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| - Roast Beast calls to me, as if part of my native tongue.
Anytime I see it on a menu or in photos I salivate. There's something so satisfying about enjoying meat that has been cooked for hours to develop deep, rich complex flavors and the caramelized (not burnt) char that's unmistakable. Add in the primal feeling you get when you pull meat from a bone, and the satisfaction of knowing you're consuming a cut that harkens back to the olden days when food wasn't perfectly packaged for us often at the grocery store, and you've got a memorable meal.
That's exactly my experience at Native Tongue, a bastion of homestyle Mexican eats in a city with little to no Mexican population. Looking at the menu, there's evidence the ownership took the time to explore what most don't know about Mexican cuisine, and that's extremely exciting.
I spotted the Barbacoa al Carbon on the menu and knew I needed it in my belly. Al Carbon is over-charcoal and Native Tongue has a gorgeous coal fired oven smack dab in the middle of their open kitchen. If you peek at it you'll see two wheels used to raise and lower the cooking surface as a means to control the fire. They finish quite a few of the dishes over this fire adding that roasty, smoky, charred character to veg and proteins all over the menu.
The Barbacoa is a slow roasted lamb neck seared over the fire and then cooked for hours and hours in a deep, dark, chili infused stock until totally tender. It arrives looking imposing, but with the fork and spoon provided, it easily comes away from the bone to soak in the bowl of broth beneath. It's served with warm corn tortillas, salsa roja, avocado, lime and fire roasted Anaheim chilis. You build your own tacos, and they seem to get better as the meal goes on.
We also enjoyed two antojitos, zanahorias or en ingles, fire roasted British Colombia carrots topped with a Serrano beurre blanc and queso fresco; and the Hongos, pasilla and lime brined locally cultivated mushrooms (we got the whole story on where they're from), served with fire roasted butternut squash (calabaza) a few escabeche pickles and micro radish. Both fantastic starters.
To round it out, don't skip the cocktails or mezcal list. Ask for Charlotte if you want to learn a few things about this amazingly diverse spirit. Their collection is freaking rad!! We enjoyed their take on an old fashioned made with brandy, mezcal, and a few other ingredients, served with a dried chili garnish. Smoky, sweet, way too easy to drink, and very fun.
At the end of the meal they told us about Two Penny, a new Chinese inspired restaurant they're opening around the corner, and from the sounds of it, they've taken the same care to understand the culture and food, and this will surely be a winner too.
To the owners, get in touch. We need you stateside, starting in Nevada.
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