Never tasted cactus before?
Zocalo, at the corner of 36th and Lancaster streets, offers a superior menu of new and old Mexican dishes.
And the cactus salad is just the beginning.
As the trolley rumbles by, diners step off of Lancaster Avenue, just four blocks off campus, and into the brightly colored and well-furnished restaurant.
Enticing aromas permeate the entrance, thanks to fresh, warm tortillas rolling off a machine near the host stand.
Diners can either sit in one of the various indoor seating areas or, when the weather is nice, grab a seat on the covered outdoor patio.
But the real choices begin after being seated.
Zocalo's extensive menu offers a fresh and welcome alternative to the more mainstream -- and bland -- Mexican restaurants.
For starters, the Volcan ($7), essentially nachos, is a must.
While ordinary nachos are made by dousing a dollop of chips with fake cheese, Zocalo takes an alternate approach.
They begin by laying sour cream on top of salsa on top of cheese on top of beans on top of guacamole. Then they insert a ring of thick, crunchy chips in a circle around the filling. Chopped onions, carrots and corn are also mixed in.
Did I mention the guacamole is made fresh daily?
For another unique twist on a common appetizer, try the Empanadas de Queso ($8.50).
In this item, a crunchy but soft corn shell is filled with goat cheese and placed on a bed of mixed greens. Ribbons of thinned sour cream crisscross the treat to make it look especially inviting. An accompanying side dish of salsa should be used as a topping.
If you're really adventurous, move on to the Ensalada de Nopales ($8.50) -- a cactus salad.
The slimy treat, whose taste is similar to that of a portobello mushroom, has been removed of all needles and sliced into small pieces.
The cactus is topped with an escabeche, or vegetable mix, consisting of jalapenos, onions and carrots and sits atop field greens.
For a more filling dish try the Pechuga en Mole Poblano ($19).
In this dish the chicken is cooked to perfection and covered in a "classic mole from Puebla" -- or a traditional Mexican sauce. The mole is made with ancho, mulatto and passilla chiles and pumpkin and sesame seeds. The almonds, raisins and Mexican chocolate add a wonderful sweetness to the meal.
The item is served with red rice and refried pinto beans.
Those who have somehow saved their appetite for dessert should try the traditional flan ($4.75) or the "chocolate cactus" ($5.50), a brownie with nuts in the shape of cactus, served with ice cream and raspberry sauce.
For those 21 and over, a few of the 21 different flavors of tequilas are worth a try.
With reasonable prices and good food, chances are a first trip to Zocalo won't be the last. After all, there aren't many places in town that serve good cactus.
