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| - Ok. So I wanted to take my friend to El Catrin last night, however the latest reservation available was at 5:30 pm. My guest was only available around 7. We were still in the mood for good Mexican, so I took her to Milagro Cantina on Queen. Now, I have not been to Mexico yet but I am somewhat familiar with the culture and the food and had eaten Mexican food before. But not this good so far in Canada. The drink list in this joint is really huge. All sorts of cocktails are available and tequila has a starring role in most of them. We almost ordered a bottle of Malbec but quickly came back to our senses and ordered a pitcher of Sangria gringa: red wine, bourbon, mezcal and bitters. Who knew all these ingredients combined so well and that the obtained concoction would be so refreshing? None of the ingredients overpowers the others and it went very well with the dishes we ordered. Now, this is a Mexican restaurant but ceviche, Peru's wonderful contribution to the culinary world is really well executed here. The large ceviche de pescado (snapper is the fish used here) was refreshing and filling. Probably one of the healthiest dishes around. The fish is cut in small pieces, marinated in lime juice and divinely mixed with diced mango, corn, red onion and cilantro. Estupendo!
Then, my guest ordered tacos rosarito: sauteed shrimp with sour cream,refried beans (the best I have had so far)salsa, and a side of very good rice( but why peas and carrots in the rice? It does not need it.). My main was mole poblano. All I can say is..... HOLY MOLE! That dish was so good. I had mole before but not this good. This is really a sauce made with Mexican chocolate,spices and peppers. You get the heat from the peppers yet, at the same time, a wonderful dark chocolate sweetness. The chicken under the mole is tender and delicious. This dish too comes with rice and again.... what is the deal with peas and carrots? This rice is awesome on its own.
People who know me are aware I lost weight partly by cutting on sweets but the dessert list holds some definite gems and we did share not one but two of them. A wonderful crème brûlée which showcases a brilliant use of cinnamon and a creamy, mellow texture,; and a Trufa Azteca, which is a Mexican chocolate cake with a creamy, gooey chocolate centre and a wonderful cinnamon sauce. The cake is made to order and is definitely worth it.
The chef here is definitely an expert with chocolate. The same dark chocolate deliciousness is found here, minus the heat and I did not realize cinnamon goes so well with it. The desserts here are just sweet enough and a satisfying finish to a great meal. Despite a great choice in caffeinated drinks, we both opted for a simple espresso, which was good but honestly on the lukewarm side. If you order coffee, make sure to tell them you want it at the right temperature.
This restaurant is pretty, convivial and funky. The decor is warm and cool paintings (which I suspect are for sale) are on the wall. The lighting at night, though is too low. It is a tad too dark which makes taking pictures next to impossible with a smartphone.
The service while generally good, can be uneven. I liked the fact that we were not rushed to order and we did take a while to make up our minds. Despite the fact that the joint was jumping, the food did not take too long to arrive, and the sangria arrived really fast. However,once we have the food, we savour it and take our time. So, if you see that we are chatting, and not touching our food for five minutes, why ask us regularly if we are still working on... the tortillas? the ceviche? the sangria? Really? Is there a race going on? But the staff was nevertheless friendly and helpful.
So, overall, a very good experience despite a couple of weaknesses. The food is of great quality and well-prepared. Some may argue that the price is high (133 in total for the above, not including tip) but in my opinion, you get more than your money's worth and portions are reasonable. If they are not happy, they can always go to Chipotle, right?
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