Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Mojave



I had a really good meal here the other night with 3 other people, most of the food and drinks were excellent.  As a few others have mentioned, the service is a bit slow.  Our server disappeared for about 10 minutes just when we were ready to order.  Thankfully it was a beautiful night and we were sitting in the nice back patio, so we did not mind the wait.  The inside is cavernous and also quite nice.   We had a pitcher of sangria, not very good, not good wine and to expensive at $32.  A lot of the food seemed a bit overpriced, but with a place that big I can only imagine the staff/rent costs.  Although the Sangria fell flat, the frozen margarita was much better and expectantly stronger.  

The food was very enjoyable, in large portions and cooked with skill.  For starters the Mojaves Margherita Garlic Gulf Shrimp was excellent!  Reminded me a bit of a ceviche with a thicker, tomato based sauce.  This was enjoyed very much by everyone at the table.  The Calamari too was excellent and enjoyed by all, great texture, well fried, not a chewy bite.  The Queso Fundido was also good, super heavy, and not as spicy as i would have liked, but good.  The only miss was the Grilled Corn on the Cob, which should have been the easiest thing to do.  It was very under seasoned, I could hardly taste any of the expected flavors, lime, butter, cheese.  It even needed salt and pepper.  I really wanted to try the fried Oysters, but $15 seemed a bit high, for what i imagine are canned oysters.

Onto the entrees, the Santa Fe Shepard's Pie is something I've ordered a few times in Manhattan in Nuevo Mexican places, basically mac and cheese over chilli.  Great dish, big filling portion.  The chili was distinct, it packed a punch but it was not quite spicy.  I think they were heavy on the chili powder.  Either way, i enjoyed it very much and the mac and cheese was the perfect rich foil to match the bite of the chili.  The Salmon was excellent, perfect cooked, nice sized fillet, and a great (I believe) mango salsa on top.  Another great dish.  The Salmon taco's were another hit, but the best was the Slow & Low Braised Short ribs of Angus Beef.  Very lean piece of meat, with excellent flavor, and it was as it should be falling off the bone.  Extremely tender, and just wonderful.  The rich Mole sauce it was served in was a great compliment to the meat.  This was loved by everyone at the table.  The mashed potatoes it was served with had perfectly cooked still crunchy corn inside and I enjoyed the textural contrast very much.    Although we did not order it, it was nice to see Chilaquiles on the menu, which is essentially a thrice cooked tortilla.

Despite the waiting a few times for the waitress, she was friendly and helpful with suggestions, and the rest of the staff was very nice.  The food as mentioned was excellent, with only the corn being a miss.  It is a tad pricey, however  I will absolutely be back and i would highly recommend giving it a visit.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

King of Falafel and Shawarma

This is outstanding!  Its a gut buster for sure, but worth every calorie.  I think I have to rescind the "best falafel ever" comment i gave to a previous establishment, because this is simply better.  Although it was a bit greasy, I was excellently seasoned and perfectly crispy.  I like the oblong shape, a bit different than the usual falafel.  The owner is very friendly and entertaining which is nice, since there is usually a few minutes wait.  Last time i was here they gave everyone on the line a free falafel for waiting, a nice gesture.  The food is expectantly cheap and SUPER filling.  I think i was full for the rest of the day.  Highly recommended!!!