Genuine Mexican fare, with tasty twists
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The deep yearning for Mexican food persists, no matter how few and mediocre are the offerings in these northern climes. Maybe it's the spicy kick of the chilies we desire. Maybe we hope to imagine a sun-drenched Mexican landscape. Maybe it's the festivity of the margaritas. Maybe it's just the chips and salsa. Whatever the impetus, we clamor for more choices, for better Mexican, for a way to feed our obsession.
In rides Olè Mexican Grill, off Inman Square in Cambridge, to the rescue. The place is colorful, a riotous melange of yellows, oranges, reds, and pinks; the crowd is lively, especially on a weekend night, drinking those oversized margaritas with gusto; and the baskets of chips are refilled unstintingly.
But best of all, the food is authentic -- with a few twists by the chef -- and it's very good.
Olè Mexican is the larger offshoot of the tiny restaurant in Arlington that the Ramos family, brothers Erwin and Ricardo Ramos, and their sister, Mary Ann Ramos, opened in '96. The Arlington restaurant has been packed since it opened; two months ago, the Ramos family opened this larger place.
Mexican food has been so diluted in the United States that it is sometimes difficult to convince diners that there is more to it than the straight heat of chilies and the too-full feeling after a plate of refried beans. Although the Ramos family is Filipino, the chef, Erwin Ramos, with the aid of a cook from Mexico, infuses the spirit of Mexico into food. He concentrates on the vegetables, the vividness of flavors, and the freshness that are all integral to this great cuisine.
The menu holds some sophisticated surprises. Ceviche of shrimp arrives in an oversized martini glass, the firm shellfish piquant with lime, chilies, and a zesty chunky tomato sauce, offset by plenty of cool cilantro. Another appetizer, this time shrimp sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and wine, seems more Spanish than Mexican, but it is delicious -- and those at our table, children included, are happy to acknowledge the colonial influence in Mexico while mopping up all the sauce with tortillas.
Taquitos resemble Tex-Mex concoctions, in that the little triangles are quickly deep-fried. Filled with chunks of chicken and cheese and covered with an avocado sauce, they're crunchy and full of flavor, and not at all heavy.
All the frying here is carefully and expertly done, so that the taste is sealed in, but the oil doesn't linger on the tongue. Chiles rellenos, big mild poblano peppers filled with garlicky shrimp and an earthy Mexican cheese, are dipped into an egg batter and fried. The result is delicious and not too heavy.
Chef Ramos does great things with pork. He marinates pork loin in orange juice, bay leaves, chilies, and spices, and then adds a little teriyaki sauce for a hint of sweetness. In a dish called cochinita pibil, the pork is grilled, braised until very tender, and then served on a banana leaf with marinated red onions, black beans, and rice. There's a sneaky bite of heat from the chilies, a little sweetness and tang from the orange juice.
His mole, that thick sauce so mysterious to Americans because it contains chocolate, is dark and complex, with ancho, chipotle, and mulatto chilies, plus a hit of star anise, and is thickened with sesame seeds. Over a broiled chicken breast or in an enchilada with grilled chicken, the sauce really doesn't hint at its chocolate base, but it is slightly bitter and almost smoky in intensity.
Grilling adds a lot of flavor and crisp texture to many of Ole's dishes. An order of steak fajitas comes on two dishes. One is filled with guacamole, black beans, rice with corn, and a large dollop of roughly cut tomato salsa. The other is a metal platter with wildly sizzling flank steak, grilled onions, and peppers; a basket of flour tortillas also arrives. It's all excellent and almost embarrassingly abundant for $13.95. Even the tacos, the soft variety, benefit from grilling, giving the chicken and shredded beef a slightly smoky flavor.
Of course, vegetarian offerings are de rigueur these days, especially for Cambridge restaurants. Still it's unusual for a Mexican restaurant to have four entree offerings, and they're not just combinations with the meat removed to accommodate the vegetarian. Chef Ramos, who says in a telephone interview that he is vegetarian, concentrates on putting vegetables out front, just as they would be in Mexico, where meat is a luxury. His Oaxacano vegetable stew, thickened with pumpkin seeds, features all sorts of veggies, from potatoes and carrots to eggplant and cactus pads, and it is truly delicious.
Although I like almost everything I've tasted here, and particularly appreciate the concentration on vegetables and freshness, often neglected in American Mexican restaurants, there are some incongruities. The refried beans are passable but overused. The Oaxacano stew is slightly soupy, as it should be, but adding a puddle of beans next to rice means the overall textures on the plate are too soft, not to mention a carbohydrate overload. The same is true of many of the other dishes, where less would be just fine. And, although Mexican food doesn't all have to be hot -- and I know some people recoil from the very thought of too much piquante -- spicy and more-chile-infused salsa would be a welcome addition for those of us, like myself, who like really hot food.
Dessert is almost too much after all this food, but a deeply caramelized mango with fresh fruit is an interesting ending to the meal. Empanadas filled with rice pudding and fried are very good, although not for the fainthearted.
The service at Olè Mexican Grill is brisk but competent. The ambience owes more to a cheerful casualness than creature comforts, but the good food and lively atmosphere make up for lack of cloth napkins or pampering.
Chef Ramos straddles a line between authentic and innovative -- I'm sure I'd never seen star anise or teriyaki used in a Mexican recipe. He says he adapts some things for American palates, such as substituting more flour tortillas for corn. Still he captures the lively essence, the generous spirit, of Mexican food.
