Authentic? You bet!
I hear a lot of restaurant recommendations from a lot of different people. One place where the buzz in my ear has been loud and clear is
Autentica (5507 NE 30th, 503.287.7555), a newish Mexican joint a couple storefronts north of NE Killingsworth Street. All I kept hearing from my foodie friends is that this place is the real deal and the food is crazy good, not your typical cheesy-AmerMex blend of stomach binding ingredients. Well, last night after a terrific wine tasting at my friend Whitney's cute little bungalow in NE, I had the opportunity to check out Autentica on my way home. Um, how to say this? How about "Holy shit this place is rocking!" If you haven't been there yet, get your appetites going and get over there, because based on a somewhat frustratingly limited exploration of the menu (frustrating only in the sense that I can only eat so much by myself!) I am hooked. I mean, everything that owner/sous chef Oswaldo Bibiano was rolling out of the kitchen was absolutely knock out grub, and my tastebuds were loving every last morsel. Okay, to start, I ordered 1/2 dozen oysters that were a deliciously fresh, briny beginning hopped up with a drop of hot sauce. Then came a dish of Queso Oaxaca con Chorizo, which is basically a bubblingly hot melted dish of Mexican cheese with bits of chorizo, served with their silky smooth housemade corn tortillas. Here's a graphic representation of this bowl of goodness.....
Yum, so good and on a cool, damp PDX evening so satisfying. And it comes with a trio of homemade salsas that are to die for. I also had to try, to satisfy my taqueria/taquito fetish, their Tradicional Taco al Pastor which is probably the best $1.50 appetizer in town. Now with the whole Large Plates side of the menu open to me, it was getting tough to make a decision. But since a real mole is kind of the litmus test of true regional Mexican cuisine, I went with the Pollo en Mole Teloapan. A half chicken blanketed in a chocolatey brown Guerrero style mole. Wow!! It's made with eight different dried chiles and nuts. This was by far the best mole I've had in Portland. Complex, rich, silky smooth with a nice spicy kick. Absolutely sensational and the flavors truly explode across your palate. I was sittng at their kitchen bar, and asked Oswaldo how long it took to make. He said he starts on Monday and basically spends an entire day prepping, mixing, slowly simmering this magical concoction. Here it is, before my knife and fork made a mess of it....
The object in the upper right is a beautifully presented serving of rice in a corn husk. They also serve it with another helping of their perfect corn tortillas, which you can stuff with the succulent meat or use as a mop to clean every bit of this saucy deliciousness off your plate. The whole meal was exceptional, and incredibly affordable. I barely scratched the surface of the menu, and can't wait for my next trip!
I hear a lot of restaurant recommendations from a lot of different people. One place where the buzz in my ear has been loud and clear is Autentica (5507 NE 30th, 503.287.7555), a newish Mexican joint a couple storefronts north of NE Killingsworth Street. All I kept hearing from my foodie friends is that this place is the real deal and the food is crazy good, not your typical cheesy-AmerMex blend of stomach binding ingredients. Well, last night after a terrific wine tasting at my friend Whitney's cute little bungalow in NE, I had the opportunity to check out Autentica on my way home. Um, how to say this? How about "Holy shit this place is rocking!" If you haven't been there yet, get your appetites going and get over there, because based on a somewhat frustratingly limited exploration of the menu (frustrating only in the sense that I can only eat so much by myself!) I am hooked. I mean, everything that owner/sous chef Oswaldo Bibiano was rolling out of the kitchen was absolutely knock out grub, and my tastebuds were loving every last morsel. Okay, to start, I ordered 1/2 dozen oysters that were a deliciously fresh, briny beginning hopped up with a drop of hot sauce. Then came a dish of Queso Oaxaca con Chorizo, which is basically a bubblingly hot melted dish of Mexican cheese with bits of chorizo, served with their silky smooth housemade corn tortillas. Here's a graphic representation of this bowl of goodness.....
Yum, so good and on a cool, damp PDX evening so satisfying. And it comes with a trio of homemade salsas that are to die for. I also had to try, to satisfy my taqueria/taquito fetish, their Tradicional Taco al Pastor which is probably the best $1.50 appetizer in town. Now with the whole Large Plates side of the menu open to me, it was getting tough to make a decision. But since a real mole is kind of the litmus test of true regional Mexican cuisine, I went with the Pollo en Mole Teloapan. A half chicken blanketed in a chocolatey brown Guerrero style mole. Wow!! It's made with eight different dried chiles and nuts. This was by far the best mole I've had in Portland. Complex, rich, silky smooth with a nice spicy kick. Absolutely sensational and the flavors truly explode across your palate. I was sittng at their kitchen bar, and asked Oswaldo how long it took to make. He said he starts on Monday and basically spends an entire day prepping, mixing, slowly simmering this magical concoction. Here it is, before my knife and fork made a mess of it....
The object in the upper right is a beautifully presented serving of rice in a corn husk. They also serve it with another helping of their perfect corn tortillas, which you can stuff with the succulent meat or use as a mop to clean every bit of this saucy deliciousness off your plate. The whole meal was exceptional, and incredibly affordable. I barely scratched the surface of the menu, and can't wait for my next trip!
No comments:
Post a Comment