Restaurant Review: Autentica

Brian and I joined friend Bryan Hagen on Tuesday night at Autentica, voted "Best Mexican Food 2007" by CitySearch website.

The place is small and casual with a dining room decorated in a rustic terra cotta, framed pictures of Mexican bandits line the walls with a small bar and an open kitchen (it was fun to watch them cook).

The style of Mexican food served at Autentica is not your typical "American" Mexican food. Autentica's menu is inspired from the Guerrero region of Mexico near Acapulco, clean and true to that area. The menu clearly states that local ingredients are used throughout the menu, but it is a very different experience from any other Mexican restaurant in town (which is one of the reasons it was so packed on a Tuesday night).

The menu is broken down into five sections: Seafood Cocktails, Small Plates, Salads, Soups and Large Plates. Our meals started off with a complimentary small bowl of pickled vegetables, a combination of potatoes, carrots and cauliflower - served as a way to cleanse your palate while looking over the menu.

The guys had Mexican beer and I opted for the house margarita - pomegranate. Very good!

Brian and I looked to Bryan Hagen for help as he and his wife have been to Autentica before. Bryan is a real "foodie" so I knew he wouldn't steer us wrong.

We started out with two dishes from the Seafood Cocktail section:

Ceviche del Norte - large Mexican prawns cooked in epazote broth, mixed with habanero puree, onions, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro served on large saltine-like crackers for $13

Pulpo del Dia (which changes daily) - Octopus, charred with a wonderful sweet dark Mexican chile sauce served on a bed of rice for $12

They also brought us three small ramekins of "salsa" which we experimented with.

Both starters were fabulous and a great serving size for the price.

Our Large Plates were an eclectic mix:

Acarne a la plancha con frijoles charros y chiles toreados - cascade natural flat iron steak, cooked on the flat top with charro beans and serrano peppers for $18

Filete de bagre con chile macho - seared catfish filet over serrano and jalapeno chile sauce, served with lime beet salad for $18

Papas con mulato
russet potatoes simmered in a dark chile sauce with cojita cheese and crispy tortilla for $15

We all shared the large plates, but out of the three, I think B. Hagen's catfish pick was simply divine and cooked to perfection - served with a beet salad that was so unique that Bryan asked our server for the recipe (and he claims to not be a beet fan).

Brian's potatoes were interesting, but I found the whole dish lacking something - perhaps a hunk of meat on the side! My flat iron steak lacked seasoning although it was smothered in onions and surrounded by beans and cactus (which I thought were Mexican green beans) all of which were flavorful.

Homemade tortillas were also a nice added touch.

Our evening ended with a wonderful lemon tart accompanied by Kiwi fruit (I couldn't quite get that combination) - but the tart was lovely with a hint of coconut in the crust. They also have a nice selection of dessert tequilas (go figure). Bryan was tempted by the almond tequila which smelled and tasted unlike any tequila I've ever had.

All in all - a unique dining experience. I'd love to try more of the menu and also check out their weekend brunch.

Authentica Mexican Cuisine 5507 NE 30th Ave, Portland, OR 97211