Dining Review
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Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill
Stop Z'Tejas for meals that combine elements of traditional Mexican, Spanish Colonial and Native American dishes.
By Patrick MottPublished: September 01, 2008
If you live in Southern California for even a few years, it’s almost inevitable that you’ll come up with your own short list of favorite Mexican restaurants. Just as New Yorkers brag about their beloved Italian eateries, we dote on the little place dishing up the most ambrosial (or most immense) burrito, the zestiest mole or the most delicate chimichangas.
And right we should. In Southern California, Mexican food is considered home cooking – a friend of mine regularly serves up carnitas on the Fourth of July, and he’s English.
However, in our haste to find the latest top-notch tortilleria, let’s not forget about a marvelous cuisine found right next door: Southwestern food. Combining many elements of traditional Mexican food, Southwestern cuisine – which reaches its zenith in New Mexico and Arizona – draws on the traditions of Native Americans, Spanish colonial settlers and cowboys. It’s hearty, straightforward and offers plenty of opportunity for creativity.
And that creativity blossoms at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill in South Coast Plaza. The restaurant, with its comfortably rustic dining room and stylish curving bar, has fronted on Bristol Street since 2004. It’s one of 10 locations in Utah, California, Washington, Arizona and Texas.
The menu provides the sort of brisk reading you simply won’t find at most of the Mexican eateries in the neighborhood. It’s full of discussion-inspiring entrées, such as Blackened Catfish Tacos, Red Chile and Mango Steak Salad, Chorizo-stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Cilantro Pesto-rubbed Ruby Trout and Grilled Miso Salmon.
Although the restaurant likely will accommodate a slight variation, you may not get the standard New Mexico question: “Red or green?” which refers to the choice of sauce on that region’s cuisine. Instead, you get to range over various other dishes that are characteristic of Texas and Louisiana. It’s a fine mix.
Now, a warning: Before your meal arrives, you’ll be brought a little iron skillet filled with some of the best cornbread around – warm, and neither too flaky and dry, nor too sweet and cake-like. Fight the desire to eat all of it immediately. You’ll want more later.
Also, the house margarita is a little gem, balanced, potent and satisfying, but small enough to sip and still drive home.
As I was in a verde-sauce mood that day, I ordered the Grilled Green Chile Pork Enchiladas. The piquant nature of Southwestern cookery comes straight to the fore with this simple dish, courtesy of the robust and lean pork, the nature of the corn tortillas (mostly soft, but substantial and crispy near the edges) and, of course, the husky flavor of the tomatillo sauce. The two enchiladas are served with Baja slaw, a zingy and crunchy slaw that’s julienned in larger chunks than the stringier cole slaw.
The Smoked Chicken Chile Relleno is perfect for people who love spice but don’t necessarily like heat. It’s a good-sized mild green chile stuffed with chicken, pecans, apricots, Jack cheese and raisins, and covered with a green sauce. The result is spicy, sweet, crunchy, smooth, fruity, smoky – a fair composition of seeming contradictions that all work together beautifully.
Z’Tejas won’t force you to give up your beloved mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant, but put a little star next to it in your restaurant book to indicate a fine alternate choice when the No. 1 combo plate seems a bit too familiar.
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And right we should. In Southern California, Mexican food is considered home cooking – a friend of mine regularly serves up carnitas on the Fourth of July, and he’s English. However, in our haste to find the latest top-notch tortilleria, let’s not forget about a marvelous cuisine found right next door: Southwestern food. Combining many elements of traditional Mexican food, Southwestern cuisine – which reaches its zenith in New Mexico and Arizona – draws on the traditions of Native Americans, Spanish colonial settlers and cowboys. It’s hearty, straightforward and offers plenty of opportunity for creativity. And that creativity blossoms at Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill in South Coast Plaza. The restaurant, with its comfortably rustic dining room and stylish curving bar, has fronted on Bristol Street since 2004. It’s one of 10 locations in Utah, California, Washington, Arizona and Texas. The menu provides the sort of brisk reading you simply won’t find at most of the Mexican eateries in the neighborhood. It’s full of discussion-inspiring entrées, such as Blackened Catfish Tacos, Red Chile and Mango Steak Salad, Chorizo-stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Cilantro Pesto-rubbed Ruby Trout and Grilled Miso Salmon. Although the restaurant likely will accommodate a slight variation, you may not get the standard New Mexico question: “Red or green?” which refers to the choice of sauce on that region’s cuisine. Instead, you get to range over various other dishes that are characteristic of Texas and Louisiana. It’s a fine mix. Now, a warning: Before your meal arrives, you’ll be brought a little iron skillet filled with some of the best cornbread around – warm, and neither too flaky and dry, nor too sweet and cake-like. Fight the desire to eat all of it immediately. You’ll want more later. Also, the house margarita is a little gem, balanced, potent and satisfying, but small enough to sip and still drive home. As I was in a verde-sauce mood that day, I ordered the Grilled Green Chile Pork Enchiladas. The piquant nature of Southwestern cookery comes straight to the fore with this simple dish, courtesy of the robust and lean pork, the nature of the corn tortillas (mostly soft, but substantial and crispy near the edges) and, of course, the husky flavor of the tomatillo sauce. The two enchiladas are served with Baja slaw, a zingy and crunchy slaw that’s julienned in larger chunks than the stringier cole slaw. The Smoked Chicken Chile Relleno is perfect for people who love spice but don’t necessarily like heat. It’s a good-sized mild green chile stuffed with chicken, pecans, apricots, Jack cheese and raisins, and covered with a green sauce. The result is spicy, sweet, crunchy, smooth, fruity, smoky – a fair composition of seeming contradictions that all work together beautifully. Z’Tejas won’t force you to give up your beloved mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant, but put a little star next to it in your restaurant book to indicate a fine alternate choice when the No. 1 combo plate seems a bit too familiar. |
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