Resonance, colloquially speaking, is a feeling of harmony, of something landing just right. A restaurant can seem to do everything well but not resonate. It happens all the time. The new Allende in Walker’s Point isn’t your Taco Tuesday, combo plate with a chimichanga kind of Mexican joint. With its small, focused menu and curated, modern ambiance, it doesn’t follow conventions – which all work in the restaurant’s favor.
Co-owner Cesar Lopez was 6 months old when his dad opened Cielito Lindo on Second and National. As he grew up, Lopez was at Cielito “all the time,” gravitating to the kitchen side, its heat, sprint-like pace and spirit of creativity resonating with him.
When he and his wife, Yolanda Herrera Montes, were ready to open their own place, they pulled from their own history, naming it after San Miguel de Allende, the city in Guanajuato, Mexico, where they were married. Guanajuato was a source of inspiration in the menu they’ve created at Allende, as was Jalisco, the birthplace of birria, a slow-cooked stew. I can see and taste their intentionality in Allende’s food – there are many good things to eat here.
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Let’s start with the basics. Chips and guac is one of five appetizers; to me, one of the tests of a good Mexican restaurant is the quality of its chips and guacamole. Allende’s guac is very respectable – chunky, mixed with a little pico de gallo and sprinkled with fresh queso ($10.50). The first time I ordered it, the chips were hot and unmistakably fresh-fried. The next time, the guac was as good, but the chips didn’t seem fresh or house-fried. Just an anomaly?
In future visits, I might nix that and go for papas bravas ($5) – crispy bite-size fried potatoes with Allende’s terrific salsa macha (a rich, smoky sauce of ground chiles, peanuts and cranberries). Give the spuds a few squirts of fresh lime and dip each forkful in the macha – yum! Esquite (street corn) is another nice app, served a little differently. The creamy mix of grilled corn kernels and corn purée – plus grated cotija cheese, creamy chipotle dressing and a dash of citrusy Tajín seasoning – comes with warm, toasted bread ($7.50).
The tacos ($4-$5 each) are special, partly for their cushion – double house corn tortillas – and partly for their fillings. My favorite is the al pastor (marinated pork) with grilled pineapple, pickled onions and salsa taquera (a thin, lively sauce made with roasted tomatoes and dried chile de arbol). A close No. 2 is the carne asada (grilled steak) with caramelized onion and molcajete salsa – chunky and thick, with the chiles, tomatoes and onions charred in a griddle.
Allende continues to go up from there. Enchiladas: I’ve eaten just one of the three versions offered – chicken verdes poblanos (creamy poblano pepper sauce), topped with melted Chihuahua cheese and pickled onions ($18.50) – and it’s as deliciously gooey as an enchilada should be. The grilled half-chicken in a mole made with ground sesame and pumpkin seeds ($21) is so tender that it’s easy to separate the meat from the bone and make tacos with the warm tortillas.
The steak tampiqueña ($29) could be vying for star of the menu – but to me, it’s second-best. Tampiqueña refers to a combination plate of grilled steak (here it’s NY strip), refried beans, rice and a cheese enchilada. Allende’s spin subs fried potatoes for rice, smoky charro beans for refried and a toasty cheese quesadilla for an enchilada. It’s very tasty and the perfect sharing size.
Speaking of the quesadillas ($13-$15), I reserve the word obligatory for this menu item alone. Made with traditional house-made corn tortillas that are larger and thicker than for tacos, these quesas have crusty, caramelized edges and an earthy, quasi-nut-like flavor. I love a flour quesadilla, but corn takes it to another level. That sort of nuance, along with Allende’s tailored approach to the menu, goes a long way toward that pivotal, elusive thing called resonance.
