Xilantro: Upscale Mexican in a Futuristic Setting

I've been to Mexico numerous times and been an inhabitant of US cities with a significant Hispanic population (San Francisco and Chicago) for long periods of my life. I love Mexican food. What I find so remarkable about Mexican food is that it is so flavorful, fresh and generally, inexpensive. One of the best things I have ever eaten in my life is a pork torta with black bean puree, pickled onions and mayo from a cart I came across while exploring. It cost 2 dollars.

The spotless taco trucks you find parked in the Mission area of San Francisco and the abundant taquerias all over the different neighborhoods of Chicago all offer tasty, cheap Mexican food at any time of night. On the other end of the spectrum, there are restaurants like Frontera Grill in Chicago and Distrito in Philadelphia that feature menus with upscale Mexican cuisine. 

Xilantro in Wayne strives to to be more like Frontera Grill and Distrito while offering more polished versions of the same items you would find at a taqueria. We arrived on a busy Friday night and the restaurant was packed. We arrived a bit early for our reservation and were told to wait a few moments but then were seated anyway. 

We began with the guacamole and chips which came in a molcajete (Mexican mortar and pestle) which added an air of authenticity. The deep gray pock marked lava stone bowl had a mountain of bright green guacamole which had a pleasing texture but was a tad under seasoned. The chips were quite addictive though.

The trio of ceviches was disappointing. None of the fish appeared to have cured in the acidic marinade long enough so it tasted like we were just eating raw fish. 

My friend enjoyed her post-gym ice water and I ordered the "skinny girl" margarita which is made with tequila, agave nectar and lime juice. I chose the skinny girl because it is made without any orange (triple sec and cointreau are both made with orange peels) as I am allergic. However, somewhere along the line, some sort of orange element was added to the margarita and I became itchy all over my arms and thighs which was unpleasant.

We ordered the beef enchiladas and the chicken mole as our entrees. The enchiladas were delicious-- hearty, full of flavor and perfectly seasoned. The beef was a bit on the fatty side but that would be my only complaint. The black bean puree and  fluffy rice were great sides to this dish. The raw onion garnish was a bit aggressive. 

The chicken mole was on the smaller side and the dominant flavor of the mole was chocolate. As a former cook, I understand that making mole is a labor of love with as many as 20-30 ingredients involved in the process. I worked at a restaurant with a rabbit mole over polenta which was fantastic but such a chore to make. A well-made mole is a myriad of complex flavors that meld together to create something so much greater than each individual component. This mole was more one-dimensional than I would have liked. The chicken was tender and well cooked though and the sides were identical to the enchiladas. Of the two dishes I would say the enchiladas were the clear winner.

The service is excellent. Everyone is so friendly and attentive from the moment you set foot in the space. We didn't have to wait very much for anything whether it be our table, food or our check.  A small crowd of people checked in on us every step of the way to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and that everything was alright. 

The decor is very reminiscent of Pod restaurant in University city and the Pinkberry yogurt shops. You are inundated by bright fluorescent green as soon as you enter the restaurant. There is a stark contrast between gleaming white and insanely bright green happening all over the eatery. The tables are close together, the room becomes extremely loud when the dining room is full and there is a constant buzz to the place. There is a burgeoning "scene" at the tequila bar with both singles and married couples blowing off steam after a long work week. I appreciated the energy of the restaurant but know that my mother would find the noise deafening.

Xilantro is upscale to say the least (our modest dinner was over 80 dollars without tip). The decor and acoustics seem more suited to a younger crowd and the menu offers some tasty dishes. The service is excellent but there are still some hiccups which are natural considering this restaurant just opened. Some underseasoned food and some off balance dishes can be worked out but an allergy mishap should never happen. The onslaught of fussy eaters acting as allergy-posers may have resulted in a lax attitude but that is detrimental to those of us who do indeed have a real allergy. I would give this place some time to work out the kinks before heading there.