Thursday, August 30, 2018

Alma Mexicana

Readers! I'm back with a new favorite Winston-Salem restaurant. I had been hearing rave reviews of Alma Mexicana, located in downtown's trendy Bailey Park, and now I can finally add my praises to the mix. This place is awesome. The menu is varied and unique - it's not your average Mexican restaurant. This type of restaurant is a welcomed addition to the Triad. The drink menu is abundant, service is timely, and while there are just high-top tables with bar stools inside, the covered patio and outdoor seating is quite inviting. And you know I was partial to the Dia de los Muertos-themed decor. The menu changes frequently, so you may not be able to find these favorites, but I can say with certainty that what you have will be delicious.
Love the decor!
I enjoyed the Alma Blanca Margarita, which brought together some of my favorite flavors - Domaine de Canton (ginger liqueur), pineapple and nice heat from habanero syrup. My group ordered several tapas to try off the dinner menu, and they came out at an appropriate pace. Among our favorites were the Chicken and Cheese Flautas, quite similar to Taquitos. These were thicker than I expected, giving me a lot of the yummy, cheesy filling. They reminded me of Mexican egg rolls, and it's obvious these babies are rolled and fried in-house - they're nothing like the frozen roll-ups you used to eat (or maybe still do - no shame there.)

If you don't think you like duck, try the El Pato Perfecto. The savory, dark meat is shredded and is not unlike dark meat chicken or turkey. It's topped with queso fresco and pumpkin seeds and served with greens and corn tortillas, so you can make your own duck tacos. You get yummy guac with this dish and a spicy tomatillo verde salsa that added nice acid and heat.

My favorite dish of the night was served in a mini cast iron skillet, earning mad points for presentation. Roasted Poblano Peppers are stuffed with lamb, and smothered with a tomato cream sauce. I could not get enough. I love lamb on its own, but the sauce might have been the star of the show. We ate it with a spoon when we ran out of the buttery, grilled bread that came with it.
Roasted Poblanos stuffed with Lamb
I love a good Ceviche, and that's what the Scallop Ceviche was - good. While it was refreshing and the texture of the scallop was lovely, it was so laden with lime and chile amarillo, that it almost over-powered the fish. I got a little too much acid in this dish, and I would have preferred to taste more of the fresh fish flavor. The fresh tortilla chips and guacamole served alongside were heaven, though.

I am so excited that a place like Alma has found a home in Winston! I would be even more thrilled if they eventually made their way over to Greensboro, so that more people could get a taste of this upscale Mexican cuisine. It's not to be missed.