Relish: A convenient contingency

By Drew Berger and Emily Salomon     4/22/10 7:00pm

You score a dinner date with that hottie from your D-II psych class, but when you slide into your 1989 Dodge Diplomat, the damned thing doesn't start. It's damage-control time: Dinner's gotta be special but not overbearingly so. You want to keep it private, so the Rice Village is out. Think fast! What do you do?Take charge and suggest a relaxing walk up the beautifully shaded and opulently appointed Mandell Street. Prepare to impress with your knowledge of architecture as you pass by the big houses, discuss how eco-friendly it is to walk to dinner and watch the apprehension on your date's face build as the greasy Lucky Burger comes into view, only to be replaced by grateful relief as you approach and enter the giant palapa-styled patio of Maria Selma.

Maria Selma is a restaurant that claims to practice "the real Mexican culinary arts," Mexico City-style. The menu boasts cactus, ceviche, totopos de frijol con chorizo and a whole host of other familiar and pronounceable fare. Wear a collar or at least a nice T-shirt to fit in and bring a few friends if you've got them - sharing appetizers and desserts is an appealing option here, since the entrees are not enormous.

The ambiance outside brings back feelings of spring breaks past, with the oversized palm-frond dwelling containing woven-basket lamps and colorful lizard decorations. A peek inside the building reveals that the restaurant is very large and that they've espoused an updated Spanish-missionary style inside, with a touch of Pueblo influence. Brassy music plays happily from a well-distributed and unobtrusive speaker system, and outdoor diners are treated to the company of little birdies who stop at nothing to try to glean some chip crumbs.

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Emily's favorite dish was the chile con queso, which she found creamy and cheesy while not greasy or chunky. The delicately blended Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses were a welcome change from the Velveeta-Rotel queso all too commonly found in American kitchens. Freshly sliced jalapeño finished the dish, which was large enough to share with six people. Emily was impressed both with the quality of the cheeses and the consistency of the dip.

The homemade tortilla chips were well-suited to the queso. The chips were crunchy and crispy; their thickness and the slight presence of sea salt made them flavorful but not overwhelmingly salty. We cruelly ignored the standard red salsa; its smoky flavor just couldn't cut the cheese.

Drew smartly ordered La gringa, a dish of marinated pork with grilled pineapple, onions and melted cheese. The whole thing dripped with a runny red grease, painting unequivocal delight in the meal all over his face. Not usually a fan of corn tortillas, he got them anyway and found them to be soft, warm and generally better than any others he's had. While not spicy, pepper flavors complemented the overall savoriness of the cheese and pork.

Emily got the chicken fajitas as a main dish. Like every other restaurant in town, the sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole were all served on a large lettuce leaf. The rest of the dish was only average; definitely go for something a bit more interesting, such as La gringa, if you want your meal to be more exciting. Thankfully the chile con queso made up for what the fajitas lacked in flavor.

Come dessert, we decided serving the sopapillas with maple syrup was an interesting choice. Sopapillas are fried dough topped with powdered sugar and traditionally served drizzled with honey. Clearly, this is not a combination that lends itself to failure, but better sopapillas are not hard to find.

In terms of the service, the waiters were attentive enough. There was a little mix-up on the bill, but it was taken care of with alacrity and apologies. Our chip baskets sat empty for three minutes of eternity as our queso glared longingly up at us. This was particularly disappointing considering we were the largest of only four parties on the generous patio.

The food was tasty and the atmosphere pleasant. The cost was reasonable: $9 appetizers, $10-$14 entrees and $5 sopapillas. We will go back, especially for the chips, queso and breezy environment on a sunny day.

Drew Berger is a Lovett College junior and Emily Salomon is a Wiess College junior.

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