New Mexican Dining Spots Offer Mixed Quality In Menus

A dozen years ago, the measure of a good Mexican place wasn’t how many sombreros littered the walls or whether you were greeted with a forced “Hola, amigo!” It almost seemed the grungier the place, the better the food.

These days, however, diners seem willing to put up with mediocre Mexican in exchange for an ongoing fiesta. As much as I appreciate a paper umbrella in my margarita, I’d rather have a good plate of enchiladas at a hole-in-the-wall.

Two new Mexican eateries on North Division seem to buck the overdecorating trend by offering an extensive lineup of south-of-the-border fare in rather Spartan surroundings. The results, however, were mixed.

Fiesta Tapatia is one of those struggling, family run places I like to see succeed. (The owners have another restaurant in Cheney called Fiesta Charra.)

On several visits, the friendly husband and wife team who waited on us seemed eager to please - refilling our freshly made chips and the slow-burn salsa before we asked and checking back often to see if there was anything we needed. But, then again, they could afford to lavish attention on us. The place was nearly empty.

The menu covers familiar territory, from giant burritos, enchiladas and tacos to a selection of more upscale seafood entrees.

My acid test for a Mexican restaurant is whether they can pull off a decent chile relleno. For some reason, few places get that dish right.

At Fiesta Tapatia, the relleno they served wasn’t the cheese-stuffed chile tucked into a light, puffy batter I was expecting. Rather, it was a delicate omelette wrapped around an Anaheim chile, a recipe that indicates the kitchen is taking shortcuts.

Still, this particular version, which was topped with terrific, homemade guacamole, was better than some I’ve sampled. Even though the chile tasted as if it came out of a can, it remained firm and tasty. If I’m ever in the mood for an interesting egg dish, I might order it again.

My companion was pleased with his huge helping of chicken enchiladas. A pair of corn tortillas were stuffed with big chunks of white meat that was still juicy and flavorful. He would have been happier if they went a little lighter on the cheese that smothered the dish.

Both plates held generous portions of the ubiquitous rice and beans. The rice was moist, but the runny beans tasted flat.

During another meal, I sampled the Camarones Mojo De Ajo, a shrimp and mushroom saute. The butterflied prawns were properly cooked, but I found the dish underseasoned. (I requested lime, and that helped.)

My research assistant ordered the chicken mole, which is considered by many to be the national dish of Mexico. Boneless chunks of chicken arrived in a dark, rich sauce that was slightly sweet.

Traditionally, mole’s bittersweet quality comes from the addition of pasilla chiles and Mexican chocolate. The cinnamon-spiked mole sauce at Fiesta Tapatia was good, but too rich to eat in one sitting. It tasted even better the next day, as leftovers.

The carne asada - char-grilled steak served with guacamole and tortilla - is also recommended.

Less successful at Fiesta Tapatia were a dried out, shredded beef tamale and a taco that tasted like it could have come from any fast-food place. But I’ll be back, especially at lunch, when combination plates are less than $5.

Mi Hacienda bills itself as having Spokane’s only authentic Mexican fare. Judging from a recent dinner, that restaurant is going to have to eat its words.

Authentic Mexican has become an oxymoron in this country. In Mexico, there are any number of regional cuisines that include dishes like cactus salad, roasted corn or game in spicy sauces. The hybridized version of Mexican we have come to consider as authentic comes to us by way of Texas and California.

Even using those Americanized standards, though, the menu at Mi Hacienda could hardly be called authentic as it includes items such as Buffalo wings and tuna salad.

The eatery took over the former digs of Chapala’s short-lived branch in North Spokane - a tough location that doesn’t have easy access off Division. (If you’re heading north on Division, you have to turn west on Francis and turn back north into an unmarked alley that leads to a parking lot. Whew.)

Mi Hacienda’s decor is a dead ringer for Chapala, which looked just like the failed spaghetti joint that was in business years ago.

I wouldn’t mind sitting on uncomfortable high-back oak chairs under bright “lanterns” if the food was any good. Unfortunately, our meal was a bust.

I should have known we were in trouble when they first served us tasteless salsa and stale chips. They later brought some tasty, fresh salsa with chopped onions, tomatoes, peppers and shredded cabbage that was an improvement.

One of our threesome sampled the mole ($8.25), which the menu said has a peanut-based sauce. (I’ve seen almonds called for in mole, but never peanuts.) The addition of that fatty nut might help explain the thin film of grease that coated the dish. Once you got past that, the flavor wasn’t bad.

Another diner ordered the relleno and enchilada combination plate ($7.50). The substantial batter coating on the relleno was a bit oily. The chicken enchilada was fine, but nothing special.

My dinner, shrimp fajitas, was the biggest success at our table. It arrived on a cast iron skillet sizzling with sauteed green peppers, onions and shrimp. It was served with the standard accompaniments of sour cream, guacamole and chopped tomatoes.

I was impressed with the generous portion of nicely seasoned shrimp. The dish was easily large enough to split between two light eaters.

Maybe I’m not willing to cut this restaurant much slack because of its outrageous claim of authenticity. (An advertisement says it uses only old family recipes. That doesn’t always translate to great eats, though. I have my great-grandmother Signe’s terrific Swedish meatball recipe, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to open a smorgasbord.)

At both restaurants, our meal ended with a complimentary sweet sopapilla topped with aerosol whipped topping and strawberry syrup.

When did these treats become the fortune cookies of Mexican restaurants? Let me guess. They must be authentic.

, DataTimes MEMO: Two sidebars appeared with the story: 1. FIESTA TAPATIA Address: 5204 N. Division, 487-8155 Meals: Mexican Prices: $4.95-$9.75 Days, hours: daily 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Alcohol: full bar Smoking: smoking section in main dining room Reservations: yes Credit cards: MC, V Personal checks: yes

2. MI HACIENDA Address: 6315 N. Division, 465-9389 Meals: Mexican Prices: $6.50-$9.95, lunch specials $4.50 Days, hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sundays through Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays Alcohol: full bar Smoking: separate smoking section Reservations: yes Credit cards: DISC, MC, V