Dual First Looks: Dough and Mesa Maya Part 2

by Steven Doyle

We always look forward to an up-tick on the average Mexican cuisine in Dallas as often we can be complacent with what should be one of our finer cuisines. Meso Maya fits that bill nicely.

Part two of our dual restaurant first-look party finds us at Mesa Maya that opened in unison yesterday with Dough in the Preston Forest Shopping Center where the former CHIC From Barcelona was located. We were just off the heels of a stint at the newly opened and fresh-faced Dough when we recalled the another opening set for the same day. We moseyed on over for a look see.  

Meso Maya is a largish restaurant with a grand open spaced kitchen that overlooks a bar that commands the attention of the entire restaurant. The space was built for maximum efficiency and you can see pretty much anything happening from every vantage point.

The décor tips you off immediately that there is a chance of a great meal ahead, not that speldid decoration is required for fanastic food. I can point to a few places in Richardson that could dispel that myth.

Although the restaurant was nearing capacity we were seated without hesitation.

The service from the very start was brisk and attentive. We quizzed the wait staff almost to exhaustion about the various aspects of the menu attempting to order the correct first-contact meal. There were no tour guides on this ferry and we didn’t want to tread water with a poor selection.

We started the meal with a fine Serrano chile margarita and a dish of queso fundido. There were several fundidos and we selected the chorizo, but probably should have gone with the spinach and mushroom instead, or even the Ceviche Mixto for that matter.  The chorizo leeched quite a bit of greasiness into the dish, and even with the supplied homemade corn tortillas, the dish left us a little wanting.

These corn tortillas, by the way, were made totally in house. No pre-made masa, they start from scratch each day.

We had better luck with the main courses and enjoyed the following:

Considered one of their house specialties, the Budin Azteca de Carne consists of sharred beef tenderloin, gold potatoes, black beans and queso fresco with a guajillo sauce. Basically a stacked enchilada.

The camaron al Mojo de Ajo is Mexican white shrimp with garlic adobo sauce. The shrimp are plentiful and the sauce nicely piquant.

Looks a little sloppy, but one of the best dishes of the night. Consider the Pollo con Mole which is a split boneless adobo chicken breast (with a short wing bone intact) served with pan seared plantains ala crema and one of the best servings of rice we have had the pleasure to have known.

There are plenty of resaons to revisit Meso Maya and the list starts with the beet salad, carne asada, spinach and mushroom enchiladas and the cajeta crepes — all we wanted to try but were unable on this double-dinner evening.  We’ll be back and with a full report.

Rumors already flying about an Addison and downtown Dallas location.