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Not just red vs. green.
LOS MAYAS
409 West Water St.,
986-9930
Last summer I had my first agave wine margarita on the patio here at Los Mayas, a mahvelous little Mexican restaurant on Water Street. It was damned refreshing-and I wasn't drunk after three of them. Don't turn your nose up at agave wine. It's really not bad at all. You know what else isn't so bad? The food here at Los Mayas. Yes, everybody raves about the award-winning
chile en nogada
($12.95)-a poblano pepper stuffed with two kinds of meat and nuts, topped with pomegranate seeds and a lusciously creamy sauce. You know why? Because it's really freakin' good! $-$$
PACHANGA
416 Agua Fria St., 988-5991
The vibe here is lighthearted and fun, influenced perhaps by the spirit of the food, which is largely the same. Chef and owner Fernando Olea knows exactly how to dish up a quick and tasty plate of something that will go down very nicely with a cold beer. But he isn't afraid to branch out a bit, with ingredients like
huitlacoche
(also known as corn smut). Look for this festive joint to really get hopping on April 15, when they'll be serving martinis and party food out on the patio (weather permitting). $-$$
MARISCOS LA PLAYA
537 Cordova Road, 982-2790
You may have noticed that the Mariscos restaurant on Cerrillos is now called Mariscos Costa Azul. You may have had a panic attack and almost wrecked your car because you were so afraid some strange new people had moved in and taken over one of your favorite restaurants. There, there, now. Calm down. I got the scoop and it's good news. According to an inside source, the two Mariscos were owned jointly by cousins who decided to separate. They're each still running the restaurants they were running before, so any changes we see should be minimal. Now go getcha some
vuelva la vida
and relax. $-$$
Send your ideas for monthly food listings to: food@sfreporter.com.
