Best Vegetarian Dish - at Frontera!

Friday night we ate at Frontera (which was made possible by the fact that we arrived at 6:30 and waited an hour and a half). Frontera is possibly my husband's favorite restaurant, and while I love it too, my choice would usually be Topolobampo - but tonight it was his turn to choose, and I am very glad he chose Frontera, because it was there that I had the best vegetarian dish I've ever had.

The menu recently changed (August 1, I believe), and a note at the top said that they were just back from a staff trip to Chiapas. The menu listed the usual items (duck breast done one way, scallops done another, but sprinkled here and there were some Chiapas specialties. We started with a crab cocktail and a tamal steamed in banana leaf. I didn't note the names, thinking I could look them up later on the web site - but they haven't updated their web-menu yet! Both were great - the crab was fresh and tasty, and the tamal was also excellent.

For an entree my husband had the carne asada (a menu standard) - but I was intrigued by the sopa de pan - a bread stew with chunks of bread, julliened vegetables, plantains and, I think, raisins, and sliced hard-boiled eggs (which, from the tiny size of them, did not look like hen's eggs). A cassarole stuffed with all the above was brought to the table, and into it the waitress poured a rich and heady hot broth. I tasted the first bite, and flavor exploded in my mouth - the broth was so rich I felt sure there was beef stock in it (no, all vegetarian, said our waitress). The spicing of the broth was aggresive, but balanced by the more neutral fried cubes of bread, and the hint of sweetness given by the plantains and the fresh veggies (mainly carrots and squash). Needless to say, with all that bread, it was very filling. I took the leftovers home, and ater them the next day, cold (still delicious).

Is this dish available elsewhere in the city? Maybe - maybe not. The point for me is that Frontera is still fresh, still offering great regional Mexican cuisine, still wowing our tastebuds, and doing it with panache. This single dish alone reminded me of why this place is an enduring favorite.

Akatonbo wrote: We started with a crab cocktail and a tamal steamed in banana leaf. I didn't note the names, thinking I could look them up later on the web site - but they haven't updated their web-menu yet! Both were great - the crab was fresh and tasty, and the tamal was also excellent.

Was the tamal flat and unfilled and served with mole? If so, it was probably a Tamal Nejo, a specialty of Guerrero. I have developed a taste for them since discovering them at a local taqueria. I guess it is a very ancient way of preparing masa using ash. The banana leaf imparts a subtle but interesting flavor (and color) to the masa.

d4v3 wrote:Was the tamal flat and unfilled and served with mole? If so, it was probably a Tamal Nejo, a specialty of Guerrero. I have developed a taste for them since discovering them at a local taqueria. I guess it is a very ancient way of preparing masa using ash. The banana leaf imparts a subtle but interesting flavor (and color) to the masa.

I don't recall a mole - I'm pretty sure it was a Chiapas-style tamal, and that's why I ordered it. It was very tasty. The Frontera modus operandi seems to be to always have a tamal, an enchilada, etc, but they vary according to the region they're featuring each time.

Akatonbo wrote:I don't recall a mole - I'm pretty sure it was a Chiapas-style tamal

That makes sense since bananas are so prevalant there. Steaming masa made with ash in banana leaves dates back to the Mayans, so I imagine the tamal nejo style survives in many parts of Southern Mexico. That is one thing that is so great about Mexican cuisine, some of the dishes and ingredients have not changed in 2000 years.