Inventive, affordable Mexican food is no longer a rarity in the 817, thanks to places like Paco and John’s, Mariposa’s Latin Kitchen, and a couple other restaurants whose chefs see more in the cuisine than fluffy rice and refried beans. To this list we now can add Treviño’s Comida Mexicana, whose new, mostly isolated near-Cultural District location (the original Treviño’s is still going strong in Rockwall) shouldn’t deter fans of creatively and carefully prepared Mexican fare.
The bowl of tortilla soup was full of fresh ingredients. The lightly salted chicken broth helped preserve the naturally bold flavors of the chopped carrots, robust tortilla slices, thick strings of mozzarella cheese, and firm and creamy avocado wedge. The soup was simple but oh, so good.
The beef picadillo nachos featured a bed of homemade tortilla chips covered with hearty refried beans and a savory stewed picadillo meat sauce. All of this goodness had been baked under mounds of American cheese. (The waitress said that cheddar or queso blanco can be substituted upon request.) The dish was topped with several hefty raw onions and a bevy of fiery jalapeño slices.
The beef’s predominant flavors –– garlic, chile powder, and celery –– were nicely balanced, and the onions, not typically part of the nacho equation, offered a welcome crunch and pungency, complementing the creaminess of the cheese. And most of the chips stood up to the toppings. Though a bit on the salty side overall, the dish definitely warrants another visit.
The Texas Fried Burrito was much more interesting than the name might imply. Unlike most heavy entrées, this one didn’t come with equally heavy sides of rice and beans. Instead, the gargantuan beef-and-bean delight (chicken is another option) was accompanied by a large chopped guacamole salad with pico de gallo that might actually ameliorate any burrito-inspired bloatedness. And, trust me, you will want to devour this thing. A symphony of gooeyness, crunchiness, and mouthwatering savoriness, it also had just the right amount of kick, courtesy of some zesty queso ladled across the thin, crispy tortilla shell.
Another hit was the pork tacos. Served with an enormous side salad that doubled as toppings, the three gems were small on size but big on flavor. Inside the soft corn tortillas, fall-apart-tender chunks of slow-cooked pork mingled with a mild, cumin-kissed red chile sauce and some of the greens. Simple, dynamic, excellent.
For dessert, go for the flan. Fragile and labor-intensive, it’s pretty much a hit-or-miss proposition anywhere you go, but at Treviño’s, it was definitely worth the risk. Topped with a spiral of whipped cream (probably the only item in the building that wasn’t homemade) and a maraschino cherry, the golden treat was firm yet melted in the mouth. Each bite of the smooth vanilla custard was like a refreshing sunburst going off in your mouth.
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Treviño’s Comida Mexicana
1812 Montgomery St, FW. 817-731-8226. 9am-9pm Sun, 11am-9pm Mon-Thu, 11am-10pm Fri, 9am-9:30pm Sat. All major credit cards accepted.
Tortilla soup …………………. $3.95
Texas Fried Burrito ………. $5.95
Beef picadillo nachos ……. $6.95
Pork tacos …………………… $5.25
Flan ……………………………. $3.95
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