Welcome to the Red Iguana

                                                                                                                                                                                          

So, we decided to check out the Red Iguana. My friend, Tia had told me that Alejandro Escovedo was quoted as saying that this place had better Mole than anywhere in Austin. Now, I am neither a fan of his music, nor am I really a fan of Mole. However, I found it intriguing that Salt lake City, Utah could offer better Mexican food than Texas or Southern California. (yes, yes..perhaps I am still being a bit closed-minded still of Salt Lake City.)

We went around 6 p.m. and we had to wait for about 45 minutes. I hadn't realized that this place was such a hot spot, and apparently  it is so much so that they opened another Red Iguana right near this one to handle the business. When we were seated the atmosphere is very cozy, the tables were small but accommodating, and the walls are brightly colored and delightfully cluttered. (I wanted to get better pictures but by that time the place was so crowded and the light was not very good, that I didn't want to flash people in the face while they were eating, wondering why a stranger is taking pictures of them.)

The waiter was very charming and knowledgeable. They have a huge menu, which made deciding difficult. We just started with the usual Chips and Salsa. The chips were the thick corn chips, and much to my surprise the salsa was actually a bit spicy. It was your typical red salsa, but I was happy to have that kick. 

We also decided to have a beverage. The Margarita de Jamaica sounded to good to pass up. It was very good and light.  

Margarita de Jamaica: Made with real Jamaica blossom syrup made in house, simple syrup, cazadores blanco tequila, shaken, and garnished with a sugared jamaica blossom. Served in a martini glass.

Now let me introduce you to our dishes...

Enchiladas Poblanas: $8.35..Two sour cream cheese enchiladas topped with their traditional enchilada sauce, melted jack cheese, avocado slices, and a dollop of sour cream. 

Brooks got this dish and I tried it. It was very good. Everything tasted fresh and sauce was excellent. The portions are large. The only thing is that you have to order rice and beans separately. Which actually I wouldn't necessarily have missed since there was so much food as it was. The Rice and Beans were very good. Beans are part of my test when I am deciding if I think a place is good or not. The rice was a traditional Mexican rice with vegetables in it, and the beans were cooked just right. They didn't taste vegetarian but I didn't ask, and not too salty or lacking salt.

Enchiladas Suizas: (2) $8.95..Avocado slices and sour cream chicken topped with mole poblano and melted jack cheese.

Apparently one of their more popular dishes, I decided to give it a try because I wanted to try the mole without it having to be the main attraction. The Red Iguana serves 7 different kind of moles. Here's a description of Mole Poblano.

Mole Poblano: Puebla's beloved mole...guajillo and ancho dried chilies, peanuts, sesame seeds, walnuts, raisins, bananas and Mexican chocolate.

It was sweet and only slightly spicy. Very mild. It went well with the avocado and sour cream. I would recommend it to anyone who was trying mole for the first time. 

I was excited to try this restaurant and I am excited to go back. I am interested in trying more things from their extensive menu. 

www.rediguana.com

 " Pre-Hispanic food Imperial Aztec cuisine and Moctezuma's table. Distinctively Mexican"

Red Iguana

736 West North Temple

Salt Lake City, UT 84116

801.322.1489

Bayleaf Cafe

Greetings from Utah! (officially) So, While walking through Downtown last weekend we decided to stop in to a place that we visited when we came earlier in the summer for a visit: The Bay Leaf Cafe. It's a pretty cool little spot. It has some late night hours on the weekend and it's claim to fame is a menu with a little southern charm. They also offer Filipino fare as well which I was surprised at the combination, but I guess it works. It's a cute little place with chairs and tables set up on the ample sidewalk in front of the restaurant, since Salt Lake City weather is so nice, and inside are a huge bar and tables set up with sports on the television. We opted for outdoor seating and it was a nice choice. This place is neat because they have daily specials. Let me introduce you to the menu:

I like this restaurant because they offer huge mason jars of water and Sweet Tea. We decided to start with:

Fried Pickles: $4.99 Hamburger chips dipped in batter and fried. It's so simple yet so good. They set it up with a spicy and creamy dipping sauce.

Brooks decided to get what was on special that day and it was the:

Fish and Chips: $6.99 A cornmeal battered catfish, with seasoned fries and tartar sauce. This was an excellent special of the day. I was actually sad I didn't get it. The tartar sauce was really good and the fish tasted fresh and had a good color. The batter was really good and seasoned right. It was really a good dish.

Crab Cake Po' Boy: $9.99 Two crab cakes on French bread with slaw and seasoned fries. So, I must say I was a little disappointed with this choice. The bread was good, the fries were good, but the crab cake was lacking. It had absolutely no flavor, and the slaw wasn't particularly flavorful either. I used some of Brooks' tartar sauce and that made it better but I was really expecting something with a little more seasoning than what I got.

With that said, I would still come here again and keep trying what they offer. It really is a nice little place and the service is pretty good. Plus they offer sweet tea, and that's just something I cant live without.

www.bayleaf-cafe.com

Bayleaf Cafe

159 South Main Street

Salt lake City, UT 84111

801.359.8490

A long wait...and the gem of New Mexico?

So, pretty much the only restaurant we stopped to eat in along our route to Salt Lake City was The Silver Moon Cafe in Santa Rosa, NM. Apparently this is an institution along the route 66, but I wasn't so impressed by it's culinary delights as much as I was with the kitschy gift shop and the kokopelli menu holder. We got there kind of early and there weren't that many people there. The waitress may or may not have been a little creeped out by us, but she was nice.

Now as I have said in the previous post, I was not prepared for recording my meal, but I did have my camera in my purse and that's why there are photos. Brooks had the Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy, Eggs, and Hash-browns. He said he liked it and he finished his meal.

What I experienced is the exact opposite. So, after cruising the menu, and it was pretty extensive, I settled on the Green Chile Huevos Rancheros. let me preface this next part with that I only have myself to blame...So, I am a Texan and perhaps I didn't ask the appropriate questions, nor did the waitress feel the need to offer any further information, NOR was it stated on the menu that Green Chile Sauce has pork bits in it. Some of you may know that I prefer to not ingest pig. (I am no animal rights activist, I just do not enjoy eating the curly-tails). And actually this is just the tip of the iceberg...The temperature of the food was tepid, at best. The Green Chile Sauce mixed with the cheese had formed a chilly, gelatinous mold around the eggs. The  pinto beans were dry and cold, as well as were the potatoes, but I can eat potatoes any old way so they were still edible. Actually the best part of the meal were the home-made flour tortillas. They were excellent!

So, out of trying all of the things on my plate I ate the beans, potatoes and tortillas. I did try the eggs and a bit of the sauce (after scraping meat bits to the side) but it was all in vain, because simply: It was not good.

I think Brooks and my experiences were on the opposite ends of the spectrum. If you do ever find yourself in Santa Rosa, NM, eating at the Silver Moon Cafe, choose your food wisely. I wasn't expecting anything more than what it is but I do expect for hot food to be hot.


Silver Moon Cafe3725 Will Rogers Drive Santa Rosa, NM 88435575-472-3162

Polvos and A Long Wait...

So, I know it has been a while since I have posted, I have been moving to Salt Lake City, Utah. I do have a few things I want to post before I delve into any SLC restaurants.....One of my last dining out experiences was at Polvos with my friend Georgia. ( Also let me just say that the next 2-ish reviews will not be as in depth as I usually like to do, but I still want to put it out there, don't worry I will be up-to-par soon.) 

So, Georgia and I went to Polvos and for those of you who don't frequent that place often, let me tell you that they have the best Sangria Swirl Margaritas in town. Two of those and you're good. We were keeping it simple, and I know that I have definitely gone there in the past and dropped major cash, but thanks to another friend of mine, Lacey, I was introduced to the Exotic Taco.

Exotic Taco: You choose from your favorite meats and/or vegetables, cheese, beans, rice, pico de gallo,and one or two of Polvos exotic salsas, all piled on a tortilla. I chose a fish taco with Margarita sauce. It has peppers and onions and a little bit of escabeche-d carrot on top.( escabeche is basically a marinated vegetable or sometimes fish)  Let me tell you guys that this is PLENTY of food for one person, if not two. It's an awesome marriage of flavors, and a taco that you have to eat with a fork. 

Chili Con Queso: Melted american cheese topped with guacamole, ground beef, and pico de gallo. As you can see from the pictures above, everything is included on the side. I really enjoy that about places. I love choices and I appreciate when restaurants give you the option to choose. On the side is the ground beef, the guacamole, the tomatoes, the onions, the jalapenos and the cilantro. It's great.


Another cool thing about this place is the self-serve salsa station. You can choose from a variety of salsas and re-fill as you see fit. I highly recommend checking this place out if you haven't yet. 


P.S. Get there early though, there's always a long wait in the dinner-rush times.


www.polvosaustin.com


Polvos Mexican Restaurant
2004 S. 1st St.
Austin, Texas 78704
512-441-5446

The Sacred G'Raj Mahal

So, yesterday I went out to dinner with my friends Mary and Drew. We had all heard about this place called G'Raj Mahal (pronounced garage), and we were all eager to try it. Let me just say: this place is pretty magical, especially if you love Indian food! It's all outdoors except for the kitchen, which is in a trailer. When you first walk up they have the menu posted on a little fence, and then you seat yourself and a server will come and take your order. I really loved the the outdoor seating with the white curtains around the perimeter. It was pretty cute. Another thing is that this place is BYOB and while we were sitting there it was like someone had their IPod on shuffle. We heard everything from Iron Maiden to Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Also they share the space with the Austin Bike Zoo. They have on display a giant rattlesnake made out of bikes and recycled bottles and other things they have found, and apparently you can rent them.

Another cool thing about G'Raj Mahal is that they strive to be locally and environmentally responsible. They use biodegradable service-ware and they try to find the organic and local ingredients whenever possible. 

Awesome!

The menu:

Let me start off by saying that they have an extensive menu. I was surprised and super stoked about what they have to offer. The three of us shared the dishes and still had enough for at least one other person.

Samosa: Two filled and fried pastries with mildly spiced potato and pea ($4.00 for 2), or curried lamb ($5.00 for 2). We had two orders of the vegetarian samosa and one order of the curried lamb. Both Samosas come with a mint/cilantro chutney and a tamarind chutney. They Samosa are everything the should be, not over-cooked or dried out or greasy at all. Just perfect.

*I don't eat lamb, but another cool thing about this place is that they serve grass-fed, Halal blessed lamb*

Naan with Paneer: $3.00, Naan is a bread baked in a tandoori oven. This naan had an extra surprise by having paneer cheese in between the flaky layers. Perfect for dipping. You really can't go wrong. The paneer was/ has a super mild flavor. It compliments the naan nicely. It comes with about 4 large pieces.

Tikka Masala: $11.00, A creamy curry. Buttery sauce with tomatoes and peppers recommended with paneer, chicken, lamb or shrimp. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. The white meat chicken was cooked perfectly and their sauce is amazing. Rich and creamy and perfectly spiced. We ordered "Spicy" for our dishes and they were pretty spicy, just the way I like it.

Aloo Gobi: $9.00, Curried potato and cauliflower. Aloo Gobi!!!!!! I was super excited to eat this dish, since I have eaten it in about 8 years. My old friend Huma's mom used to make me this dish all the time when I lived in Houston. It's the simplest dish but it's just perfectly cooked potatoes and tender cauliflower in a spicy, red curry. It's like comfort food to me!

Saag Paneer: $11.00, Pureed spinach with curried cream. Much to my surprise, the cubes of paneer were very big. They kind of reminded me of tofu. Not spicy at all. It was so good. It's a must-have every time!

I wish I could have tried more items from the menu, because this menu is extensive! Another plus is that ANY DISH CAN BE MADE VEGAN! which is so cool, especially when you have a group of people with many different dietary restrictions. Everything can be made mild instead of spicy and the servers were super friendly and helpful! I would recommend this place to anyone!

P.S. Remember you are sitting outside. Bring bug spray!!

They don't have a website.

G'Raj Mahal Cafe

91 Red River ( in the backyard)

Austin Texas

512-480-2255