Restaurant Review: Caliente Mexican Craving

Before visiting Caliente, I perused its website and noticed an interesting statement: “We’re breaking the curse on W. Lee.” The new Mexican restaurant is in a space that has seen many a restaurant come and go. We drove out on a recent Saturday to see if the gris-gris is working.

When you enter the parking lot on the north end, you can’t help but notice an enormous patio with a bar and small stage. With drink/food specials and live music most nights, no doubt the patio keeps busy. Inside is a cavernous space with a long, prominent bar with not one, not two, but 10 margarita machines and two sangria machines. It was a challenge to choose just one, so we sampled the Blue Margarita and the top shelf, bothon the rocks. A mix of blue Curacao with Malibu, the Blue Margarita tasted, well, blue. Not our favorite. The top shelf was a bit watery—not bad, but not what we would consider top shelf.

As is typical, a serving of chips and salsa was brought to our table. Ethereally crisp, warm and lightly salted, the corn chips were a pleasant starter. The salsa was a nice blend of acidic tomatoes and a kick of spice, but it was served ice cold, dulling some of the flavors.As the chill wore off, the nuances of flavors were much more noticeable.

So as not to fill up on chips and salsa, we quickly narrowed in on our first appetizer: Pozole Soup. I’m a huge fan of pozole and was excited to find it on their menu. I’ve had excellent and not-so-great pozole. This take on the classic hominy soup was thick and chunky and didn’t suck—at all. A delightful green chili flavor danced across our palates while the abundance of hominy and chicken did well to satiate our hunger. Shredded lettuce added a pleasing crunch, with the sliced avocado giving a cool and creamy textural contrast. I tried a squeeze of lime but found it detracted from the dish. As each of these items is served on the side, diners can add as many toppings or as few as they desire.

With a mostly full bowl of the chips still staring us in the face, we ordered Table Side Guacamole for our dipping pleasure. What could possibly be bad about fresh onions, cilantro and jalapeos all stirred into creamy avocados? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Made to our specifications by our charismatic waitress, the delicious, rustic serving of guac was far too large to finish but boxed up nicely for later snacking.

Caliente has an extensive list of expected Mexican entrees, but the Chile en Nogada really caught my attention with the note, “So you think you know REAL Mexican food?” An unfried chile relleo stuffed with ground meat, fruit and pecans and topped with brandy cream? Si, por favor!The filling and the sauce were sweet, creating a definitive need for a savory divergence. A sprig of cilantro, a squeeze of lime and a touch of fresh jalapeo helped tame the sugary beast. The substituted side of sauteed vegetables was another well-placed enhancement. Caliente’s chile rendition was a very welcome variation fromthe usual fried offering found at most Mexican locales.

For a divergent entree, my companion chose the Street Tacos, an ample serving of four soft corn tortillas encasing chili-marinated steak or shredded pork. Although this is normally served with a single choice of meat, our waitress accommodated my companion’s request for both, and we were extremely appreciative that she did. The bright and rustic chili flavor of the steak juxtaposed nicely with the slightly sweet, rich taste of the pork. Simply served with cilantro and onions, each taco allowed the meaty star of the dish to shine. The small, earthy bowl of black bean soup rounded out the meal quite well.

Moving on to dessert: What do you get when you cross chocolate cake, flan and caramel sauce? Chocoflan, of course! I’ve never really cared for flan, but if it were always served with a rich, dense chocolate cake and extra caramel like this one, I could become flan’s No. 1 fan. The flan layer was firmer and less eggy than most I’ve tried, which only reinforced my pleasure. We were affably full after our entrees, yet we polished off this dessert like we hadn’t eaten in days.It was an incredibly luscious end to a delectable meal.

For diners expecting the traditional, ubiquitous Tex-Mex cuisine found at most Mexican restaurants across our fair city, Caliente can accommodate your tastes. But for those seeking a gastronomic departure from the norm, this deviation will not disappoint. Methinks the curse on West Lee Drive is broken.