Quick Hits: Mextiza, Smallwares, Luce

Recent noontime visits to this trio of newcomers revealed much promise, with a side of newbie-itis.

With big bro Autentica holding court on the hot corner of NE 30th and Killingsworth with the likes of Yakuza, DOC, Beast and Cocotte, a little sister down the street might feel a teeny bit overshadowed. Indeed, Mextiza, Oswaldo Bibiano's new outlet a few blocks west of Interstate, is understated, but has a certain sophisticated style all its own.

Autentica specializes in the cuisine of Bibiano's home state of Guerrero in Mexico. But with a menu spanning the whole country and a wall o' tequila and mescal that rivals any the big boys boast, this little girl might just be poised to have her moment in the spotlight very soon.

On a recent lunch visit the housemade guacamole was laced with lime and the queso-and-salt sprinkled chips (left) were crisp and light. But what captured my eye were the enchiladas with roasted poblanos in a sauce of—be still my heart—huitlacoche cream sauce and sprigs of epazote (top photo). One whiff took me back to the Plazuela Machado in Mazatlan, the last time I'd had that particular combination, and this version stood up to my memories of it. The dinner menu covers much broader territory, and I've heard reports that it and the cocktails are worth seeking out. I definitely will!

Details: Mextiza, 2103 N Killingsworth. 503-289-3709.

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Northeast 46th and Fremont has seen a couple food businesses come and go. The latest entrant to attempt to anchor this key corner in the Beaumont neighborhood, Smallwares, has a bit of a pedigree in owner and former Nostrana sous-chef Johanna Ware. An alumna of David Chang's much vaunted Momofuku restaurants in New York City, she's revisiting those roots with what's billed as an "inauthentic Asian" spot.

My lunch there, shortly after it opened, revealed a menu with tastes collected from many Asian cultures with, as you might expect, a twist thrown in. For instance, the kimchi featured the expected cabbage and daikon, but then also included apple, which worked quite nicely. The mapo dofu (above) was a small cup of pork richly combined with a fermented black bean sauce, but it was served sitting on a cushion of savory egg custard. Mussels (left)—see, I told you I can't resist 'em—were the most traditional, in a nice broth of sake and chile flake, and had little slivers of doughy rice cake mixed in.

The only complaint was that the same chile sauce seemed to make an appearance in several plates, though this sameness of saucing may change as the kitchen adjusts the menu.

Details: Smallwares, 4605 NE Fremont. 971-229-0995.

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No sign, shelves full of Italian food products and a few tables scattered across the floor. On a side wall, a listing of delicious-sounding plates. Such is the caché of John Taboada, originator of the Spanish-inspired Navarre on NE 28th, that he can open a minimalist spot like Luce and pack in eager foodies looking to be the first among their peers to tweet about it.

On a mid-week stop for lunch, a friend and I had our choice of tables (the hipsters must still have been in bed) and we sat down to sample a few plates. The price is the only giveaway of the size of the plates…for instance, for $2 each we ordered stuffed clams, a beet dumplings and a slice of squash tart (above). Six bucks, right? What came out was a salad plate that featured three teensy little clams containing maybe a half teaspoon each of "stuffing," two 1-inch beet fritters and a maybe-1-inch-wide sliver of tart. The chicken in wine sauce was a little more generous, with a decent-sized leg divided into thigh and drumstick in a capered wine sauce. I'd like to go back in the evening and have a glass of wine and a couple of plates, but it's definitely not the kind of place to go and expect heaping plates of food or cheap prices.

Details: Luce, 2140 E Burnside St. 503-236-7195.

Memorable Meals: Nostrana, Autentica, Tabla

The blurby nature of this grouping in no way reflects the quality of the meals at these three establishments; each was deserving of a full post on its own. Chalk it up to laziness on the writer's part.

I hadn't been to Nostrana for lunch for way too long, so when a friend that I hadn't seen for way too long wanted to meet on her lunch hour to catch up, it seemed like the perfect fit. It was a sunny, warm day and Nostrana had added a bevy of brightly colored umbrellas to the patio in front of the restaurant, as well as a bright canvas panel to block the breeze that seems to constantly flow up some invisible chute from the river. Most of the windows on the river side also slide open, so even if you're sitting inside it feels like you're dining al fresco, and diners are encouraged to adjust them to suit their tastes. And speaking of taste, there are few lunch menus in town as dependably awesome yet accessible as that found here. From salads to pizzas to the piatti lunch specials, there is almost no way you can go wrong. And splitting a salad, particularly their version of a Caesar made with radicchio or the albacore (left), and a pizza is not looked down upon. The wines by the glass, while terrific choices all, can almost double the cost of your lunch and I haven't had the courage to ask to split a glass, so I tend to stick to iced tea ($2.50).

Details: Nostrana, 1401 SE Morrison St. 503-234-2427.

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A warm summer evening and meeting friends for dinner meant finding a restaurant that offered outdoor dining, wasn't too expensive and served killer drinks. Additional points were awarded for proximity to home. Fortunately, before we got to the spreadsheet stage (yes, it has happened…we're very nerdy around here), someone mentioned that Autentica has a charming patio (top photo), fabulous margaritas and wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. And, since again I hadn't been there in WTL (way too long), we made a date. We were ushered through the restaurant to a tiny back door that opened onto a spacious patio with plantings of tall cannas separating the long space into two "rooms." With the walls painted in bright, Mexican-inspired colors, we felt like we were back  in Mazatlan on the Plazuela Machado. The margaritas came almost instantly, and we dove into our guacamole, ceviche and queso fundido with handmade tortillas and chef Oswaldo Bibiano's signature trio of stunning chile salsas. Our entrées, including an enchilada platter, a filet of whole trout with a garlic epazote purée and a fall-apart tender carne asada with black-eyed peas (above right), were all crazy good, especially with a second round of those delicious margaritas. With that dinner in mind, I can't wait to try his new venture, Mextiza, scheduled to open on N Killingsworth later this summer.

Details: Autentica, 5507 NE 30th Ave. 503-287-7555.

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When it's time to celebrate a major anniversary with a dinner out, we tend to go back to a favorite that never disappoints, is not outrageously priced and where we'll be treated like family. That's a pretty tall order and a very short list, and you'll not be surprised that, for us, Tabla on NE 28th is at the top of it. Not only is chef Anthony Cafiero a warm and funny guy who has a gas playing with his food, he gets that food from frequent trips to local farmers' markets. I know because I'm constantly running into him on whatever day of the week he needs to restock, loaded down with armloads of heavy bags and waving fronds. The night we went with my brother and his lovely bride, Anthony was offering his $28 three-course dinner with the likes of an appetizer of sous vide farm egg with ham, green beans garlic scapes and ricotta cream, a pasta course of Cavatelli with calamari, garlic and piquillo peppers with the Mar y Montaña (above left) entrée featuring Spanish octopus, pork chop, ajo blanco, cilantro and carrot foam. As I've mentioned before, Cafiero is still having huge fun making foams, infusions and smears without taking away from the real flavors of his market ingredients. And that's always worth coming back for.

Details: Tabla, 200 NE 28th Ave. 503-238-3777.

Mazatlan, Pt. 7: Adios!

Thanks to everyone who made it possible for us to have this wonderful experience, especially Dana, Ron, Mr. B, Kathleen and Mom!

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Mercado Central, The Fungus Among Us, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Groovy Graffiti, and Bewitching Breakfast. 

Mazatlan, Pt. 6: Bewitching Breakfast

What Oregon needs are more year-round open air cafes with thatched palm roofs overlooking white sand beaches, don't you think? Playa Bruja, or Witch Beach, at the north end of Mazatlan's Golden Zone, is prime surfing territory and has a terrific cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner most days. There are also stands selling mango and melon on the beach, and a fellow who will pry open as many fresh oysters as you can handle for pennies each.

We were at the Restaurant Playa Bruja for breakfast and had our choice of fresh-squeezed tropical juices or the rice, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla drink called horchata. Though most at the table wanted the mahi mahi fish tacos (above), which were stunningly fresh and moist, I'd been hankering to have some authentic chilaquiles.

In this dish, fresh corn tortillas are fried and then covered with a green or red chile sauce and simmered until the tortillas soften. Scrambled eggs are often added, and the Restaurant Bruja version had the eggs, scrambled with pico de gallo, separate rather than mixed in, with the ubiquitous guacamole and refried beans alongside.

There was, of course, a fine chile salsa, too, and more pico de gallo to spoon on. It was exactly what I'd hoped for, with the sauce-soaked corn flavor of the tortillas giving the eggs more heft and flavor. And since it's an easy meal to whip up for breakfast or even dinner, I guarantee you'll see this making featured appearances here at the homestead.

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Mercado Central, The Fungus Among Us, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Groovy Graffiti and Adios. 

Mazatlan, Pt. 5: Groovy Graffiti

I've written about my fascination with street art, and on one particular street in Mazatlan a stencil artist has been creating work both insightful and exciting to look at. The signature "Stencileame!", occasionally spray-painted alongside, is the only identifying mark, but this artist is definitely accomplished at his or her craft.

The piece above, with the words "Kill the war" next to the head, is approximately four feet wide by two feet high, but most are smaller like the Dali face on the left which is approximately eight inches square. This one (right) has the title "Fight against tele-garbage" and features the starfish character of Patrick from the Spongebob Squarepants cartoons with a board nailed to his head.

There's also the usual tagging and spray-painted graffiti here and there, but these editorial (and graphic) personal creative statements really capture my attention.

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Mercado Central, The Fungus Among Us, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Bewitching Breakfast and Adios. 

Mazatlan, Pt. 4: Evening on the Plazuela Machado

OK, now that it's cold and snowing in Portland (!) I'm going to make you completely sick by sharing an evening we spent strolling through the Centro Historico on a moonlit evening, a light breeze causing the temperature to dip down to, oh, 78 degrees. The doorways were lit by wrought iron streetlamps, people were just beginning to leave their day at the beach to have dinner. What can I say? It was paradise.

It was still a bit early for our table at the restaurant we'd chosen for dinner, so we wandered down the street to Topolo, a dinner house situated what was once a classic-style Mexican home.

As I mentioned before, many homes in the Centro have been converted into commercial spaces without destroying the features that make them such amazing examples of vernacular architecture. The flat stucco fronts with shuttered windows that face the street, often painted in eye-popping (and fabulous) tropical colors, that, when you walk through the door, reveal private open-air courtyards with colonnaded patios used as dining or living areas (or both).

Radiating off the patios are the interior rooms for sleeping and cooking or receiving guests. The whole structure is ingeniously situated to take advantage of both shade and any cooling breezes that might waft by, and the plants and fountains in the courtyard provide a sense of coolness and separation from the noises of the street outside.

We had margaritas and a platter of house appetizers, including crunchy pork flautas, small chimichangas filled with tender beef and cheese, and quesadillas topped by sliced sausages, which gave us the strength to roll down to La Tramoya on the Plazuela for dinner. The lamps were lit, the vendors selling trinkets to the tourists were set up in the square and tables were starting to fill with a happy and tired beach-goers celebrating the long Easter weekend with their families.

Once again I ordered the inky black huitlacoche, this time as a sauce over perfectly grilled medium-rare steak. Its earthy, tart flavor, much like a mushroom sauce with wine, made a luscious mouthful and a great pairing, especially with the spicy red wine from a Baja producer. The fish in verde sauce that Dave ordered came in a foil pouch that sent up a cloud of scented steam that was so tempting he had to share a bite with everyone at the table.

After finishing our meals and working on the remains of the wine, we sat back and listened to the people chatting with their families and scolding their kids, the waiters joking with their tables and taking orders. It was a warm night and the voices, all in Spanish, blended with the music floating on the light evening breeze. A perfect vacation moment.

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Mercado Central, The Fungus Among Us, Groovy Graffiti, Bewitching Breakfast and Adios. 

Mazatlan, Pt. 3: The Fungus Among Us

For years I've been reading about huitlacoche, the Mexican delicacy made from a black fungus that grows on corn. So I was thrilled to see it on the menu at a restaurant called Copa de Leche on the Malecon, the beachfront drive in the old section of the city. The huitlacoche was used as a stuffing in handmade empanadas, and came with sides of salad and refried beans. The filling had a tart, earthy flavor that was unlike anything I'd ever had before, and the crust of the empanadas was crisp and crunchy, a perfect pairing.

We also ordered a bowl of tortilla soup, a favorite from previous trips and one that I've made at home a few times. Simple to make if you start with a rich chicken or vegetable broth, simmer it with tomatoes, onions and garlic, then add strips of fried corn tortillas, chunks of avocado and lime juice just before serving. The crispness of the tortilla adds a lovely crunch to this flavorful soup, and it was almost as good as the definitive version I first tasted at the Red Cabbage Cafe in Puerto Vallarta.

The menu also listed nopales in garlic sauce, cactus leaves that had been skinned, chopped and cooked in oil with whole cloves of garlic and sliced mushrooms. Terrific by itself, this would also be fantastic as a side dish with meat or in tacos with grilled meat and corn tortillas.

The chicken in mole sauce capped off the meal perfectly, the deep red chile sauce with a hint of heat and tender chicken just begged to be eaten stuffed into bits of warm tortillas torn from the pile on the table.

Sitting on the covered beachfront patio, sipping margaritas or a Pacifico with a squeeze of lime in it and watching the world go by made this a perfect spot to while away an afternoon, then head back for a nap before dinner. Vacations are such hard work!

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Mercado Central, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Groovy Graffiti, Bewitching Breakfast and Adios. 

Mazatlan, Pt.2: El Mercado Central

Farmers' markets are a passion of mine. I can't get enough of the fresh-from-the-farm produce and meats, the bustle, the noise, the laughter. It's the idea of eating local, yes, but also having a relationship with the person who produces the food that you eat. A chef I interviewed once described the intimacy of making food for people, that the food he prepared would become part of them on both a physical and spiritual level. And many farmers I've talked to feel the same way about the food they grow.

So one of my very favorite things to do when I travel is to go to the local market and Mazatlan's, while it's not one of the largest markets, has that same feeling of the place where the locals go to buy the food that will feed their families. They know their vendors like family, they've watched them grow up, get married, have families, grow old. They haggle like siblings over the price of this or the freshness of that. And they laugh and tease and roll their eyes at each other's jokes.

This market takes up an entire city block in the middle of the Centro, or historic district in the center of the city. It's a covered, colonnaded structure from the turn of the century built in an Art Nouveau style that is known for its selection of meats, produce and dried goods. There are even little grocery stores scattered around inside it that sell everything else, from canned tuna to toilet paper.

The meat market occupies one corner and you can find everything from beef to pork and chicken to fish, all fresh and many cut to order. When we were there the vendors were just putting out the day's offerings and there was much whacking apart of large hunks of meat and bantering with early customers. One butcher playfully poked his very long, sharp knife at a colleague from a nearby stand who was giving him a hard time, at least that's what it looked like from the way they were laughing with each other.

And there was no squeamishness in evidence over the nasty bits that Americans consider not fit to eat, much less proudly display front and center in the meat case. Innards, feet, fat and tongue were displayed right along with the prime cuts of loin, steak and breast, because they know what we've forgotten, and that is that some of these "other" parts have some of the best flavor in the animal.

Whether marinated, braised or slow-smoked, you can get ten times the flavor from these cuts. Combine them with beans and vegetables and you've got stomach-filling and soul-satisfying meals for a crowd. Don't these piggies look happy?

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Historic Scene, The Fungus Among Us, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Groovy Graffiti, Bewitching Breakfast and Adios.

Mexican Sojourn, Pt. 1: The Historic Scene

Yes, you heard it right. We're down in Mexico for a few days of vacationing thanks to a generous donation from my mother and a friend who has a condo in the lovely city of Mazatlan. This week is Semana Santa or Holy Week, and the town is packed with Mexicans on vacation with their families. It's crazy and exciting to witness a culture celebrate one of its most important holidays, and I can't wait for Easter Day to see what happens.

The weather is sunny and highs are in the mid-80s with a lovely breeze blowing in off the marina where we're ensconced in the simple luxury of our friend's condo. It's a small place, with two bedrooms and a deck off the living room that overlooks the marina on the north end of town.

Historic home waiting for help (click to see open roof).

Yesterday she and her husband escorted us to the historic district in the center of the old city. The colonial architecture is phenomenal, especially the buildings that have been restored and returned to their original status as private homes, but also those that have been repurposed as bed and breakfasts or shops. What's incredible to me is that they survived at all rather than being razed for new development.

Another home after restoration.

Read the other posts about my trip to Mazatlan: The Mercado Central, The Fungus Among Us, Evening on the Plazuela Machado, Groovy Graffiti, Bewitching Breakfast and Adios.