by Steven Doyle
Mexican Sugar, a Latin-inspired restaurant from the creators of Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar and Velvet Taco, made its debut one year ago in the Shops at Legacy in Plano. Mexican Sugar is a concept unique to Dallas, and certainly Plano, with a Central and South American menu with a basis in Mexican cuisine that seems to appeal to everyone. Not to mention the tequila library showcases over 100 different tequilas, which keeps the local crowd coming back for more.
We had an occasion to stop in for a bite this week and enjoyed our visit which was elevated by the extremely professional server, Marina. You will know her by her lush Russian accent, but more by her brilliance and knowledge of her menu, including cocktails. We allowed Marina to not only select most of what was selected from the menu, but also from the bar.
Shrimp-Crab-Avocado Cocktail
Babacoa Tacos
The meal started with arepas, griddled corn cake, perfectly slow roasted and moist barbacoa, slaw, cilantro crema. The order is pretty huge, so prepare to dine heavy if you order these. We took half the order home. The star of the night was most definitely the Shrimp-Crab-Avocado Cocktail which consisted of gulf shrimp and lump crab, cucumbers, tomatoes, serranos, radish, avocado gazpacho. This dish is very addictive, and quite the bargain for $13.
We enjoyed a delicious roasted whole fish, a pan seared snapper, avocado mayo, and heirloom beans with chimichurri, pickled onion, queso fresco. Plenty of queso fresco in fact. Watch for the bones, of course, but this was a very meaty and moist fish which should definitely be shared. The skirt steak was also a nice addition to the table, prepared with pickled red onions, avocado, queso fresco, roast tomatillo salsa, heirloom borracho beans, corn tortilla. The beef steak was super tender with a great smoky flavor that enticed another bite, and cooked perfectly medium rare as requested.
Skirt Steak
Whole Snapper
The cocktail menu was prepared by Bonnie Wilson, who also works with Whiskey Cake. We did a nice interview with her some months back, read about her on craveDFW. We enjoyed everything, of course. We like these types of drinks – not too sweet and not too heavy with a perfect balance of flavors. Check out the various margaritas including the Hibiscus (Z Pepe Reposado Tequila, hibiscus water,velvet falernum, simple syrup, lime,Cointreau) or the sightly spicy Machete (Serrano infused Cabeza Blanco tequila,salted melon, cucumber water, lime,simple syrup, mint).
Every libation has been carefully crafted to bring creativity and originality to every sip. In the Chicha Sour, chicha morada, an authentic Peruvian purple corn, is frozen into ice cubes and topped with pisco, lime and simple; while the Sangria Kit offers a playful cocktail experience for four, with red or white house sangria on tap, assorted fruit and sugar cane sticks.
Of course we always want to sample a Pisco Sour when we spot it on a menu, this one is made with Porton, our choice of Pisco. Beautifully frothy made with egg white, lime, sugar, and Angostura bitters. Sounds simple, but prepared properly it can be a train wreck. It was so creamy it is best to order last for a dessert.
Hochata 5 Leches
Chocolate Avocado Cake
Mexican Sugar is a beautiful space to take friends and definitely out of town guests, but also affords a wonderfully romantic appeal for that first date. Open for lunch, dinner and brunch. Mexican Sugar is located at 7501 Lone Star Drive in the Shops at Legacy in Plano.
Thanks Steve for the nice words about Mexican Sugar!
Jack Gibbons
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