Restaurant Review: Mesa Veracruz Coastal Cuisine in Oak Cliff
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Mesa Veracruz is located at 118 W Jefferson Blvd, Suite A, Dallas, Texas 75208. 214-941-4246. It's not far from the Bishop Arts District.
Hours: Tue - Thu: 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri - Sat: 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Background
Chef-Owners Raul and Olga Reyes are from Alvarado, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Alvarado is a town built on a mile-wide strip of land on the Gulf of Mexico where fresh seafood is a way of life.
Check out the influence of their coastal upbringing in many items on the menu at Mesa.
I had the opportunity to visit Mesa Veracruz for the first time when they debuted their fall menu at a media preview dinner. I love family-owned and operated restaurants so this was indeed a treat.
Margaritas and More
Let's start in the bar. Hand-crafted premium margaritas and specialty drinks abound. After my visit to Mesa, I told a friend that this is the place where we need to go to have the perfect, spicy margarita. (We like spicy drinks!) I started my taste-testing with a margarita made of serrano-infused tequila. Think about the flavor of your favorite on-the-rocks 'rita kicked up a notch with the spicy flavor of serrano peppers. I like it hot. And if you do too, this is a must-drink cocktail. It left me desiring another one and I can't wait to go back.
Starters
Can anyone tell me why chips and guacamole are so addictive? There's simply something magical about fresh avocados when combined with tomatoes, onions, chiles and a little lime juice -- and served with homemade chips.
Maybe it's that pinch of salt. Maybe it's magic. Mesa's chips are served in a beautiful dish and usually I feast on guac and chips -- and then who needs to order food? Do not make that mistake because there are more starters on the menu that you won't want to miss.
It's not often that I start of by saying the soup was one of the tastiest dishes on the menu at a Mexican food restaurant. Two words: Carrot Soup. I don't even have words to describe how tasty it was and how much I enjoyed it.
I asked Chef Raul what was in the soup. He said, "carrots, cream cheese and milk." He didn't share any secret ingredients. He didn't need to. It's not like I could ever whip up something like this. It was heavenly.
Must-Have Entrées
Entrées you must eat at Mesa Veracruz: Lobster Enchiladas. They're artistically placed in a secret ingredient sauce that's 100% organic. Lobster is cooked a la Mexicana served with side of jasmine rice cooked in ham and bacon, stuffed avocado with crab meat, mango and pico de gallo. Thank goodness I only tried the sample size of this dish because I think I could have eaten an entire platter of them.
And as delicious as that was, I think my absolute favorite dish was the Mole Enchiladas. I'm a fan of the earthy mole sauce which screams authentic Mexican cuisine at the first bite. I will definitely order this on my next trip back. And if you're fond of mole, I suggest you order it here.
One adventurous dish was the Guiso del Rey. It's a combination of seafood including mussels, clams, octopus and shrimp. I called it "adventurous" because as far as I know, I've never eaten octopus until now. After I ate it, I mentioned on Facebook that I had just eaten octopus and a friend asked what it tasted like. I replied, "Chicken."
The octopus actually tasted like most of the other seafood items in the dish -- maybe because it was simmered in a sauce that includes Modelo Especial and house chardonnay. You can't go wrong with a sauce like that.
I glanced at Mesa's brunch menu and it really got my attention. I'd like to check out their Empanadas: Three plantain and masa turnovers filled with your choice of cheese, chicken or shrimp. (I'm a huge fan of empanadas). Huevos al Gusto features your choice of bacon, ala Mexicana, ham, or Nopales served with a side of pancakes and fresh fruit. Yes, please. Meet me there this weekend!
For More on Mexican Food in DFW
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As is common in the industry, the writer was provided with complimentary food and beverages for the purpose of the review. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure.
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