One Sunday, after visiting the Mountain View Farmer's Market, we were looking for places to have lunch. We keep our Entertainment Book in the car, and found a coupon for La Fiesta Restaurant, just a few blocks' drive from the farmer's market. The restaurant has a special menu on Sunday: a champagne brunch for only $11.95. This was perfect, as our 2-for-1 coupon was for entrees up to $12.
Chicken Mole Omelette @ La Fiesta Restaurant
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Whenever we go out to eat at a Mexican restaurant, there's usually two things we eat to determine how good the place is: chicken mole and chile verde. I know, it's kind of unfair to use these two dishes as a benchmark, but we've found that if we like how a restaurant does these dishes, we'll like other dishes on the menu. Conversely, if these dishes are done poorly, we won't like any other dishes.
Annie got the Chicken Mole omelette. It was tender, braised chicken wrapped in an omelette shell and bathed in sweet mole sauce. Rice and beans are served on the side, along with tortillas (you get a choice of corn or flour but we find corn to have more flavor). Nice dish - lots of deep flavors but the sweetness stands out.
Chile Verde Omelette @ La Fiesta Restaurant
My Chile Verde Omelette was plated in the same manner - tender braised pork wrapped in an omelette shell and swimming in chile verde sauce. I have to say that both dishes were pretty tasty. We were quite satisfied by the time we got halfway through our plates, but it was hard to stop eating.
Cheese Quesadilla @ La Fiesta Restaurant
The kids' quesadilla was quite interesting. Normally a quesadilla would come plain on a plate, with the cheese on the inside. As you can see, this plate came with the quesadilla smothered in cheese, almost lost within the beans. A little harder to eat, especially for small ones, but the extra cheese was worth it.
Fresh-Made Sangria @ La Fiesta Restaurant
For drinks, Annie got a champagne while I went for the fresh-made sangria. It was pretty fruity, with watermelon and strawberry the foremost flavors.
Overall, I was quite happy with the meal. The service was a bit slow but the bathroom was very clean and the bill, with the use of the Entertainment coupon, made this lunch a value.
La Fiesta Restaurant
240 Villa Street
Mountain View, California 94041
Phone: (650) 968-1364
Sunday - Thursday 11am-930pm
Friday-Saturday 11am-1030pm
Aloha, Nate
19 Comments:
wow that's super value, hehe. I live the photo of the Sangria ;)
Though I haven't been there in ages, La Fiesta used to be a staple for me (back when it was half the size it is now). I see they still have Grandmas special chicken which is what I used to always order. I'll have to make a trip there soon. (and I'm also the one ordering the Chile Verde and basing my opinions on a Mexican restaurant on if that dish is good or not!)
I love a good mole sauce! So many mediocre Mexican restaurants will serve you dry chicken smothered in mole, thinking that the sauce will compensate for the overcooked chicken, so when you find a place that serves good mole AND tender chicken, that place is a keeper.
Now I'm really craving a sangria. Great macro shot of the garnish.
This looks pretty good. I am picky about my mexican food. I am always on the search for the most authentic. But mole and verde are great bench marks, for me another one is guacomole. If it is watery and over whipped I know this place just isn't up to my standard. This looks good.
Now I'm hungry for Mexican food. Guess I'll have to make it... The closest we get here is the French version of TexMex - interesting, but pretty unrecognizable as anything either Texan or Mexican...
Sangria, though... That will be next week when we're in Spain!
@noobcook - eating in Singapore, now *that's* value! heheh
@Mrs. L - glad we could stir up good taste memories for you!
@Jenster - thanks! I know what you mean about hiding dry chicken. It's just not pretty.
@Abby - authenticity is hard to find, and hard to define. Which region or state has the best incarnation of the dish? Which restaurant is most true to that region?
@katiez - aiyah, what would be the point of eating French-style Tex-Mex?
I always wondered how to spell 'aiyah'. Annie, or Nate, have you ever tried growing Holy Mole peppers? I just realized that what I thought were ancho turned dark brown and are the Holy Mole F1's that I thought had died. Heh. Gotta do something with em now.
@Robert - we just got the seeds but haven't planted them yet.
I do enjoy mexican food, although I haven't had any for a while. I liked the sound of that sangria, mmmm!
ps Your entry is up on the No Croutons Required September roundup, along with the voting poll.
Good Luck
:)
what a wonderful meal you guys have theer.Sorry to ask about Musubi.This is first time I heard of this product.Today I learn something new again.lol!I saw the photos of musubi you posted.It's musubi is a Japanese food or american-jap food?.
@Holler - thanks! I want to make another one.
@Beachlover - Musubi is a Japanese food. Spam musubi is a Japanese-Hawaiian invention.
this is one of my favorite mexican restaurants anywhere! now that i live in LA i don't get to go so often. there are good options down here in LA, but i really miss La Fiesta.
@Marni - it's nice to know that with so many options, you do have a favorite. What's your favorite dish there?
That looks like some good, rich mole sauce.
I have added your blog in to my US Mex Food site if you would like to reciprocate the link.
I'm just a little little bit late here, but I'll explain:
I'm a CA native now living in Raleigh, NC... I lived in Sunnyvale. My hubby, friends etc. loved the mole at La Fiesta... we miss it so much!
I'm sure it is classified as a Mole Negro, but to find a recipe that replicates that of La Fiesta, I would not know where to start. Since you've had it, and are cooks, maybe you could help steer me to a good recipe or tips or... anything!
I miss their mole, and figured it couldn't hurt to try asking here.
@highacidity - Try my friend Koko's Mole Negro de Oaxaca:
http://kokoscorner.typepad.com/mycorner/Oaxacan_Style_Mole.html
Thanks Annie!
Muchly appreciated... if this works out, I'll have a flock of other new North Carolinians flocking to my kitchen ;-)
*oops... I meant
Thank you, Nate!
-sheepish highacidity-
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