I was invited to stop in at the newly opened La Contenta restaurant recently, serving authentic Mexican cuisine with a focus on chile peppers. Chef Luis Arce Mota uses about a dozen different ones in the restaurants.
Creative mixologist/partner Alex Valencia offers complex but perfectly balanced cocktails that include raicill
a and bancanora, alternative agave spirits, as well as traditional tequila and mezcal. Alex suggested I start with a prietoni ($15), his agave-alternative Mexican twist on the Negroni, made with raicilla, Campari and sweet vermouth, Akex explained that the drink’s bitterness works to stimulate the appetite. My friend instead, had the sweet/sour, citrusy Matador Noreño made with Sotol, pineapple, lemon, cilantro and a few drops house-made habañero bitters.
While sipping those interesting cocktails, we nibbled La Contenta’s freshly made chips and pungent salsa verde. They make that addictingly good fresh salsa simply by pureeing fresh tomatillos, cilantro and onions.
For appetizers, we had their warm shrimp cocktail — Coctel De Camarones — made as Chef Luis Arce Mota would have eaten for breakfast in his hometown of Mazatlán with the camarones cooked in a bonito and kelp broth infused with guajillo pepper, then served with pico de gallo and avocado ($11). Although my dining partner enjoyed it, I didn’t like the fishy flavor of the Tostada De Cangrejo ($10), a tortilla topped with celery root puree, chile de arbol, blue crab meat all topped with crispy kale ($10).
The Pollo En Mole Poblano, chicken mole, has layers of flavors from the extensive preparation. To start, the chef first confits the chicken legs in duck fat, shreds that meat and combines it with wild rice and regular rice for his “risotto.” He serves that under a braised then grilled chicken breast, all topped with his spicy mole sauce, with some sweet fried plantains to balance the spiciness. Don’t miss it ($18).
And my favorite is the Veracruz-style enchiladas, with shrimp cooked in a tomato-braise containing capers, olives and red pepper, inside a fresh tortilla, all topped with both poblano and smoky chipotle sauces and served with rice and re-fried black beans ($18).
After that I was just too pleasantly satiated to even sample another dish or dessert. I need to return to try more for sure.
– bonnie
La Contenta
102 Norfolk Street
(between Delancey & Rivington)
New York, NY
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