On a recent trip to Taos, I asked my gracious hosts at the Dreamcatcher Bed & Breakfast for a recommendation for dinner. They mentioned some of my favorites, including Orlando’s, Graham’s Grill, Dragonfly, Doc Martin’s at the Taos Inn and Lambert’s. But I wanted some place I hadn’t tried before.
“Are you an adventurous eater?” they wanted to know. When I assured them I loved to try dishes I’d never make at home, they marked El Meze on a map and sent me on my way.
Wow.
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El Meze WHERE: 1017 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, El Prado, N.M. 575- 751-3337 HOURS: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Monday- Saturday. FOOD: Eclectic. Beer and wine available. AMBIANCE: Colorful. SERVICE: Very good |
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This place is wonderful –– and original. No surprise that it won the Taos News’ Best of Taos readers poll. Food, service and an atmosphere that pairs historic northern New Mexico charm with contemporary art combine to create a top-rank dining experience. My companion and I loved it from first bite to last.
We were charmed from the beginning, when our waitress offered us complimentary bottled water, still or sparkling. Not that there’s anything wrong with Taos tap water, but this adds a touch of elegance.
I appreciated the eccentric look of the place. Guests walk along a portal strung with multicolored lights to reach the restaurant entrance. A big gold-painted fireplace welcomes you to the front dining room. The orange walls display big, bright, paintings by various artists throughout the restaurant. There’s background music, but the night of our visit the restaurant was full and the sound of conversation dominated. The combination of hardwood floors, plaster walls and happy folks means it can get noisy here. El Meze has 20 tables, each with a white table cloth and a flickering votive candle in a glass trimmed with fake jewels. Reservations are a fine idea, although we scooted in without them.
The restaurant describes its cuisine as “Spain meets Northern New Mexico.” The menu features one soup, two salads, a small selection of appetizers, four main courses and half a dozen desserts. (It’s available on line at elmeze.com)
We started with a martini glass filled with big green olives, battered, fried and stuffed with blue cheese. A nice combination of salty, crisp, soft and pungent. These are rich treats, made for sharing. My friend and I gobbled them up, pleased that something basically simple could be so good.
At the waitress’s suggestion, we passed on the grilled romaine, one of El Meze’s trademark dishes, because she thought it would be too much with the rest of the food we wanted to try. Instead, we shared the “small salad.” It was lovely –– soft bib lettuce and little bright green tarragon leaves tossed with a mouthwatering Dijon vinaigrette and finished with a few sweet blueberries. However, I envied the next table their dramatic-looking romaine salads, big seared lettuce leaves served with Manchego cheese. Next time.
We moved on to soup, “Galicia Oyster,” another winner. It had a light cream base with a hint of sherry. The large white bowl held at least half a dozen soft oysters, each one at least two bites of seafood goodness. The broth featured finely chopped herbs and veggies, but unlike most oyster soups I’ve had, no potatoes. A regatta of crispy croutons floated on top. I liked it very much.
My friend and I were considering another dish, perhaps buffalo ribs that the waitress described as “floating in red chile.” Or the “Truchas Yerba Buena,” a baked trout which is among El Meze’s specialties. And the New York strip steak ordered by the next table smelled tempting. We overhead more than one group order the herbed mushrooms on toast.
And with ninety percent of our fellow diners locals and regulars that night, I figured they knew what was good.
But then, the most beautiful dessert in the world walked by. We unanimously and without further discussion decided it had to be our finale. El Meze calls it “Lemon Mousse and Raspberry Napoleon,” but I call it a taste of heaven. Forget those overly sweet, slightly stale, three- bite Napoleon rectangles you’ve ordered from the bakery counter. This puts even the best of those to shame with both size and flavor. Love at first sight was confirmed by the first bite. Layers of crisp filo squares form the bones, sandwiching tart/sweet lemon curd and whipped cream, then crowned with whole fresh raspberries and garnished with a raspberry puree. Not too sweet, just rich enough and worth every calorie.
Good service, well informed and enthusiastic add to the pleasure of the meal.
Our dinner for two, without alcohol, and with hot tea and coffee was $42 before tax and tip.
