Democrat & Chronicle - First Bite
Flavorful essence of Chiapas
THE PLACE
While Cinco de Mayo is a regional celebration of a military victory in the state of Puebla, most Americans use it as reason to celebrate with Mexican food and cervezas. For a different, regional take on Mexican7food, we visited the Blue Cactus Grille in Fairport, where Eduardo and Treena Moreno will debut a new, lighter summer menu this week.
Blue Cactus features the cuisine of Eduardo's native state of Chiapas, the southernmost region of the Yucatan peninsula and of Mexico itself. Dishes from this region tend to be less spicy than others, and often use fish that are plentiful in this seaside state.
THE FOOD
While we chose from the winter menu on our visit, the new menu features lighter offerings with salads and seafood. There will be fish tacos and Tikin Xic, a fillet of fish seasoned with achiote, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled.
We arrived later in the evening, and were seated in the bar area. On a previous visit, we had sampled several salsas with a basket of chips. As we placed our order, we learned that the various salsas were now available as purchased sides. Since my order of empanadas came with tomatillo salsa, and given the hour, we decided to forego the chips. Other varieties include bean, pico de gallo, a sweet salsa with pineapple and a
spicy habanero.
My partner chose the sopa de frijol ($6). The bowl of black bean soup arrived, nicely garnished with a swirl of crema and a handful of crispy tortilla strips. While the first bite was rich and well-seasoned, it was sadly, cold. We sent it back twice and the second time, it came back napalm hot, which meant that by the time we could enjoy it, our entrees had arrived.
I chose two appetizers to enjoy together. The empanadas ($7) presented several small pastry crescents stuffed with seasoned beef. Crunchy, flaky crust held up to dipping in the accompanying tomatillo salsa. The tangy citrus flavors of the salsa went well with the mildly spiced beef. I also ordered teh platanos with crema agria ($6), twice fried plantains, a tropical staple that resembles large starchy bananas. Frying carmelizes them and brings out a banana sweetness. A sprinking of cotija cheese and a squiggle of crema agria (similar to thin sour cream) was a perfect topping.
My companion chose the chile rellenos ($14), which are more akin to stuffed peppers than the Tex-Mex battered and fried cheese-filled variety. Two hearty, lightly roasted poblano chiles were stuffed with generous scoops of filling, one with beef picadillo, the other with a corn medley, then served over a pool of tomato salsa. A side of rice and refried beans accompanied them. I actually preferred this to the deep-fried version, for both health and taste. The pepper shell was still firm and flavorful, holding up to the filing.
THE DRINKS
There is a full bar, but of course the specialty of the house is tequila. There are more than two dozen varieties available. The margaritas are citrusy and fresh with a homemade base that uses not only lime juice, but a hint of simple syrup infused with fresh orange peel. We also tried a Michelada, a south of the border marriage of beer and Bloody Mary. An icy Negro Modelo beer is added to a salt-rimmed tumbler of habanero salsa, lime juice and Worchestershire. The result is cold and refreshing with a fiery finish.
We saluted the end of our meal wiith a shot of tequila with a sangrita chaser. Not to be confused with fruity sangria, this shot of "little blood" is a mix of tomato juice, orange juice, lime juice and eye-opening dash of guajillo pepper. Alternating sips of shot and spicy chaser are refreshing and invigorating. We would return to Blue Cactus for the varied menu of
bebidas alone.
THE ATMOSPHERE
Enter into the bar, which is bright with primary colors and subtle lighting. A handful of tables are available here as overflow, or for later night dining. The main dining room, with light and sophisticated decor is a step down to the right. The maize-colored walls feature colorful artwork with nary sumbrero in sight.
THE SERVICE
Our server was pleasent and gave us plenty of guidance with the menu. She seemed a bit impatient when we called her over for the second soup warm-up, although it was hard to tell if it was directed at us or the kitchen. The bartender was engaging and informative, chatting about the brands of tequilas, the base for the margaritas and the sangrita recipe.
NOTEWORTHY
Blue Cactus will be open for breakfast on summer Saturdays, with fresh juices and a menu that goes beyond huevos rancheros, offering eight types of Mexican egg dishes. During Fairport Canal Days, the restaurant will promote a street food menu with items like roasted corn with cotija cheese, lime and chiles.
Freelancer Karen Deyle of Rochester is our restaurant critic.