand out dishes:

Betabel (probably my 5th favorite dish in all of Chicago) - Honey/Truffle Mascarpone, Beet Guacamole, Roasted Golden Beets, Orange-Pernod Espuma

Shrimp Ceviche (Special)

MAR Y TIERRA - Braised Pork Belly, Brussels Sprout Slaw, Mole Negro, Grilled Shrimp, Roasted Cauliflower Puree, Pistachio Mole Verde

PATO AL TAMARINDO - Duck Leg Confit, Duck Breast, Swiss Chard, Freshly Ground Corn Tamal, Cranberries, Chipotle/Tamarind Glaze

The atmosphere was okay. The music is low, the lights are bright and the bar is boring. Something is lacking.. maybe a full bar with cocktails would help living things up. I have heard Carlos is against serving spirits, but maybe just serve cocktails at the bar only?

The place was pretty much full from 7pm to 9:30pm which was nice to see. I did enjoy watching Carlos touch every table. Very down to earth. My GF works for Paul Kahan and her boss knows Carlos very well so we got to have a great conversation with him.

In the last month I've ate at Schwa, El Ideas, Nightwood, Blackbird and Ruxbin. Out of those, Mexique ranks only behind Schwa.

My best friend quit working here because he was uncomfortable having to participate in staff prayers, which are more or less mandatory. I am not suggesting they are doing anything illegal. The 1st Amendment protects religious business owners, I'm sure. That being said, I personally will avoid businesses that directly or implicitly impose their religious beliefs on their employees. I'm sure there are at least some people here who might feel the same way.

I have had many fantastic meals at Mexique and watching Carlos kill it on Top Chef finally made me stop in for lunch. I started with the ceviche of the day which was yellow tail (actually a different kind of fish but very similar to yellow tail) that was served over tiny califlour, pickled relish, carrot puree and a bloody mary sauce. It was phenomenal. One of the best ceviches I have had in a very long time. I then went for the tacos as I have heard very very good things about them. What surprised me was you can now mix and match tacos. This was a pleasant surprise. I had the al pastor, crispy chorizo and barbacoa. All were fantastic, especially the al pastor. Deep rich flavor with hints of pineapple. The best part is the tacos (which comes with a small side salad) are only $10 and filling. I have to say, Mexique makes some of the best tacos in the city and their lunch is a steal. Nothing on the menu is over $14

One of the dilemmas of dining out in Chicago is that there are so many great restaurants, it's tough to get around to returning to places you've loved in the past. The newest restaurants get all the hype. Yet there are restaurants which are as good as ever, but because they've been around for a while, they "fly under the radar". So it is with Mexique, Carlos Gaytan's restaurant serving contemporary Mexican cuisine with a slight French flair in West Town. I ate there seven years ago and loved it. Yet I just didn't get around to returning until dinner last night. BIG MISTAKE because Chef Gaytan is still knocking it out of the park. The entire meal was absolutely wonderful, start to finish, every single dish. Unfortunately for the restaurant, it was mostly empty, which is a shame... but it meant that I was able to take flash photos without bothering other diners. So here goes.

The outside


The inside


The amuse bouche of chicken liver spread with a slightly spicy sauce


ENSALADA - Greens, pears, multi-color beets, goat cheese


MEJILLONES - PEI Mussels, White Wine, Dried Chorizo, Saffron Beurre Blanc, Pickled Jalapeno and Fennel - This was outstanding. You can't tell from the photo but the creamy sauce below the mussels was oh so yummy!


CEVICHE - the tart citrus dipping sauce went wonderfully with it


PESCAMAL - Seafood Mousse Tamal Cooked in Banana Leaves Stuffed with Crab Meat Fricassee, Lemon Confit and Spiced Bouillabaisse

PLATANO Y MANTARRAYA - Achiote/Tequila Pan Seared Skate Wing, Plantain, Cauliflower, Pickled Grapes, Spinach, Tomato/Habanero Beurre Blanc - you can't see it in the photo but the fish was served on a bed of a huge plantain slice


CORVINA - Pan Seared Corvina, risotto, cactus salad, lobster bisque


CORDERO - Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, Coffee Braised Lamb Barbacoa Huarache, Eggplant Marmalade, Roasted Garlic Salsa


ARROZ CON LECHE - Rice pudding, white chocolate


PASTEL TRES LECHES - The traditional celebratory Mexican dessert; this was one of the best and lightest versions in the city


As I mentioned, all of these dishes were standouts, so it would be difficult to pick only one favorite. But if pressed, the most memorable were the mussels, the skate, and the tres leches cake.

Service was terrific, very knowledgeable and attentive without being overbearing. Chef Gaytan came by to say hello, which is always a nice touch (I'm not known as a friend of the house).

This dinner was absolutely wonderful. I strongly recommend Mexique, for those who have never been, as well as those who have been there and loved it but who, like myself, haven't been back in a while. ¡Bravo!

P.S. I hear Chef Carlos Gaytan won on Top Chef recently. Based on last night's dinner, I'm not surprised.

Great write up and thanks for a reminder on this one. Going back into the to eat list.

There should be a whole thread devoted to older restaurants (been open for a couple years) that are still kicking out a great meal but don't get the headline press.