Ole Mole, The Other Side of Mexican

I’m a huge fan of Mexican food and margaritas. Not Tex Mex, but the real deal. Fresh, simple preparations made with some of my favorite ingredients: poblano and chili peppers, onions, slow-braised meats, rice, beans, corn, queso fresco cheese, warm flour tortillas ... you get the idea.

To get my Mexican food fix I typically venture into the city, and more recently to a fabulous new joint in Greenwich. I’ve had take-out food from the flagship Ole Mole in Stamford, but was never really too impressed. I felt the prices were high for the less-than-average portions. Nonetheless, I decided to check out the Ole Mole in Darien, a full scale restaurant and bar. I went in a tad skeptical.

Scott and I ventured into Ole Mole on a weekday for a late afternoon dinner. The small bar seats five people, and luckily, two were available. I was instantly taken with the subtle décor with dark wood paneled walls and vibrant colored tiles with Aztec designs. The chunky wood furnishings warm up the space, and the large windows open up the otherwise small dining room.

The afternoon began with top-shelf tequila margaritas, made from scratch. There is a margarita machine swirling a pre-made concoction, but we opt for the real thing. Our waiter and bartender Henry did us proud, shaking up the perfect ratio of house-made lime juice mixer, triple sec and tequila (of which there are 20 types). Served in a stemless wine glass, I particularly appreciated the more sophisticated presentation in lieu of those cheesy cactus stem margarita glasses that so many places use.

We dove into the flour tortilla chips, lightly salted and crispy, served with a clean, fresh salsa fresca speckled with cilantro. Guacamole is offered in three ounce or half-pint size (pricey at $3 and $8). We found the buttery avocado mixture a bit lackluster so we mixed it into the more pungent salsa to spruce it up.

The Chile Relleno was high on my list of dishes to try. It’s quite underrated, and often, just not done well. Ole Mole seems to have the recipe down. Here, the poblano pepper is stuffed with plenty of corn, cheese and cilantro and dipped into a corn, wheat, and white flour batter and pan fried. The coating is just enough to keep the ingredients in tact without becoming too bready or oily. The pepper flavor is lost slightly, but as with peppers in general, their flavor intensities vary. Served with fluffy rice and the best black beans, it’s a great dish to share as an appetizer.  The black beans were exceptional: flavorful, but not mashed and refried, simply left whole and almost al dente. There are also red pinto beans, prepared the same way.

On to the Chicken Enchilada Suiza, a red corn tortilla stuffed with shredded chicken, vegetables, and cheese,  topped with salsa verde and a smoky mole negro. Sour cream and salsa fresca round out the accountrements, but the dish is moist and flavorful on its own.

There's a lightness to the food, even with the cheese, which Scott and I attributed to the freshness of the ingredients and the preparation  techniques.

The Beef Tostada arrives next. Atop a crispy red tortilla is a mound of crunchy lettuce, tomatoes, pinto beans, avocado, and queso fresco, topped with shredded seasoned beef. The beef is tasty, if a little dry, but it works well with all the other flavors and textures on the plate. A simple vinaigrette served on the side adds a little more moisture and tanginess to the dish. For me, this is a great, hearty lunch option at $11.95.

Price points throughout the menu are, in general, fair.

The menu also covers more widly known Mexican foods such as tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, but we carried on with items that are less common as we don’t get to enjoy this type of cuisine too often. You can get a quesadilla anywhere.

The tamales are also house-made. They come three to a plate with all the fixings. We choose the Tamales Sonora with pork. A mixture of masa, shredded pork, corn, a touch of cheese, and salsa verde are wrapped in corn husks and steamed. The rich mole negro comes with it, as do rice and beans (which I can’t stop eating).

We skip past the spiced grill shrimp and sizzling fajitas, although they look tantalizing, and go for a Mahi-Mahi Fish Taco special instead. Grilled meaty mahi pieces share space in the warm, soft flour tortilla with shredded cabbage, lots of red onions, chopped tomatoes and a drizzle of avocado crema. This dish encompasses what Ole Mole does best: fresh, light, healthful Mexican fare.

Gone are the crazy pinatas hanging from the ceiling, Mariachi music blaring in the background, and deep fried cheesy messes on a plate that so many other so-called Mexican restaurants bombard us with. Say "Hello" to Mexican food that pays homage to its culture and does so quite well. I am pleasantly surprised by my Ole Mole experience and attribute it to a few factors: the freshness of the ingredients, the lightness of the preparation, and—of course—those margaritas ...