You can get many of the same flavors quite satisfactorily in burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas — all with vegetarian options as well. Our vegetarian guest did a create-your-own quesadilla ($6.95 one add-in/$8.25 for two), specifying pinto beans. With some fresh pico de gallo (rough-chopped salsa here) and guacamole, it was a delightful if predictable platter.
However, getting into more-authentic dishes was somewhat discouraging. Legumbres en pipian ($10.95) was a vegetable stew of the same mixture as the grilled-vegetable salad, but the pipian was a travesty of the real Oaxaca pumpkin-seed sauce: granular, too sour, unspiced, and barely edible. The prized dish of the Yucatán is Cochinita Pibil ($11.95): shredded braised pork in an incendiary mix of sour-orange and chili flavors, traditionally marinated, wrapped in leaves, and baked. The version at Zócalo wouldn’t pass even in Cancun — it’s just hot shredded pork, saved only by the rice and beans. Camarones al Mojo de Ajo ($13.95) sounds safe, and the portion is plentiful medium shrimp, but the tomato-chili sauce overwhelms the garlic.
Drinks are a better picture, with a number of bottled Mexican beers and canned fruit nectars. Sangria comes red, white, and even mango, and a half-liter of mango ($11) was fine for three of us. It was a typical sangria served with a cinnamon stick in each glass, and it had an unusual warm, mango flavor in the middle of the orange start and red-wine finish. Decaf coffee ($2) was excellent, apparently fresh brewed.
Given the attractive surroundings and excellent service, you’ll want to linger, but there are only two desserts. Vanilla flan ($4.95) was grainy and a little tough on both visits, but flan is always welcome. Olé bread pudding ($5.50) was a scoop of chocolate bread pudding, rather like fallen chocolate cake, with a choice of raspberry or mango sauces. Get the mango.
Service was stellar on two uncrowded weeknights. The extra touches, such as the tableside garnishes and guacamole, are hard to find at any level these days. The rooms were refinished from the Istanbul, with only a couple of seraglio lamps to remind us, and redone in well-chosen Mexican crafts. What looks like a windowed display to the back of the restaurant is actually a little store selling most of the same décor items. Parking inside the building can be arranged. The management intends to restore a valet-parking license that lapsed.
Zócalo Cocina Mexicana | 1414 Comm Ave, Brighton | Open daily 5-11 pm | AE, DI, MC, VI | Beer and wine | Sidewalk-level access to bar; one step down to most tables. Parking by arrangement inside until valet license restored | 617-277-5700
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Robert Nadeau: RobtNadeau@aol.com
