Cocina Lucero: almuerzo en el patio

Cocina Lucero is a cute Mexican eatery that's found just around the corner from our place. Although it's been open a few years now, we hadn't yet given it a test run. We decided to finally pay a visit for lunch one recent Saturday afternoon.

Although the menu refers to the year 1988, the restaurant in both of its incarnations, is not nearly that old. 
The reference is to the owner/ chef Lucero Wong.

The restaurant went under the knife a while back on the Restaurant Makeover TV series. (As coincidence would have it, this episode is due to air again this coming Monday, September 6th, on Food Network Canada.) Unfortunately, the makeover experience tends to not auger well for many participants; no doubt owners are often so far in the hole already that by the time the episode airs the "For Lease" signs are up.

We're happy to report that that's not the case this time around. The former Arre Burrito not only survived the revamp but it seems to be doing a respectable business. And we're sure the reason is that these folks deliver a solid product.

For our first visit we stuck with the tried and true. This is most likely because of a certain ignorance on our parts with la cocina mexicana, but it proved useful in allowing us to compare this experience with those of other Mexican places we've frequented. A second reason is that the lunch menu offers considerably less breadth than the dinner menu.

Tacos Especiales- Soft corn tortillas, chicken breast, sautéed onions & peppers, home made pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese & refried black beans.

Enchiladas- soft corn tortillas stuffed with chicken, baked with cheese & salsa roja, salad & refried beans on the side.

We enjoyed the food. It didn't wallop you over the head like some tex-mex dishes do, which at first bite led us to being slightly underwhelmed....A few more bites in, though, and the kitchen's deft hand at subtle seasoning was evident. An underlying heat snuck up in a very pleasant way. And the portions were muy grande!- you won't leave here hungry!

The dinner menu offers some dishes that sound very intriguing: 

Pollo Pibil Yucatán

Baked chicken breast in Annatto sauce, served on banana leaves accompanied by zucchini & habanero red onions.

Chuletas de Puerco en Pipian

Pork cutlets covered with a blend of Ancho & Guajillo chile peppers, spices, peanuts, sesame & pumpkin seeds.

Bistec en Salsa Verde con Chile Morita

Grilled 10oz. Black Angus steak served with mushrooms in a tomatillo Morita pepper sauce.

Barbacoa de Borrego Teotihuacan

Baked lamb in an Ancho-Pasilla-Guajillo pepper sauce, wrapped in banana leaves served with guacamole.

Chiles en Nogada

Mild California pepper stuffed with ground beef, fruits & pine nuts, lightly covered with a creamy walnut sauce & pomegranate.

This is where they seem to have carved out a niche that separates them from the run of the mill taqueria. And these are the kinds of dishes that will take us back to continue our education into one of the world's great cuisines.

We lunched on the shady patio, a lovely respite from the mid-day heat. But as the cooler weather approaches we'll be back to tuck into some traditional Mexican dinner offerings in the friendly & cozy dining room.