After yoga I slip into this lethargic trance during which almost nothing can unnerve me. So when Vicky Ortega, the gracious hostess at Chapulin, broke the news about the pending liquor license, I didn’t flinch. A beer might have edged me into a relaxation coma. Once I sampled the work of chefs and co-owners Don Hill and Dudley Nieto, however, I was shocked back into consciousness. This is the real thing: subtle, delightful Mexican cuisine.-Leah Eskin
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PICADITAS SURTIDAS Little cornmeal boats often set sail under the generic name “sopes,” consigned to mundane quick-snack duty. These reflagged picaditas are sheer delight; each flaky raft delivers an introduction to one of Chapulin’s signature sauces. The tomatillo is fresh and bright, chipotle smoky dark, cascabel a wondrous mystery as thick and alluring as a Raymond Chandler plot.
SOPA TARASCA Tortilla soup dressed to kill. Beans and tomatoes thicken the chicken stock into a velvety base, the perfect foil for the crunchy tortilla strips, sharp lime, sweet avocado, and indulgent cream strutting across the top.
