Every Tuesday at LETSDEVELOP.TV, our boss, Jay, takes me and my co-workers to lunch, followed by a meeting back at the office. Before lunch, the five of us employees write about four or five restaurants onto the whiteboard and we vote on where we want to eat. As we voted, I predicted that our hunger would lead us to Mizado. I was fine with that. I've never been, so I voted for it.
We arrive after 12:30 to find sparse parking. As we entered the establishment through its foyer, the scent of a doctor's office filled our nostrils. It's a clean smell, but an odd one to smell in a restaurant. As we were lead to be seated, I noticed that the restaurant's interior did not emulate to the packed parking lot. Before entering, I had perceived there to be a heavy lunch crowd. I am seated with my co-workers and our waitress hands out the menus.
The paper menus displayed a clean design. They were square and folded in half to open up as a book. Before I read the menu, our waitress brings out complimentary pickled vegetables and fried garbanzo beans to the table. The vegetables were crisp, savory with some spiciness. The fried beans pleasantly contrasted it's pickled compliments with a light, crunchy texture. I begin to explore the menu and notice there are lots of taco items. This brought me to wonder exactly what type of restaurant this establishment claims to be. Is it Mexican? Spanish? Central American? Latin cuisine? It seemed that the menu reflected more than one culinary culture. Though the term is not in the restaurant's branding, I consider this cuisine as a "fushion." I find that term as code for " this isn't 100% not authentic (Mexican, Spanish, i.e.) cuisine, but we have a chef who adds concept and cultural inspiration to our dishes and we're going to do whatever we want." OK, fair enough. As long as the food is good, right?
Jay joins us and we first order appetizers: melted cheese and pistachio guacamole. The cheese comes out first with impressive presentation. The melted cheese sat in a skillet upon a wooden platter aside a half brown paper bag filled with tortilla strips. The strips seemed "store bought" but could have at least been fried in house. I didn't care much for the strips. The cheese was good. It was mild, but embodied intricate flavors. It hardened rather quickly. As I'm trying to scrape the savory, cold, hardened cheese off my plate, a man pulls a cart with the ingredients for guacamole beside our table. I've heard of this table side entertainment but have never witnessed the spectacle. He begins to mash the ingredients together so vigorously the mixing bowls slip and are caught before they fall to the floor. I enjoyed the pistachio guacamole the most out of everything I tried. The amount served was deceiving when we found that tortilla strips were placed beneath the dip to "bulk it up." The tortilla strips were not necessary for the consumption of my portion of guacamole. I was satisfied eating it straight with a fork. The avocado was not overpowered by salt, lime or cilantro. I could still taste the cool, nutty flavor of the fruit. The pistachios added a satisfying crunch among the mush.
Lunch is served. I ordered the pork tamale. I'm a big taco person, but I had a hard time getting over $4-$6 per piece tacos, even though I wasn't paying. It was beautiful as it sat on top of the corn husk. It kind of looked like a sushi roll crowned with tempura crunchy and sauces. It was actually topped with a banana chutney with a touch of cinnamon. I liked the sweetness of the banana and the savoriness of the shredded pork. It was an interesting change from the usual pork and cinnamon apple combo. The cornmeal was dense and as orange as sweet potatoes. I don't care too much for cornmeal filling, but it was fine. I exchanged half my dish with Jay for one of his duck tacos. Cradled in a white corn tortilla, the duck was tender, moist and savory. The meat was good, but I found it to be seasoned in more of a traditional way rather than with Mexican or Latin spices. Sprinkled atop was a pineapple salsa. I always enjoy a pineapple salsa. I'll take that on a taco any day. It was cool and sweet and paired well with the duck meat. It was a good taco, but I don't think it's worth the price. If the tortilla were made in house, then I would think differently.
Overall, the food at Mizado wasa bit better than I had expected. It's a little overpriced with their pre made tortillas, but it's made up for with good table side guacamole and the complimentary fried beans and pickled vegetables. I would like to go on a Tuesday lunch again to try more items. I give Mizado a B-.
Thank you Jay, for treating us. We are blessed to have you!
