Hmmm, sound familiar? Kind of like Cantina Dos Segundos, huh? Well, that's because it is! Kind of. Cantina Los Caballitos (Los Caballitos = horses) is the twin sister restaurant of Cantina Dos Segundos, located in South Philly. We told you we'd be back to Cantina Dos Segundos, and we did, kind of. The menu is the same, the specials are still written on blackboards, the food is still spectacular, the portions are still generous, the margaritas are still strong, but the ambiance is diametrically opposed to that of Cantina Dos Segundos.
As you approach CLC, you notice that it is much more unassuming on the outside than CDS. CDS, to me, will always be a daytime restaurant. With outdoor seating and massive windows, CDS is made for enjoying a hot summer day. CLC, on the other hand, has smaller windows, a cramped front door, and no outdoor seating. The crowd is jeans and blazers, not shorts and tees. Dimmed lights only added to the atmosphere.
However, that is where the contrast ends. As we sat down, we noticed the familiar dish ware, menu, and cutlery of CDS. The complimentary chips were accompanied by a salsa fresca and a salsa verde as usual. Despite being more crowded than our Battlefood fan listserve (I wish), the service was responsive, kind, and cute. Okay, Napoleon put in that last adjective. So let's get to the food.
The first course we got was pibil-style wings. Per wikipedia, "pibil involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, coloring it with annatto seed, and roasting the meat while it is wrapped in banana leaf." Of course, the wings had an intense citrus flavor and a wonderfully crunchy skin. They were accompanied by a citrus ranch sauce that quizzically did not wind up overdoing the citrus component. These were great wings to be sure, but unfortunately they lacked some spice. A habanero accent would have been well received. Napoleon's note: Dude, General Tso has dementia or something. There were two other types of wings there, including a chipotle orange, and one that I can't remember either. Whatever, at least I remembered there were three types on the plate.
Wings Three Ways
For entrees, Napoleon wound up getting some ho hum enchiladas. The best part: there were FOUR enchis on the plate, two chicken and two cheese. Amazing. I told you the portions were massive. I have to question her pick here, however. Why go to a restaurant with a reputation for creative specials as well as amazing regular entrees and order enchiladas. But, when all was said and done, they were delicious.
I, on the other hand, went for something a little more adventurous. Okay, I lied. I'm also being a hypocrite here because I ordered skirt steak (which, by the way, is an amazing cut of meat). However, let me redeem myself by letting you know that this particular dish was what inspired my "anyone can cook a steak" rant. Yes, the steak was great, but the real stars of the plate were the yucca fries. When fried, they reach a consistency and flavor similar to plantains, but a bit saltier. You don't need any sauce for these, just pop them in your mouth and enjoy the crispy exterior and the silky, savory yet slightly sweet interior.
Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
3 comments:
Just FYI, a Caballito is a shot glass. It's the shot glass used in Mexico to drink Tequila.
Hmmm, that makes more sense. Damn you Google translator!
CLC usually has tons of outdoor seating. Like, all the way down to the end of the block. It must have been cold, or crappy weather when you went, or maybe there was some sort of neighborhood/zoning kerfuffle.
Anyway, my point: CLC has absurdly large amounts of sidewalk seating pretty much all spring/summer/fall. I'd guess that they have more outside seating than inside seating most spring/summer/fall nights. The lack of outdoor seating that you saw is the exception, not the rule.
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