New Mexican Restaurant Brings South-of-the-Border Flavor to Arlington

This summer heat calls for some food from South of the border, with lots of flavor and some lightness. Arlington just lucked out with the addition of one of its newest restaurants Acitrón, a Mexican bistro with a fresh, chic décor and a sophisticated menu.

Acitrón, 473 Massachusetts Ave.,  is open for lunch and dinner and is the perfect spot for a business lunch, lunch with friends or date night. The menu has something for vegetarians, meat eaters and pescetarians, too. The meal begins with some unique bread and a trio of hummus and dips. Most meals are served with rice and beans, and the entrees are presented as elegant "bistro food," similar to a French bistro and less like typical home-style Mexican food.

The lunch menu has a salad with grilled cactus, tacos with Mayan-style pork and the chef's version of less-Mexican, perhaps more-Italian Chicken Milanese. The bar menu offers a large variety of margaritas and a variety of the increasingly popular Mezcals. In addition, there is a selection of beer, sangria and several martinis.

The dinner menu is a whole new menu, not just a repeat of lunch with larger portions. The sides offered for dinner include potatoes, mushrooms, beans, rice, grilled vegetables and Elote (corn on the cob). Sauces such as the tamarind mole sauce, and a Puebla style mole as well as a traditional green mole can all be found complimenting the appropriate entrées.

Dessert offers include drinkable desserts such as the chocolate martini or the Mezcal Aroma or an assortment of artisan ice creams. There is the classic tres leches sauce served with a not-so-classic trio of mini cupcakes, and that's just a few of the offerings.

As with any new restaurant, it is settling into its new space and just needs local diners to sit down to lunch, dinner or drinks to make everyone feel at home.