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Loco Lizard Has a Way With Moles | |
| By Anne Wilson -- Special To The Tribune | 07/06/2001 | |
| KIMBALL JUNCTION -- If sushi chefs are judged by their roll, perhaps Mexican chefs should live or die by whether their mole has soul. Mole, pronounced moh-lay (OK, so it doesn't rhyme with soul), is a rich, spicy sauce that is often made with enough chocolate to add color and richness without too much sweetness. But chocolate is not a requisite ingredient; good cooks can concoct a quality mole with whatever happens to be in the kitchen. The only requirement is layered ingredients that create a complex and mysterious flavor, what you might call the soul of a mole, if you wanted to exercise some literary license. There is such a mole at a strip mall in Kimball Junction, in a place called Loco Lizard, a family-friendly Mexican cantina. The food is good and reasonably priced, with non-traditional touches -- such as rellenos that are baked, not fried, saving calories but sacrificing that classic flavor. Casual is the rule at Loco Lizard, an L-shaped space whose compact tables can feel a bit crowded. The shaded patio is a pleasant place to sip a specialty margarita and watch children flirt with a small fountain that contributes soothing background sound. Heaters can be wheeled tableside to ward off the mountain chill. Loco Lizard is co-owned by Steve Shluker, one of the original partners in Red Rock Brewing Co., and chef Chuck Isdle, a transplanted Californian who has been cooking professionally for 20 years but until now hasn't had the opportunity to design his own menu. The moles are Isdle's own wonderfully complex creations. The smoky poblano is darkened with chocolate; the yellow amarillo gets its slow burn from habenero and serrano peppers. Isdle provides interested diners a list of mole ingredients, some of them downright shocking. Included in the 23 ingredients that comprise his mole amarillo, for example, are toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds, bananas, raisins, cinnamon and allspice. They all play a role in romancing the boneless chicken pieces that simmer in the sauce, which should be soaked up with the housemade flour tortillas served on the side ($13.99). Customers considering mole amarillo can sample it in advance, to make sure they can take the heat. (Once you eat it, you understand why hot food is valued as a coolant in warm climes.) The mole poblano also comes with chicken and tortillas ($13.99) or as a sauce for enchiladas ($11.99). Either way, it is a flavor bomb. Not everything on the lengthy menu is so rich and spicy. Fish tacos ($10.99), served in flour tortillas with either salmon or mahi, are garnished with cabbage, pico de gallo, guacamole and a chipotle pepper-flavored sauce that is mild but flavorful. Carne asada, slices of grilled steak, is another good choice, served with tortillas, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream ($11.99). There is a wealth of seafood on the menu. Sauteed shrimp served in a creamy orange sauce is deliciously seasoned with smoky chipotle peppers ($14.99). The black beans that came with it were juicy and well-seasoned, but the veggie-studded rice was bland. Seafood enchiladas ($11.99) hold a wealth of crab, shrimp and mushrooms and taste deliciously of their corn tortillas. The seafood relleno ($12.99), on the other hand, lacked a certain zing that traditionalists will be tempted to blame on the fact the chile is baked. Isdle prefers baking as a quality control measure and because his customers appreciate that it is better for them. The menu is rounded out with burritos, chimichangas, several salads and combination dinners. For vegetarians, Isdle offers a wild mushroom tamale (three for $7.99) and a combination dinner with a meatless enchilada, guacamole taco and mushroom tamale with tomato cream sauce with rice and beans ($10.99). By the way, don't skip the tortilla chips and salsa, which are made in house and taste like it. Service at Loco Lizard is relaxed and friendly, but was paced well and efficient on both our visits. If you want more salt on your Cadillac margarita, just ask for it. (Is that skimpy salt another health thing?) Appreciate the small glasses used for margaritas -- it indicates a rational ratio of tequila to mix. For all its casual atmosphere, Loco Lizard offers some specialty dishes that won't be found in every cantina. While Salt Lake City offers its own wealth of good Mexican restaurants, the Kimball Junction neighborhood offers limited choices for quality dining. Loco Lizard is one of the best. Loco Lizard Kimball Plaza at Kimball Junction, Park City; (435) 645-7000 Hours: Daily, 11:30 a.m. till close Prices: Entrees from $7 to $17 Liquor: Yes Reservations: Large parties only Child's Menu: Yes Takeout: Yes Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Outdoor Dining: Yes Parking: On site lot Credit Cards: All major Anne Wilson is The Tribune's restaurant reviewer. The newspaper covers the cost of meals at restaurants reviewed and there is no connection between reviews and restaurant advertising. Wilson welcomes food and wine news, comments and suggestions at wilwrite99@aol.com. |
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