El Centro

I've been meaning to do some Boston restaurant reviews for quite some time now (translation: since I started blogging), but have obviously not accomplished a single one. I hope this is the first of many to come!

Mike's mom and step-sister were in town this past weekend, so we took this as an opportunity to try a new restaurant, El Centro. El Centro is a brand new restaurant located in Boston's "South End" neighborhood. Mexican cuisine is one of my (and Mike's) favoritos, and Boston (compared to Colorado and California, at least) lacks a good selection of restaurants offering our beloved South-of-the-Border fare. It looks like we found a new place to go to satisfy our cravings- El Centro was excellent. The restaurant was intimate, quaint, and above all authentic. From the music to the decor to the waitstaff, I felt like I was in Mexico. Even the bathroom fit the part. What I loved about the menu was that it wasn't too extensive. They had enough options so that everybody could find something they liked, but not so many options so that it was overwhelming. Even their drink menu was authentic- only Mexican imported beer, sangria, and a small selection of wine. I feel like keeping a menu on the smaller side enhances the restaurants point of view. And a restaurant with a focused POV is (in my opinion) always more successful than its multifaceted counterpart.

Our table started with guacamole with chorizo. The avocados used were perfectly ripe and there was just enough spice to enhance but not overpower the delectable fruit (yes, avocado is a fruit). Crumbled on top of the chunky guacamole was warm, spicy, melt-in-your-mouth chorizo sausage and a dusting of cotija cheese. Dip a chip in that and it's the best nacho you've ever had. For my main course, I had a chile relleno. Chile rellenos are one of my favorite Mexican dishes and often what I order at Mexican restaurants. For one, they are light and delicious. For two, it's not something I can make myself (at least not well). El Centro's relleno was a poblano pepper roasted to perfection and stuffed with shredded chicken, cheese, and a simple tomato salsa. What I loved most about the relleno was that it wasn't breaded, fried or baked in egg batter. This really let the chile shine and gave the dish a lighter side, perfect for summertime. My fellow diners also raved about their meals. Among them were shrimp in a chipotle sauce, tacos al pastor (pork and pineapple filling), tacos caramelos (steak, bean, and cheese filling) and a dish called La Mejor Del Mundo, literally meaning "the best in the world." This was a generous portion of steak, charcoal grilled, and served on a wooden plank with beans, guacamole, green chiles, and tortillas. According to the menu, this dish was served "Sonora Style", which is the area of Mexico that El Centro's chef hails from. Sonora, Mexico is just south of the border from Arizona. Their culinary staples include beef, seafood, chiles, and tortillas. And I have the say the chef of El Centro definitely did the ingredients of his motherland justice as he brought them to life on his menu. Oh, and let's not forget the churros con chocolate that topped the meal off. It was the perfect ending to a delicious meal. Next time you're in Boston with a hankering for comida Mexicana, I hope you'll try El Centro. Adios!