Eating Mexican food in San Francisco wasn’t a high priority considering that country’s regional cuisine was already so abundant in Los Angeles. Still, trusted eaters regularly recommended Nopalito, a sustainable, organic Mexican restaurant from the owners of Nopa that opened in February 2009, so that popular stop ended up housing my final Bay Area meal of the summer.
Co-chefs José Ramos and Gonzalo Guzman change accompaniments seasonally, and source ingredients from a stable of sustainable Purveyors. That’s the primary selling point, along with a pretty tight menu of dishes that sometimes stray from tradition, but still capture the imagination of diners. They must, since it can’t be the decor that draws people in droves. The simple space on a side street NOrth of the PAnhandle features tables surrounding an open kitchen, a stainless steel door, a covered patio and little adornment.
Diners receive a complimentary cazuela filled with fried, spiced garbanzo beans.
Taco de Pescado al Pastor ($4.75) featured fresh pressed corn tortillas filled with flaky seared white fish lavished with ancho chile adobo that provided some smoky, lingering heat. The tacos were plain looking on the surface, but vibrant fillings included sweet orange, crunchy onion and cabbage, cilantro and a tangy, sweetish salsa of morita chilies and tomatillo. A squeeze of lemon and a dip in some late-to-the-party crema completed good, balanced bites.
Quesadilla Roja con Chicharron ($9) was another favorite plate, with thick corn tortillas that featured masa folded with earthy, mildly spicy mulato chile powder. That was a nice touch, and even better when combined with the fillings, including crispy pork belly, smoky cascabel chile salsa, molten Jack cheese, queso fresco, onion and cilantro.
Ceviche Verde de Pescado y Calamare ($10) arrived with thick corn chips, the first oddly chewy, the rest crispy. Rock cod and calamari bathed in lime juice, tomatillo, jalapeño and cilantro until they became tender, brightly acidic and refreshing. A fan of creamy fresh-shucked avocado covered the rest of the cazuela.
Nopalito’s Carnitas ($15) may be the only version that’s braised with Moonlight Death & Taxes. For 2.5 hours, the chunks of pork absorbed the toasty flavors of brewery founder Brian Hunt‘s toasty black lager, along with orange, bay leaf, milk, cinnamon, and of course pork fat. The crusty chunks with the juicy cores arrived with cabbage salad, pickled jalapeño and mild, tangy salsa de tomatillo, which all combined to form good albeit untraditional tacos.
Albondigas al Chilmole ($13) was the only dish that failed to satisfy. The loosely packed, grass fed beef meatballs arrived in a dark, earthy slurry of dried chiles, epazote, cumin, tomatillo and garlic. The rice was moist enough, and the pickled red onion packed some good tang, but ultimately, the Yucatan-inspired meatballs, the star of the dish, were unenjoyable.
Nopalitos – little cactus paddles – had to come into play at some point, and tender strips factored into our plate of Carne Asada con Nopales y Chorizo ($15). They plated charred skirt steak grilled a la plancha with nopalitos, sweeter pasilla chile, onion, crumbled chorizo, queso fresco and pico de gallo. This was the most straightforward of all the Nopalito dishes we tried, and though it was satisfying, it’s hard to imagine ordering such a simple dish again.
They offered a selection of mezcals and tequilas by the ounce, plus beers and wine, Mexican and otherwise. Bartender Neyah White helped develop Nopalito’s cocktail program when he was still at Nopa, so a cocktail seemed like a good idea.
My Mezcal Paloma ($9) was an aromatic, refreshing play on a Mexican classic, but with smoky Del Maguey Vida subbed in for tequila, along with grapefruit juice, served tall and garnished with peel.
They also had several aguas frescas, my choice being sweet tart hibiscus and Valencia orange ($3.50). Grapefruit piloncillo and almond horchata also sounded like interesting combos.
We bypassed paletas (strawberry and cinnamon-chocolate) and settled for a complimentary dish of tiny, basic almond cookies that they dusted with confectioner’s sugar.
In the U.S., it’s hard to imagine Mexican food getting better than it does in Los Angeles, but Nopalito helped to prove that there’s a passion for that kind of cuisine in the Bay Area, and even more, that further Mexican exploration is necessary in Northern California.
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