1.31.2010

Elote Cafe - Sedona, Arizona

771 HWY 179
Sedona, AZ 86339
928.203.0105
www.elotecafe.com

What to do in Arizona???? Sedona always comes across one's mind for a beautiful and very scenic day trip or an overnight stay. After consulting various sources of where to eat, the consensus seemed to be Elote Cafe. Elote Cafe serves Mexican food that Chef Jeff Smedstad has learned in his travels throughout Mexico. The restaurant focuses on fresh, local, and sustainable. Always a plus!!!

Chips and salsa
The chips were nicely salted and were pretty standard. The salsa on the other hand, although fresh was severely under-spiced. I found myself dousing this salsa with the hot sauce provided on the table. 

Elote - Fire roasted corn with spicy mayo, lime and cotija cheese - 6.50
This dish reminded me of those Mexican corn cart vendors. These vendors roam around the streets, selling corn on the cob with all the fixin's you could desire. The same components are used in these carts as Elote's version, but instead Elote's is off the cob. The mayo and the cotija cheese impart a creaminess to this dish, while those same components with the lime give off an acidic tang and saltiness. With the sweetness of the corn and the tang, saltiness, and creaminess, all the components came together to create a tasty dish.


Cuitlacoche - Corn Soup - sweet corn and Mexican corn truffle soup - 8
This was one of my favorite courses of the night. The soup was silky and smooth and tasted of real corn and with the addition of truffle, which was definitely present, was just the right touch to make this soup even more luxurious. I wanted to pick up my plate and lick it clean.


Carne Asada - Grilled Vintage Farms skirt steak with guajillo sauce, Shaft blue cheese, avocado and rajas - 18.50
Blue cheese lovers rejoice!!! This is the dish for you!! I, unfortunately, like blue cheese, but don't love it. The Vintage Farms skirt steak was nicely grilled and tender for skirt steak. The avocados and the blue cheese added a creaminess that helped to balance out the spice of the guajillo sauce and the pico de gallo. I enjoyed this dish but could definitely see a blue cheese lover loving this dish.


Pepita Snapper - pumpkin seed crusted wild pacific snapper with roasted corn salsa pumpkin seed crema with guacamole - 18
The other winner of the night was the pepita crusted snapper. As opposed to the usual breading of flour or bread crumbs, the chef used pepita seeds to encrust this beautiful piece of snapper. Despite either being pan-fried or deep fried, this dish still felt light. The use of various textures and flavors really pleased the palate. I loved the creaminess of the guacamole, the freshness, spice, and sweetness of the corn salsa, and flavor of the pumpkin seed crema. Loved every aspect of this dish.


Puerco en Cascabel - slow roasted all natural pork w/ cascabel sauce & homeade queso oaxaca - 17
A couple friends were with us at Elote Cafe and here is one of there dishes. Had a taste of it, but don't remember much about it. 


Carnitas - slow roasted all natural pork served with guacamole, pico de gallo and arbol salsa - 17
Another picture from a friend's dish. Can't comment on this dish either. 


Rice and Beans
Usually not a big fan of rice and beans, I actually enjoyed these quite a big. A perfect complement to the various dishes we had for dinner. 



For all my readers out there. The whole 2 of you out there (this would be including myself). See if you can figure out this riddle? Figure it out yet??? Answer down below.

I'll give you a hint if you haven't figured it out yet. It has to do with the name of the restaurant. Translate the name of the restaurant to English and you shall have your answer and a high five from me.

When in Sedona, go to Elote Cafe. Simple as that. I am usually against eating Mexican cuisine that is priced higher than $5 to $10, because most of the time I usually don't find the food worth paying more than that and I can easily get a cheap Mexican meal. Elote Cafe is the exception to past experiences. Fresh, seasonal, inventive, and delicious. This is definitely the place to go to when in Sedona.

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