Mexican food is so popular, and there are so many different places to choose from, but one can’t help developing favorites. Last week, I ventured out of my comfort zone of Pablo’s and El Oasis and gave Maria’s in Old Town a try, and I’m so glad I did.
Situated in the spot formerly occupied by Old Town Diner, Maria’s offers what I’m used to seeing on the menu of an authentic Mexican restaurant, as well as some options that were new to me, like cecina, torta campechana and panuchos. Very familiar to me, though, is mole. Literally meaning “sauce” in Spanish, mole is a traditional sauce and marinade. The word can represent a variety of versions, but the classic, mole poblano, is a dark reddish-brown and contains fruit, chili peppers, nuts and spices — including black pepper and cinnamon — as well as unsweetened chocolate. I usually go for mole enchiladas, but, hungry for extra protein, I chose the chicken in mole plate.
The mole at Maria’s was different from others I’ve had, but it was still completely delicious. With the deep, smoky, almost bitter flavor of roasted poblano balanced by a sweetness reminiscent of tamarind and strong notes of cinnamon, the sauce covered two perfectly tender chicken drumsticks. I used the accompanying corn tortillas to pull the meat off the bones and dunk it in the generous pool of mole, also scooping the sauce into the takeout tray’s rice compartments. Before I knew it, I’d devoured everything, sometimes incorporating stolen scoops of the delicious guacamole my friend ordered, as well as some of her chips. You have to love a cuisine where everything tastes amazing with everything else…