Las Cazuelas

Las Cazuelas
627 S. Second St.
215-873-0250
Credit cards accepted
One step up into the restaurant

With Cinco de Mayo, the Fifth of May, fast approaching, I thought it appropriate to review a Mexican restaurant. Several summers ago, my husband and I enjoyed a delicious straightforward Mexican dinner at Las Cazuelas in Northern Liberties. The restaurant was a small BYOB and featured homestyle cooking.

Last September, another Las Cazuelas opened in Queen Village. Friends who live a block away have dined there on several occasions and recommended we try it.

Las Cazuelas at 627 S. Second St. is very different from the original at Fifth and Girard. The newer restaurant is bilevel with a well-stocked bar, cozy tables and roomy booths. Edward, my mom Berthe and I were shown to a booth near a mirrored wall. A smiling young waitress from Mexico greeted us and gave us time to peruse the menu.

My mom has never tasted Mexican food in her 89 years. Still, she has always enjoyed a sense of culinary adventure.

Edward sipped a well-made martini ($6) while Mom and I shared a bottle of Corona ($4.50). She looked at the bottle, capped with a lime wedge, poured the beer into a pilsner glass, took a sip and smiled.

The menu is very different from the Northern Liberties Las Cazuelas. It is upscale and more refined, with attention paid to plate presentation. Although platters are generous, the prices here are a bit higher. Our server told us the chefs are from Puebla, the site of the Fifth of May victory of the Mexicans over the French.

She brought us a basket of crisp, greaseless homemade tortilla chips along with a slightly sweet dipping sauce. They were tasty and well-prepared.

Tres Marias ($10.50) consisted of three homemade empanadas. Empanada is Spanish for "to bake in pastry." These turnovers, which are enjoyed in Spain and Mexico, can be savory or sweet. One was filled with tasty shrimp, one with fresh wild mushrooms and the last one with huitlacoche, an ingredient that was new to me.

The Food Lover’s Companion defines "huitlacoche" as a "gourmet rage, a bulbous fungus that attacks ears of corn which was prized by the Aztecs. It is currently being cultivated in California, Florida, Georgia and Virginia." This savory ingredient was dark in color and tasted like a cross between corn and mushrooms. It had a smoky flavor that we particularly enjoyed.

The empanadas were served with a ramekin of sour cream and one of serrano salsa that was made by hand in a molcajete y tejolete, the Mexican term for mortar and pestle. The dipping sauce packed a mild punch.

Mosaico Oaxaqueno ($12.50) was a nice-sized sampler of delicious treats. A square tamale was prepared with chopped meat and vegetables, coated with masa dough, wrapped in a corn husk and steamed to perfection. The platter also contained another delicious empanada; several tacos, which looked like Mexican egg rolls, filled with minced meat and vegetables; and chicken quesadillas served with sour cream and handmade guacamole, which was a combination of smooth and chunky avocado.

We all like shrimp, so we looked forward to camarones cuauhtemoc ($16). The chef placed a large mound of fragrant, perfectly steamed aromatic Mexican white rice in the center of a large round white plate. He then placed about a dozen small shrimp, which had been marinated in a sauce of fresh garlic with hot sauce and quickly saut�ed, around the mound of rice. Some saut�ed peppers and onions were included on the platter. We really liked the spicy flavor of the shrimp, a bit hot but not so diablo that we went reaching for a glass of water. I was disappointed that small shrimp were used in this dish. Still, they were not a bit overcooked and were delicious.

Cochinita Pibil ($14.50) was a new dish for us. The chef sliced boneless pork loin and marinated it with a sauce made of achoite paste, orange juice and chilis. Achoite paste is made from achoite seeds, which have a slightly mushy flavor. The seeds come from the annatto tree and are widely used in Mexican, Spanish and Latin American cooking. The strips were quickly grilled — not a bit overcooked by the way — and placed on a platter.

It also contained a tamale; frijoles charros, downright delicious black beans in sauce — which by the way, were not from a can; guacamole, a serrano sauce and homemade warm tortillas. This dish was the Mexican version of mu shu pork. We filled the tortillas with the fixings and enjoyed. Mom particularly raved about the black beans. All of us mixed them with some rice from our shrimp platter.

Although we felt satisfied after such an enjoyable and tasty meal, Edward and I felt Mom should taste her first Mexican dessert. Tres leches ($6) is known as "three-milk cake" because it is made with fresh whole milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. We received a large square of rich, tasty cake, which had been properly soaked in the three-milk sweet syrup. It was covered with whipped cream and quickly disappeared.

Service was excellent throughout our meal. Our waitress served and cleared with ease, made menu recommendations and explained each dish we were about to enjoy.

As we enjoyed our sweet, Agustine Cercas made his way through the dining room to chat with his patrons. He introduced himself to us and told us he was born and raised in Mexico City. I never revealed my identity to him nor gave him my name. We told him how much we enjoyed dinner at Las Cazuelas.

As we were walking back to our car, Mom could not stop raving about her meal. "Can we go back?" she asked with a smile.

Three tips of the toque to Las Cazuelas.