Sunday, March 11, 2012

Crystallized Cactus

Last night, my husband and I decided to go out for dinner, so I took the pile of vouchers I've accumulated off the fridge, and thumbed through which ones might be expiring soon. I came upon Acitron, a new Mexican bistro in Arlington, that we've been interested in trying for some time now. I put the voucher in my purse, and we hopped into the car for the 3-minute drive to Arlington Center. Upon walking into the new bistro, we were immediately aware that we should have made a reservation weeks ago! The place was hoppin'! Hoping for something to open up, we approached the hostess and asked for a table. To our chagrin, there was just nothing for us due to upcoming reservations, but the three elderly women at the bar were paying their bill...albeit, slowly...and we could sit at the bar if we so chose!

We've never been known to turn down a seat at the bar so we patiently waited for the women to gather their belongings. It was like watching an episode of the Golden Girls, acted out in front of us. Goodness! After about 10 minutes, they were finally bundled up and ready to go, so we took our seats at the bar, where the bartender, who later introduced himself as Mo, was shaking margaritas like it was his job...haha, wait a minute. :) We placed our order for margaritas into the queue, for my husband, a Jalapeno margarita, and for me, a Blue Sky Margarita. It contained tequila (of course), blue curacao and a splash of Amaretto DiSarono. It was delicious...but stay tuned for the best drink of the night...it's coming up soon.


While we enjoyed our cocktails, we glanced over the menu and immediately realized that this was going to be a tough decision! Everything looked SO good! There were plates being brought from the kitchen that made both of our mouths water! While perusing the options, we received a bowl of what I can only imagine was homemade salsa, as well as some tortilla chips which were still warm!


We decided on sharing the Queso Fundido Con Chorizo as our appetizer. This sizzling skillet of chorizo, poblano pepper strips and sauteed onions mixed with four different kinds of melted cheeses was to die for! It was ooey, gooey, and delicious! It came with some fresh from the oven tortillas which really complemented the dip, as well!


By the time we were almost finished with our appetizer, it was definitely time for round 2 of the cocktails. When we sit at the bar, we like to ask the bartender questions, and tonight was no different. My husband asked for something different, keeping with the bold flavors that he already experienced in the Jalapeno Margarita. Well, Mo really delivered on this request...and I got one of the same! Instead of tequila, he used Mezcal, something neither of us had much experience with. The smokiness of Mezcal is bold and delicious, and paired with his own version of a dark and stormy, this was probably one of the best drinks I've ever had! It was like...a summer's night, in a glass! Refreshing, savory and bold...only three of the MANY words I could use to describe this cocktail!

Yes, that's a lime half, turned inside out! Now it's a little cup!
When our entrees arrived, we were excited to dig in! I ordered Camarones En Mole De Tamarindo, a shrimp dish with a tamarind-based mole sauce. The shrimp were cooked to perfection, and drenched in the sweet and savory tamarind mole, served over a piece of cornbread. Since all of the entrees come with two sides, I opted for a vegetable medley which consisted of mushrooms, cauliflower, peppers and a delicious sauce, as well as a Poblano Pepper rice which was fluffy and spiced to perfection!


My husband decided to go with Conchinita Pibil, an axiote seed, spices and fresh orange marinated pork dish, served roasted and shredded, and garnished with pickled onions and scallions. For his sides, he chose the refried pinto beans, and Elote, which is grilled corn on the cob with chipotle aioli, cotija cheese and spices on top. 


We were full, but we had to order a serving of Tres Leches for when we arrived home. This dessert was rich, delectable, and definitely fresh! The perfect ending to a delicious meal!


The plates were aesthetically pleasing, the food was delicious, the staff were extremely friendly, and I don't think I've had such good Mexican cuisine since the last time I was in Mexico, and that was a long time ago! Everything about this meal was awesome, and I can't believe it took us this long to give it a try! If you want authentic, fresh Mexican cuisine, definitely give Acitron a try...but don't forget to make a reservation! You can find all the information about Acitron if you click here.

Acitron is candied nopales, which are the fleshy, oval leaves of a prickly pear cactus.

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