miamime

provocations & observations by William Plasencia 
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Talavera: My new favorite Mexican spot in Miami

If you're near the corner of Giralda and Ponce, in Coral Gables, you might miss the entrance to Talavera but it's worth seeking out.

Talavera is not your typical Mexican restaurant in Miami. Yes, you'll find the requisite Frida Khalo portrait hanging on the wall but it's one of a string of prints of famous sons and daughters of Mexico including Carlos Santana and Salma Hayek. The décor eschews the typical rustic earth colors for a clean look that ties back nicely to Mexico through the judicious use of blue and white talavera ceramics and illustrations.

So what's the food like?

If you've spent time in Mexico City you know that people in “el DF” do their own take on typical Mexican dishes and that's what you'll find at Talavera. For example, the excellent guacamole is still made fresh from the same avocados but instead of being served up plain in a stone mortar, Talavera adds a bit of crumbled, tangy Mexican cheese and serves it in a blue and white ceramic bowl with a few, light pork rinds that are meant to be rolled up along with the guac in a tortilla and eaten as an appetizer. The queso fundido clasico, too, had just the right amount of chorizo to make it tasty but not overpoweringly greasy.

I drizzled a bit of the green habanero sauce on everything. I mean absolutely everything. It's made from lava-hot habaneros whose spiciness is tempered by mixing in a bit of vinegar and crushed cool, green tomatillos. They ought to bottle this stuff and sell it. It's just that good.

We drank micheladas along with our food – Bohemia beer mixed with lime juice and spices. It's a refreshing concoction that I never think of having at night but it worked for this meal.

Instead of one of the heavier dishes, we shared Tacos de Chilorio, pulled pork that's simmered in ancho and guajillo chili sauce and served up with a side of guac, white rice and black beans and a side of pico de gallo sauce. The freshly made corn and wheat tortillas were wonderful and the waiter didn't blink when we asked him to bring us more. The service, overall, was very good, which is what we're accustomed to at owner Lalo's other restaurant, Jaguar, in Coconut Grove. But you can tell that he's put extra effort into Talavera to make it more Mexican than his other pan-Latino creation.

Our meal was filling and we came to about $60 with the tip. We could have easily spent more on drinks or food, but we went home with leftovers and a desire to go back. Next time we're going for brunch over the weekend.

Talavera 2299 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134 tel: 305.444.2955 www.talaveraspot.com

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