DELIGHTFUL FLIGHT
Paloma creates central Mexican-Pacific coast fare from local ingredients
The southeast corner of Guadalupe and Montezuma has seen its share of restaurants — they seem to come and go every few years. But if the recurring murmurs of “Oh, this is so good” from my dining companion and me on a recent visit is any measure, Paloma should be able to stick around for a long time.
It might have a chance. We stopped by early on a Monday evening — the restaurant is open for dinner only — and found it almost empty, but by the time we left, every table was filled.
Warning: At the time we went in late August, the restaurant did not take reservations, so you may want to get there early to assure a table.
We got a warm welcome from our waiter, who told us the concept of the restaurant was to use locally sourced ingredients to supply a menu somewhere between central Mexican cuisine and street food from Mexico’s Pacific coast. It succeeds wonderfully.
We started with guacamole ($8) and chips — corn chips that were made in Paloma’s kitchen, with subtle salting and a sturdy enough structure to avoid splitting every time they were dipped in the generous serving of creamy, fresh guacamole. The guacamole’s heat varied depending on how much serrano was caught up in each dip.
We followed that with ceviche ($12) for me and a cucumberjicama salad ($8) for my friend. The lime-chile marinade for the shaved jicama and sliced cucumbers at the top of the salad contributed tang, while lettuce in green goddess dressing at the bottom cooled the palate, she said.
I was initially taken aback by my sea bass ceviche. Accustomed to versions of the dish made up primarily of chunks of seafood, I was surprised when this bowl came with small bits of fish barely visible in a sea of spicy tomatoes, onions and avocado slices. The zesty taste, though, quickly won me over.
Because one of the focuses of Paloma is on small plates, we decided to order as we went, gauging our appetite as we sampled the offerings. This was not a problem, because there wasn’t too much of a wait between ordering and receiving the food.
We were both ready for more, so my guest ordered a full entree of the sea bass Vera Cruz ($22), while I opted for the lamb barbacoa tacos ($10). We were both very happy.
The sea bass plate sent us both into rhapsodies (she shared a taste). The fish was perfectly grilled, and draped with poached tomatoes, green olives, pickled lemon and fried capers. If those bright flavors don’t wake up your mouth, nothing will. Although a full entree, the portion was not too large, leaving room for the other dishes we were sampling.
My order consisted of two small tacos — I noticed the two people at the table next to us chose two orders each, which would satisfactorily make a full entree. The lamb’s marinated spicing was delicious, not too strong and not too subtle, enhanced by a generous sprinkling of cotija cheese and cilantro crema. I enjoyed one but took the second home to leave more room for dessert.
Yes, we couldn’t resist. My guest went for the coconut chocolate cake ($9), which had layers of rich chocolate with creamy white frosting and shaved coconut. On the side was a scoop of coconut ice cream, whose flavor exploded in the mouth.
I chose the key lime pie ($9), whose citrus tang was cooled by a meringue topping and torched meringue swirled across the sides of the plate. That attractive presentation was echoed in all the dishes we sampled, pleasing the eye in anticipation of the flavors.
While we stuck with water, the drink menu includes wine and beer, along with alcoholic beverages that specialize in a tequila base.
We’re both eager to return. Although the menu at this point isn’t large, many of its choices are attractive, including the mushroom fajitas and the half-chicken with spicy calabacitas, bacon and mole verde. And the other taco choices, such as chicken, fish and carne asada, sure seem worth a try.