Photo credit: Jean-Gabriel Fernandez
The recipes at Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant (2317 S. Howell Ave.) are prepared from recipes of the married couple who have owned it since 2007 (at its current Howell Avenue location since 2013). As with many local Mexican restaurants, Guanajuato offers breakfast items throughout the day, including a hearty huevos rancheros, a marvelous steak and chilaquiles. Sometimes described as Mexican hash browns, chilaquiles are softened, fried tortilla chips, here drenched in salsa roja and topped with white cheese. The skirt steak is served alongside customary refried beans and seasoned rice, as well as a side of sour cream. It's an impressive panoply of textures and flavors.
In the mood for dessert any time of day? Guanajuato's chocoflan makes for a temptation worth the caloric splurge. It's a dual-layered confection, its top white and creamy with a chocolaty bottom looking like dense cake, but hitting the tongue with a heavy, moist consistency approaching that of pudding. Other little things make Guanajuato special, such as a lime slice substituting for lemon in its unsweetened iced tea, or the coriander in the guacamole. In a crowded field on a side of town, where competition for Mexican dining dollars is plentiful, Guanajuato truly stands out.
