La Mexicana - Tremendous Tamales

I was out East this weekend, so I figured I would check out this Mexican Grocery I had heard about in Painsville (credit to www.eatingcleveland.com). Located at 170 E. Washington Street, Painesville, Ohio (map is here), just a couple of blocks from the Painesville town square, this is an easy place to overlook, but worth finding. The store itself is cramped and well stocked with Mexican foods, so if you need some specialty items, this is a place to check out. Right near the door, are some large pots with lids, inside are tamales; you will have to ask what is in each pot since there are no signs. On the Sunday I was there they had Pork with Red Sauce, Pineapple, and Cheese and Green Sauce. I went for a couple of the cheese tamales and picked up a couple of baked goods in the nearby display case. The prices were excellent, with tamales at $1.50 each and the baked goods at $.60 each. If you are not familar with tamales, they are made of masa (corn flour) made into a batter and then filled with ingredients, rolled in a corn husk and then either steamed or boiled. The results can be spectacular and this was certainly the case with the tamales I tried here. Although at room temperature, the tamales were excellent, the masa dough perfectly cooked to have a soft texture and wonderfully subtle corn flavor with just a hint of natural sweetness. The cheese was good, but what made the tamales was the green sauce; it was hot and spicey, but still well balanced and flavorful. The sauce perfectly set off the milder flavors of the masa and cheese to make a lip smacking package of goodness. The baked goods were nice, although the portions were very large for the price; I had a soft bun topped with a cinnamon topping that reminded me of the Asian desert buns I have had. I also tried a nice white cake with a nice frosting. The baked goods were well balanced and a little less sweet then most of what we get around here which was a very nice change. In addition to the market there was a very small restaurant up front, which looked to be serving very authentic and cheap Mexican food. La Mexicana is well worth checking out, especially if you are in the Painsville area. If you have not tried tamales or are a real fan, then you should really check them out; although I think the tamales are only available on weekends. Yet another culinary adventure without going too far.

Agave - Crocker Park Upscale Mexican

I know its been a bit sparse on new posts, a combination of revisiting some favorites and trying to find new worthy places. This past week was especially quiet as the motorcycle was in the shop. Luckily I got it back for the weekend, so I headed to Crocker Park in Westlake to have lunch at Agave Tequileria and Cochina. Agave is located at 20 Main Street, Westlake, near the Movie Theater. The restaurant is very sleek and modern, with a warm, darkly lit interior set off by the large bar and the wall of windows in the front. Since it was a nice day I had lunch on the small patio in front, a nice and casual set up with a good view of the people walking by. My server was nice and attentive, although she did forget to give me the chips and salsa, the other server on the patio was nice enough to bring me some. The chips were ok if nothing special and the salsa was good if a bit mild; it was thick and fresh tasting, with just a hint of heat and smoke. For lunch, Agave offers a nice small menu of items that are available for $8 (see the list here). I decided on the Shrimp Fajitas (and yes I know from watching Alton Brown on the Food Network that fajitas actually refers to Strip Steak, so that shrimp fajitas is just another American bastardization of the Spanish language). As opposed to most places that bring you the fajitas on a sizzle plate, Agave serves them up on a large plate with some pico de gallo, guacamole, rice and a small cup of beans. The Fajitas were 5 large tail on shrimp, large slices of onions, peppers and tomatoes. Although each of the ingredients on its own was fresh and flavorful, as a whole the dish was a bit soupy and lacked the punch I associate with fajitas. After some time trying to figure it out I came up with two things, first there was a lack of seasoning both on the spice end and it was missing the nice citrus contrast you get from the squeezed lime, and second not being served on the sizzle plate meant that the ingredients were just pan sauteed, this resulted in the whole being a bit wet, the peppers were way undercooked and most importantly, there wasn't the wonderful burnt/caramelized flavors you get from the hot pan. For some people having tail on shrimp might be a problem as well, especially for an item that is suppose to be eaten rolled up in tortillias. The the rice was a good Spanish style rice and the beans, while not refried, were a nicely prepared cup of pintos with a little cheese on top. I will say that only giving two small sized flour tortillas seemed a bit miserly, especially for an $8 lunch. Overall, the food was good, just nothing exceptional or memorable. Agave may be a good choice if you are looking for some Mexican food in an upscale setting and you like your food on the mild side. For me the combination of the price and the lack of excitement from the food will mean I will probably look elsewhere.