The Folk Singer was in the mood for Mexican the other day, and because we also wanted to walk around the Quarter, we decided to try El Gato Negro. We started the meal with a complimentary order of chips (which sadly were not fried in house) and a roasted tomato salsa that was very flavorful.
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But I have to say that the salsa was the probably the high point of the meal. The queso mixed with chorizo lacked the smooth consistency which makes for easy dipping. TFS ordered tamales (below) which, though cooked properly and jammed full of pork, were remiss of any depth of flavor or spice which I consider the hallmark of Mexican cuisine.
I had the enchiladas, which had more spice than the tamales, but still left me wanting more heat. Another strange part of the meal was the "sweet oregano salsa" (as explained by the manager) which accompanied our entrees. This thin, cold salsa did not pair well with either the enchiladas or the tamales.
Overall, the meal was no bad, but not great. For now, there is still no longer any reason to drive down Esplanade for Mexican. Though that might soon change because I heard a rumor that the original owner of Santa Fe may be reopening once again in his former location in the Marigny. Stay tuned for more details.
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6 comments:
Don't Tase me bro!
I'm with you. That place is just disappointing. I can't understand why so many people like it.
Mexican food is odd like. People with perfectly fine taste rave about about the most mediocre Tex-Mex.
What I never understand is when people say, "New Orleans doesn't have good Mexican." As if this is some knock on New Orleans cuisine. While I will admit that New Orleans is getting more diverse options as to Central and South American cuisine, not having good Mexican or Tex-Mex should not be a precursor to being a great food city.
Most Tex Mex served in this country is a variation on the following theme: meat, cheese, tortilla, and onions. I fail to see how that is enlightening.
Do not take this as a criticism of traditional Mexican cuisine. Which is lovely.
Having briefly been exiled to Texas post-K, I can tell you that good Tex-Mex can be fabulous.
You know what other city has crappy Tex-Mex? Paris. And Madrid.
Gato Negro was one of my worst Mexican experiences to date. What a waste of a good location. The food was somethin' awful and overpriced and we waited for over an hour even though we were one of maybe five tables. Completely agree with you!
Rene: I don't think the lack of good Mexican means Nola is a sub-par food city, it just means there hasn't been that much immigration from Mexico (until recently). You do have some great Vietnamese and pupusa places.
So far the best Mexican I've had in Nola came off of taco trucks.
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