Chiles and Chocolate - awesome Oaxacan restaurant at 7th/Lin

I like it already based on the name alone.

Nuclear Redaction wrote: Anyone know if they have anything suitable for vegans? I'd love to try the place, but my partner's vegan and usually doesn't care to sit and watch me plow through dead animals if he's just stuck with an iceberg salad.

I have the menu (plan to order tonight) and it seems like there'd be a bunch of options. Here are the first few selections from the appetizer section of the menu:

elotes del zocolo: fire roasted corn on the cob w/ your choice of butter, mayo, oaxacan dry cheese & sprinkled w/ chipotle & chocolate powder

tacos d ecazuela: 2 fresh soft corn tortillas w/ choice of filling including oaxacan vegetable ragout

tacos dorados rufina: same as above with deep fried corn tortilla

guacamole chapolin: traditional guacamole with or without fried grasshoppers on top

You get the idea.

Many of the entrees have a vegetarian version option, although many of these include cheese.

Overall, there are many vegetarian and more than a few vegan options...

So the first try of what is sure to be many to come went really well. Not everything was perfect, but some of the dishes were absolutely brilliant.

Elotes del zocolo (corn on the cob with oaxacan dry cheese, chipotle and chocolate powder was incredible, especially considering corn is out of season. It was spicy, creamy and smoky. I'll probably get this almost every time as a starter.

The salpicon de la sierra with beef was also a winner. The beef was tender and flavorful, served on a crispy corn tortilla with black refried beans, avocado, chipotle, lettuce, radishes, fresh crumbled oaxacan cheese and cream. I was really sorry when this was gone. I was wishing I had ordered 2!

The tamales de las plazas were a little disappointing. You get to pick 2, and I got 1 chicken and 1 beef. The banana leaf they were wrapped in gave them a nice flavor, but I felt like the corn was a little to dried out, as was the filling. The Tamal de Ejutla, filled with beef with sandia chile sauce and the Tamal de Zachila, filled with chicken with mole coloradito both suffered from the flaw of being a little too dry, but both had good flavor. I liked the beef better than the chicken. The Tamal de Ocotlan, filled with Oaxacan cheese and rajas was the other option, which I'll try next time.

The memelas de alcadia was basically black beans, lettuce and cheese served on thick fried corn masa cakes. The cakes had a nice tecture, but the topping could have been a little more interesting. It was good with the salsa that came with the tortilla chips that came gratis with our order.

Unfortunately, they aren't yet geared up with the cold drinks other than sodas (including Jarritos). Mrs. C was a little disappointed that she couldn't get her horchata yet. But things are looking really good for this place. I definitely plan to try out more of their menu in the near future.

Idlewild wrote: So the chocolate powder is pure plain powder? No sweeteners?

Not sweet at all. And it's very subtle. I wouldn't have identified it if I didn't know it was there. It just kind of rounds out the flavor.

Thanks for the info on the vegan dishes. I'm excited to try this place.

what are their hours? thanks!

How are the prices, by the way?

apollonia666 wrote: How are the prices, by the way?

I have the menu, though I haven't gone. I hear they didn't have all their moles available this weekend.

Prices look like:

Botanas y Sopas-- $3 for corn, for instance, to $9 for the guac and grasshoppers.

Traditional Plates are $15 for the moles, $12 for chiles rellenos, and $9 tamales.

Modern Plates run from around $11-16 (chicken or steak plate) or $16 for the duck breast in with peanut chocolate chiplotle sauce.

And other stuff of course.

I can't wait! Even though I just came back from visiting family where I had mole verde, tamales, flan, tres leches, and all sorts of deliciously fattening foods. I'll give my full review soon....

=P~ =P~

For the record, they were delivering when I was there last night.

Good intentions (like grasshoppers), but the fundamentals just aren't there. For the sake of a sort of a standard I got a standard black mole [$15, served with refried beans and fluffy insta-rice] and chicken and cheese tamales [$9 for two] (they were out of beef). Mole was better than bottled, but not by much. A shade sweet (which is permissable but I prefer it to be pretty much invisible), a tiny bit spicy (unnecessary but not unwelcome), but totally lacking the richness or depth that I expect. The tamales were pretty much unacceptable. The masa had a cornbread effect to it and the meat was almost flavorless. In fact, everything was underseasoned (the chips and pico that come out first are passable, but saltless – and the white shaker on my table was filled with pepper!). The waiter referred to the corn tortillas served with the mole as "fresh" on two occasions, but they were clearly mass-produced and grilled before serving – which is fine, but cmon. The flan was unremarkable.

I assume they'll work out a few kinks as they go along (maybe make the tortillas and discover salt so forth), but I doubt they'll ever merit these prices. Why do I still get my hopes up every time ?

Finn wrote: For the record, they were delivering when I was there last night.

Good intentions (like grasshoppers), but the fundamentals just aren't there. For the sake of a sort of a standard I got a standard black mole [$15, served with refried beans and fluffy insta-rice] and chicken and cheese tamales [$9 for two] (they were out of beef). Mole was better than bottled, but not by much. A shade sweet (which is permissable but I prefer it to be pretty much invisible), a tiny bit spicy (unnecessary but not unwelcome), but totally lacking the richness or depth that I expect. The tamales were pretty much unacceptable. The masa had a cornbread effect to it and the meat was almost flavorless. In fact, everything was underseasoned (the chips and pico that come out first are passable, but saltless – and the white shaker on my table was filled with pepper!). The waiter referred to the corn tortillas served with the mole as "fresh" on two occasions, but they were clearly mass-produced and grilled before serving – which is fine, but cmon. The flan was unremarkable.

I assume they'll work out a few kinks as they go along (maybe make the tortillas and discover salt so forth), but I doubt they'll ever merit these prices. Why do I still get my hopes up every time ?

Agreed that the tamales weren't very good. However, the fact that they do some dishes so well gives me hope that once they fully hit their stride, the less successful items on the menu will improve. The place definitely has promise- don't give up on it yet.

Subject: Re: Chiles and Chocolate - awesome Oaxacan restaurant at 7th

8thandPrez wrote: Why are these reviews always posted by unregistered guests?

Yeah, although that one didn't sound fishy like some unregistered guest raves can. *Cough*HeightsCoffee*Cough*!

EasternPkwy wrote: so suddenly 7th ave between Berkeley and Lincoln has Santa Fe, Taqueria, and now this place - will they cannibalize each other's business? or is this the new destination for Tex-Mex food?

Bleech, I can't stand SantaFe...and reserve it as a place for breakups and other difficult situations where you don't want to taint a good bar or restaurant. :twisted:
Anyway, they've co-existed with La Taqueria for years, and Taqueria has grown. Tex-Mex next to CaliMex.
This new place is staking the claim for Mex-Mex...OAX-Mex!

The group who complained, was there a couple amongst them? A thirtyish white guy, around 5'11-6+ ft tall with his girlfriend, also white maybe late twenties, brunette or redhead with glasses? They sound like the same assholes who vied for attention through bitching, complaining, speaking on a cell phone loudly at Aleiso on Vanderbilt.

Idlewind, I don't think I would recognize any of them if I saw them again, but I would certainly recall their irritability and annoying voices! :roll:

Idlewild wrote: The group who complained, was there a couple amongst them? A thirtyish white guy, around 5'11-6+ ft tall with his girlfriend, also white maybe late twenties, brunette or redhead with glasses? They sound like the same assholes who vied for attention through bitching, complaining, speaking on a cell phone loudly at Aleiso on Vanderbilt.