A few days ago I was invited to a complimentary media dinner to promote the grand opening of Mesa Latin Kitchen in Durham. Immediately I assume there must be some mistake. Maybe I accidentally got added to some awesome, secret mailing list? Maybe people think I’m way more important than I am? Who knows? But more importantly, who cares?! I RSVP’d as fast as possible, because I was not going to pass up what could be an amazing “exclusive” dinner at a brand new restaurant.
Mesa Latin Kitchen is in the spot that was formerly Gregoria’s – a restaurant that focused primarily on Cuban food. They’ve now revamped their space and style and they’ve broadened their menu to encompass all Latin American cuisine. Also (thanks nobody for telling me this while I was there! No really, thank you, I probably would have acted a fool) Chef Douglas Rodriguez was a contestant on the first season of Top Chef Masters! He’s also a James Beard Award winner. So yeah, that’s impressive.
The restaurant concept that the invitation relayed was that of Latin American tapas. Sounds genius right? If you know nothing about me, you should know that I love small plates. Any kind. Well, actually the kind come with drinks are my favorite. Jokes.
I arrived to a seat amongst other bloggers, tweeters, social media managers, all of whom I assume have much more social media sway than me. And the food? I’m not sure what I expected. A buffet? A scattering of tapas passed around the table? Nope. This was going to be a big five course meal, a family style event with plentiful drinks and fantastic service. And of course, the fashion bloggers were dressed better than everybody else…
The great thing about these meet-ups is that everyone pauses before digging into the food to snap photos of it. It’s not rude to have your cell phone on the table at all times, and people are constantly tweeting or uploading pics to Instagram. That’s what we were invited for!
A little preview of @MesaLatinDurham tonight! Latin tapas? Do these people live in my dreams?! pic.twitter.com/eKiXhN8T3X
— Rachel Sasser (@trailingRachel) July 14, 2015
The owner came out and spoke to us about the idea for this upscale, contemporary Latin restaurant, prepping us for what lay ahead by telling us (with his hot lovely Spanish accent) to “buckle our seats.”
We learned that the tables would receive an assortment of dishes for each course, but not every table would receive the same things. The vegetarians were accommodated, which was nice, but the hardcore foodies (we’ve really gotta come up with a better word than that, I really hate the term “foodie”) were a little concerned that there might be some jealousy over what was served to the other tables. I occasionally snuck off to take pictures of other peoples’ food. Yeah, it was cool with them… I promise.
We started with plantain chips and salsa… well, they were out when I arrived (late) and the server actually referred to the salsa as “escabeche.” Then we were presented with a few snacks: warm goat cheese fritters with garlic aioli and an assortment of marinated olives. (Yes, I love olives… and as a mayonnaise lover, I really enjoy aioli).
Being a newb to all this, I ordered a draft beer to start out (don’t worry, it was still a local microbrew obviously). I quickly realized my faux pas when all of my tablemates’ drinks arrived. Cocktails. Fancy cocktails. Oh duh, any real food critic would want to test the restaurant’s mixology aptitude. On the other hand, I, in my post-work mindset, just wanted to check the bartender’s ability to serve up beer from a keg. Oh well.
Stubbornly, I followed it up with a Malbec because, you know, South America things.
The next two courses were comprised of shared small plates. I will admit, as is usually the case, some were better than others.
We had a brightly colored salad with watermelon radishes, hand-tossed at our table, which was very flavorful, and smoked tuna tacos which sounded cool and looked pretty but were not my favorite – I was not expecting the texture, nor for them to be cold, and then some guacamole (with pineapple!) served with fried plantain chips all bundled together beautifully.
We were presented with a flatbread with serrano ham and arugula, which I may have let sit too long while taking pictures because it was a little tough and chewy by the time I got around to it. We also tried some bright, grilled asparagus served with a mojo sauce and delicious, super interesting fried lemons. I’d never thought to fry a lemon, but it was genius!
Absolutely positively the rolled cuban sandwiches served on a stick were amazing… I think everyone agreed they were a hit. Cheesy and meaty with a mustard glaze and a pickle at the end – such a clever idea! (And way fancier than a corndog.)
The elote-inspired corn on the cob with cotija cheese was salty, sweet, mayonnaise-y, and fantastic – actually these were way better than the elote I had in Oaxaca since Mesa’s were made with the sweet corn I’d originally been hoping for in Mexico.
So both of my favorite small plates were served on sticks. Does that say something about me? (Maybe that I was a carnie in a past life? That I’m trashy? We’ll just say I’m intrigued by street food concepts.)
The Argentine beef empanadas were clutch as well, filled with tender chunks of beef rather than ground or shredded beef like typical empanadas. The dough was flakey and golden… as it should be.
I also got a bite of the neighboring table’s grilled octopus courtesy of Durham Foodie who scavenged to grab us a taste. It was perfectly cooked and I’d definitely order a plate of it upon my return to Mesa. Thanks to her, I also snagged a bite of the coconut crab rice (beautifully served in a coconut shell) which was very different and tasty as well. So yeah, there was a little table jealousy…
So I’d been really excited about the small plate concept, but up until this point I was thinking, “yeahhh this stuff is pretty damn solid, good quality, some things are even great, but…”
THEN WE GOT TO THE MAIN COURSES.
Four of us at the end of the table were served four of the entrees to share amongst ourselves. No exaggeration, they were all fantastic…
I once said, “Beef tongue is the new pork belly.” I take it back! We are not finished with pork belly!
^Pork belly with crispy, crackling skin, served over quinoa with coffee roasted carrot and carrot puree.
Um, that carrot was probably the most glorious thing I tasted all night. It was crazy. (And I’m glad somebody was listening when the server said that thing about coffee because I would’ve never been able to pinpoint the flavor.)
^Trout with Peruvian potatoes, spinach, and chipotle mayo.
^Smoked cauliflower with a pine nut puree.
(Bon Appetit keeps telling me to roast a whole head of cauliflower and I keep not listening!).
^Annnd crispy rice cakes with a black bean ragout, tomato escabeche, and asparagus.
At this point I’m just so happy to be there. I’m also on my second Malbec, so maybe that has something to do with it too. The food has both excited me and exceeded my expectations and I’m quickly scanning Twitter to see that yes, I am out of my league as I do not have multiple thousands of followers like some of the people sitting around me.
Chef Rodriguez came out to ask how we liked everything, spoke to us briefly, and even posed for a selfie or two. And he was wearing a great hat.
Then came the desserts, all four of them. Woof. I may have been thoroughly full at this point but I tried them all. I’m not really a dessert person, but I genuinely liked all of these sweet dishes. And I loved that they threw the bacon wrapped dates in with the dessert course – they’re always a winner in my book.
The guava pastry was excellent too. I’m not sure I’ve ever consumed very much guava, but the tartness and sweetness of the pastry paired excellently with the pistachio ice cream it was served alongside.
Also, I usually really hate flan. Despite my love for all things Hispanic, I just think it is gross and such a cop-out dessert. Like a bad, dairy-based jello. Nope, not here. The goat cheese flan at Mesa was creamy and lingered on your tongue, and you could just make out of the tang of the goat cheese. (Wow, I’d typically despise that last sentence if someone else wrote it, but honestly, it was that good.)
The coconut tapioca pudding was refreshing and not too sweet… and it also came served in a coconut that looked like a tropical drink you’d pick up on vacation.
A note on the service. I know there were a limited number of us “media” in the restaurant and the servers were obviously trying to impress, but they did a fantastic job. I didn’t want for a drink ever. And they heard every drop of silverware and saw every napkin that accidentally fell to the floor, immediately swooping in to replace them. I actually moved my water to another table so that I wouldn’t knock it over while I took photos and Instas, and sure enough a server hurried over within minutes to replace the water glass that he assumed I didn’t have.
And another thing. At the end of the meal, you can have your pick of Cuban coffee drinks. Think Keeping Up with the Kardashians where Khloe discovers cortaditos and stays up all night. I would’ve had one if it weren’t a Tuesday.
I will say that I’d love to see more spicy options from Mesa and I’d like to try their ceviche too. It’s located in kind of an awkward spot, as it’s not in the trendy downtown Durham area, but it is worth venturing out for!
I was impressed with the evening’s offerings and I’ll definitely return to Mesa for a date night… and not allow Charlie to have an input when ordering anything now that I’ve been educated. There’s definitely a need to display more South American cuisine in the area and to show people that it’s more than just starches and meat (and that it isn’t the same as Mexican!). I’m certainly a fan.
Speaking of which, I’m flying somewhere south where they hablan español pretty soon…
Mesa Latin Kitchen will officially open this Friday, July 17 at 4 p.m. (that’s today!). The celebration lasts all weekend with food and drink specials as well as live music on the patio each night! Make your reservation now, by emailing moh@mesalatinkitchen.com or by calling (919) 973-2717. You can also check them out on Facebook and Twitter.
I’m the most picky eater ever and have the palette of a 5 year old so all this food was a whole new game to me. I tried most everything and most of it was really good. I was proud of myself. The sangria was so good!
Ahhh and that must be why you write about fashion and beauty! Haha at least you tried it and liked it. People that won’t try new foods are the worst. I was impressed, but I am an idiot for not ordering some sort of mixed drink. Sangria always sounds delicious, but I just can’t get past the idea that it’s basically diluted wine. Not that I needed to be boozing so much on a Tuesday.