Two New Restaurants Freshen Culinary Scene

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• Published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 12:43
• By Brendan Missett

You've seen the baskets of chapulines, the toasted grasshoppers in their spicy, salty shells. You've tried as many moles as you can find, and sampled every distinctly oaxaqueñan dish that the guide books recommended. But the guide books aren't likely to cover the unique menu at Cafe Cuervo, a restaurant that just opened in November with a blend of local dishes and a bounty of American comfort foods.

Cafe Cuervo is owned and operated by Anjali Browning, who is originally from California, and her husband, who was raised in Oaxaca. The union of Browing´s adventurous American tastes and her husband's lexicon of regional specialties have endowed the restaurant with its distinctive smack of international flavor.

Cafe Cuervo is located across from the ADO bus station at Héroes de Chapultepec 905. Some of the establishment's most popular orders include the Artisan Salad, which includes red grapes, dried cranberries, and candied pecans and the Cajun Shrimp entree, which swims in a spicy, garlic broth with a splash of Jack Daniels Whiskey. These are two of the more eye-catching dishes, though the menu also includes American pub standards, such as the mini sirloin burger, linguini pasta with pesto and seared steak flank. Local flavors are most pronounced in dishes like the Nachos Oaxaqueños de Mole Negro, and the Empanada de Picadillo.

While enjoying a sample of the restaurant's menu, two attributes of Cafe Cuervo became clear: the freshness of the ingredients, and the care with which each item on the menu was dreamed up and prepared. There's a clear dedication to the "right way" of producing quality food, from ensuring a tender flank of arrachera to brewing a rich and tasty cup of coffee. And that dedication, alone, is a true comfort.

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A second restaurant, Epicuro, has been in the center of Oaxaca for nearly a year, and is deserving of a visit from Oaxaca's newcomers, as well as its seasoned veterans. Located, at Vicente Guerrero 319, a few blocks south of the zócalo, Epicuro offers a robust menu of Italian specialties.

I stopped in for the Diablo Pizza, a fresh and spicy treat, packed with flavor and a healthy kick from its complementary crushed red pepper sauce. The thin-crust was perfectly crisped in the restaurant's wood-fired brick oven, which is located on the upper terrace, along with an elegant seating arrangement overlooking the city.

Aside from its excellent pizzas, the restaurant is well known for its pastas, meats and seafood, which include butterfly-cut fillets and fresh octopus with rice. Each dish and savory desert can be paired with a wine, which include a wide range of Italian and Portugese selections. For fresh Italian dining, Epicuro tops the list.