Calle3’s street fare worth the trip to Apopka
The name Calle3 M3xican Str33t Kitch3n isn’t easy on the eye. The Apopka restaurant’s menu of Mexican street food is so easy on the belly, however, that you’ll quickly forgive them — especially when you learn the back story.
The “3” stands for the strength of the family who manages Calle3: Chefowner Leo Santos; his wife and managing partner Shirley; and his daughter, Shayla.
The menu is full of their family favorites.
What I would try a second time
I probably could eat Calle3’s warm, crisp handmade corn tortillas on their own — but that wouldn’t make for the world’s greatest review.
As the name suggests, the diablo taco ($2.95) had a peppery heat, thanks to generous amounts of a chipotle crema sauce.
Chunks of perfectly cooked shrimp, melted cheese and a few cool pieces of avocado finished the dish.
We also went for an offthe-menu combination of chicken and chorizo ($2.95), which came with the same piquant sauce. Thankfully, we had plenty of other dishes to cool off our mouths.
What I didn’t like
The queso fresco, spicy red sauce and creamy Mexican crema couldn’t disguise the toughness of the asada beef packed into handmade corn tortillas in my enchiladas ($8.95). It seems that all of the flavor missing in Calle3’s black beans made it into the cilantro lime rice instead.
What I would put on Instagram
A churranwich ($3.99) is a weird word, but a fabulous concept. Two churros are cooked into a disk and used to sandwich either vanilla or avocado ice cream. The avocado-flavored frozen treat was creamy and a bit savory, which worked with the sugar-laden churros.
Other eats
Calle3’s snacks and appetizers may threaten to spoil your main meal. Elote, or street corn, ($3) sported the familiar douse of mayo, queso fresco and seasonings to give it a sweetcitrus flavor. That acidity carried over to the chunky diced tomato-filled guacamole ($4.95), thanks to a huge amount of lime. Papas fritas ($3) was a simple dish: potato chips laced with Valentina hot sauce and more citrusy seasoning.
My next visit
Carnitas and fish tacos still await me as well as several tostadas.
For bar-hoppers
Mexican beers and soda, along with a few American varieties, are served along with some wines.
For those with special diets
Some editing will make most dishes vegetarian or vegan. One animal productless entree is already on the menu: the Gringo style veggie bowl ($6.95).