Rosario's North Awards

Rosario's North Restaurant Review:

At its original home in the King William Historic District, Rosario’s always seemed to skew closer to the Mex side of the Tex-Mex equation, a bias that continued when Lisa Wong opened her Northside location in 2014. It’s a bigger, brighter version of the original, but also less punishingly noisy. (There’s an outlet at the airport, as well.) That debut was the occasion of a tweaking of menus, and though they didn’t necessarily become more Mex-centric, certain dishes seem to suggest that a contemporary Mexican sensibility is at work. Thin slices of jícama enveloping fried shrimp with lime slaw and masa-battered sweetbreads with a smoky chile sauce are appetizer offerings that press the point. Parillas (grilled platters) and enchilada plates tend more toward the trend, but even here there are tweaks such as the parilla del jardin with its mix of grilled sweet potatoes, corn, cauliflower and more. In addition to trusty old favorites such as enchiladas verdes de pollo y elote and Angelica’s ceviche fino, there is also a chile relleno stuffed with a quinoa blend and topped with more vegetables and a tomato-chipotle sauce; it’s an unexpected winner. Pass on the fajitas and the overpriced margaritas, but do consider the luxurious, nutty bread pudding with cajeta and a fruit compote topping; it’s worth every centavo.