Sure, you've read about Trece in the Dallas Life Newsletter before. After all, along with their sister restaurant Villa-O, Trece won a Best of 2009 Award for their Monday Night Dinners, and it is one of my favorite places to relax. Whether you're finding yourself seated next to Jerry Jones at the Tequila Bar or with a group of friends dining on the patio, you will always be made to feel both comfortable and pampered by the attentive staff, which most of my friends can attest to, having dined there with me at one time or another.
I'm definitely a creature of habit, being one of those people who servers just stop asking if I want "the usual." After taking some time sipping on some Casa Noble and finally making my way to the dining room, my usual preference at Trece would be some fresh guacamole prepared tableside, extra spicy but light on the cilantro, followed by lobster nachos and then the vegetarian chile relleno. All together, that would be one of my favorite meals, so when I heard a new menu was in the works I met the concept with mixed emotions. Part of my was worried about losing some of my favorite dishes, but mostly I was intrigued to see what new developments would take center stage.
Well, the menu is out, and I finally took the opportunity to work my way through it. Everyone will be happy to know that all my favorites made the cut. However, today's article is not about old favorites, but new ones.
The first thing I noticed on the appetizer menu was the addition of Chili con Queso. This may not seem unusual to you, but Trece has not offered queso in the past. Since Texans expect to be able to order queso at any restaurant claiming a Mexican relationship of any sort, I have certainly heard several patrons complain in the past about its absence from the menu. The queso at Trece is made with their homemade chorizo to add some extra depth (sorry vegetarians) and served with their addictive house made chips. The tableside guacamole still has a prominent place on the menu, prepared to your individual taste and even available with the addition of jumbo lump crab.
The entree section of the menu is divided in two. If you are looking for your everyday selection of tacos and enchiladas, you won't find them here. However, there is a section of exceptional taco and enchilada offerings. If you prefer, they will make your enchiladas out of whole wheat flour tortillas. However, having never once been served a flour tortilla during my time in Mexico, I still have a hard time calling that an enchilada.
The section of the menu truly deserving of your attention is the featured entrees on the lower half. Here you will find some old Trece favorites like the house specialty Budin Azteca layered enchilada-like creation of pulled chicken and chorizo and my favorite Chile Relleno Vegetariano with vegetable rajas, spinach, goat cheese, tomato cumin essence, cilantro lime oil, avocado cream, and queso fresco. (For something a little different, ask for it baked instead of fried. The essence of the poblano really shines through.) However, like I said, we were there to try new additions, and we found some great ones.
The Lubina Chileno Rostisado con Achiote, a roasted Chilean sea bass served with Mexican "ratatouille" and corn pudding seemed to be very popular in the dining room, as was the Brocheta de Camarones, grilled shrimp skewered with onions, tomatoes, and serrano pepper, served with Yucatan pico de gallo and corn rice. We decided to go with the Tablones and the Chuleta de Cerdo Marinada en Jalapeno.
For those of you who know just enough Spanish to get yourself in trouble, stop trying to translate "Tablones." They do not serve wooden planks. What they do serve is a braised short rib that has been slowly cooked in ancho chilies and cabernet sauvignon for so long that you cannot figure out why they bring you a steak knife. It's totally unnecessary. The meat pulls apart so easily you could eat it with chopsticks. It is listed as being served with ancho-horseradish demi, which was surprisingly not a noticeable flavor. The Chuleta de Cerdo Marinada en Jalapeno can be taken quite literally since it is a double cut pork chop. The jalapeno marinade was not incredibly noticeable, but it might have been overwhelming if it had. The pork was well cooked and delicious. It is served with ranchero sauce.
The proteins were delicious, beautiful, and masterfully prepared. However, the stars of each plate were really the side items. The short rib was served with a butternut squash tamale and pickled jalapeno slaw. Honestly, I could eat nothing but those squash tamales for a week and still be a happy man. Chef Powers really should consider centering a vegetarian plate around them. The combination of textures and flavors in that small package was simply perfect. Pickled Jalapeno Slaw sounds incredibly spicy, which would draw no complaints from me. Thankfully they didn't ask me and instead made the slaw light, crisp, and refreshing with just enough subtle heat to cut the richness in the meat and the tamale. The shining star of the pork chop plate was the generous serving of mashed potato. The menu lists "cotija mashed potato," and although I am a big fan of cotija cheese, this was not the predominant flavor. The spices in the potatoes blended for an incredibly bold flavor that shouted "Mexico" and beautifully offset the pork.
There does not appear to be much change in the dessert selection. Although I do not often eat dessert, my top choice would continue to be the Crepes de Cajeta. These crepes are served with oven roasted peaches and bananas, minted mascarpone cheese, and vanilla ice cream sauce. I do, however, have to mention that Trece is home to one of our Dessert & Sweets Editor's favorite desserts, the Bomba de Chocolate con Atole de Fresa, which is a dark chocolate cake stuffed with Patron Cafe hot fudge and served over a chilled strawberry soup with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream.
If there is one thing I find a bit confusing about the new menu items at Trece, it would have to be the presentation. Don't get me wrong, the plates were beautiful. However, when they were placed on the table I had to take a look around and make sure I was still at a Mexican restaurant. For a moment I thought I had been transported to a Modern American Supper Club somewhere. No restaurant critic, foodie, or chef would have guessed "Mexican" as the cuisine if presented with those plates in a nondescript setting, and this is a big change in the personality of Trece. Honestly, it's a change I think they should consider reversing. However, one bite sent my thoughts back to my time working along Mexico's western coast. For just a moment I forgot I was in Uptown Dallas looking out at the hustle and bustle of Travis Street and instead found myself on the back patio of one of my favorite fine dining establishments in Puerto Vallarta looking out at the Pacific Ocean. The flavors cannot be mistaken for anything but refined Mexican cuisine, which is very difficult to find in this era of "Tex-Mex" with everything covered in chili con carne, queso, or sour cream sauce.
All in all, I have to say "thank you" to General Manager Omar Hernandez and Executive Chef Andrew Powers for a wonderful evening. We hear rumor Mr. Hernandez is moving from Trece to Robert Colombo's newest hotspot, Sfuzzi on Routh Street. The personality of Trece has developed a new richness since his arrival, even if he did allow my favorite bartender to leave in spite of my requests to chain him up in the back, so we can certainly see how Mr. Colombo would want him at their newest and busiest location. Part of me wants to request the chains for Omar as well, but I'm sure his signature hospitality will quickly become a treasured part of Sfuzzi.
In closing, get out to Trece and try their new entree choices. For at least one visit, skip the tacos and enchiladas for a new experience. I look forward to seeing you there.
