with egg and pepitas, and fried; cylindrical
polcanes look like pigs in a blanket but are filled with lima beans and steamed. In
escabeche de pavo,
turkey is rubbed with allspice, two kinds of pepper, and cinnamon,
braised, then served with pickled red onions. Perhaps the national
bird’s finest moment is in Mi Lindo’s
relleno negro. Made with
chilies that are toasted until they’re burnt, plus tender white and
dark meat swimming in ink-black broth, the dish is so flavorful and so
complex, it could reduce a sauce-proud French chef to tears.
401 Valencia St. (at 15th St.), S.F., 415-861-4935
MI LINDO YUCATAN IIBiografía:
Husband-and-wife owners Jorge Gongora and Soledad Pacheco are both
natives of Oxkutzcab. In 1984, Gongora began cooking at the now defunct
Julie’s Supper Club. After 20 years in other people’s kitchens, he got
one of his own when he and Benny Huerta opened this Noe Valley branch
of Mi Lindo Yucatan in 2004.
Atmósfera: The posh Noe Valley
offshoot looks like its Mission progenitor after an appointment with a
personal shopper. Fiesta-ware bowls and plates mimic the restaurant’s
bright fuchsia-and-blue palette, and a sculpture of a Mayan ruin sits
on the counter. This being Noe Valley, count on plenty of strollers.
Especialidades: Yucatán’s breakfast of champions,
huevos motuleños—tostadas
slathered with whole black beans, then topped with fried eggs and a mix
of ham, tomato, and peas—is a menu staple. Fixtures also include such
classic dishes as
panuchos, puffed-up tortillas filled with black beans and topped with lettuce, avocado, and a choice of chicken, turkey, or pork; and
cochinita pibil,
a flavorful braise of pork cooked with banana leaves and achiote paste.
Pay attention to the specials, as Gongora is unafraid to tweak
tradition: His blueberry
tamal with chili-infused cream sauce has been known to draw diners back multiple times in a single week.
4042 24th St. (bet. Castro and Noe Sts.), S.F., 415-826-3942
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