Mesa Coyoacan

So tonight Ry and I decided to try a new edition to the neighborhood: Mesa Coyoacan. Now, the name is totally impossible- I had to google it to remember it even after being there- so from now on, I"m just calling it "that mexican place". It was delish! And seeing how my last review was of Rosa Mexicano, it was prime for comparisons.

The outside is an uber-modern building, nothing special. We were pleasantly surprised by the interior, sort of a family kitchen look, with two large communal tables. Not expecting that, in a good way. We sat at the bar and had some cocktails to start. Ryan tried a habanero margarita: grapefruit, habanero-infused tequila, and lime, for $9. Now, as a good friend of mine pointed out, this is half price from the pomegranate margaritas at Rosa mex, so was it as awesome at half the price? Ry gave it two thumbs up. It had a tart and fruity start and a fiery finish, and the heat built as he continued to drink it. I'm not a fan of spicy beverages (which is ironic, as I like all my food covered in hot sauce), but I thought the sip was pretty tasty. The drink was garnished with a nice big slice of grapefruit, which was a refreshing treat. I opted for the strawberry sangria. Very strawberry, although the champagne did not bubble through as promised.

For dinner, we started with a quesadilla appetizer. We tried two: one was mushroom, and another chorizo. The mushroom had a nice earthy flavor, but needed salsa. The chorizo was really yummy and nice, with a little smoke and spice.

For my entree, I went with the enchiladas verde with chicken. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the green sauce was tangy, not as citrusy as the one at rosa mexicano, but very tasty. However, the stars of the show were the three salsas. A smoky red, a medium-spice green, and a blazing habanero. By mixing the three into the verde sauce, wow. The dish was totally awesome! A small side of black beans and avocado as a garnish was delicious as well.

Ryan ordered the carnitas tacos- berkshire pork, a little sweet. He was a little surprised that his tacos, unlike the portions of almost everything else, were quite pequeno. They were bite sized, but amazingly flavorful. We saw salads and soups that came out rather large, so I think next time we might get the tacos as an appetizer to split, and try more of the entrees. The Carne Asada looked great, with a grass-fed marinated skirt steak, and I would like to try the tilapia.

We tried two other drinks, a glass of spanish white, which was ok, and Ryan tried a chile margarita, still spicy, but this time with pineapple and a little bit of smokiness.

For dessert, we ordered the coconut flan, which was just the right size, and had clean, light flavors. Ryan doesn't usually like coconut ("Tastes like sunscreen"), but there was none of that to be found. Just a really nice vanilla and hint of coconut, with sliced almonds on top. Strawberry and mint garnish added to the flavor.

Overall, we were really impressed with the intensity of flavor in each bite. Usually this is my biggest complaint about mexican food: it's bland. But that was not the case at "The new mexican place". Compared to Rosa Mex?? At half the price, it really gave them a run for the money. (The service was attentive, and we thought we did pretty good with 5 drinks, an appetizer, two entrees, dessert, and a cappuccino for $85 before tip...)

My only wish for the future was that the salsas appear immediately to be enjoyed throughout the meal. Next time I will be requesting them. Also, they do serve chips with the salsa, but only by request and for a small fee. This is always BS to me. Give me the chips, and forget the charge. Alas. It would be worth it to smother myself in the salsa goodness. Finally, as we mentioned, the waiter did not warn ry that the tacos were more appetizer than entree sized, and as we noted, the salads and soups seemed larger than appetizers, so some unexpected portion sizes. Glad to welcome a gourmet mexican option to the 'hood, and looking forward to our next trip south of the border.