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The house margarita at Cuchara is made with dry orange Curacao and piloncillo syrup. Photo by Alison Cook
It hasn't even been open for two weeks yet, but I'm already keenly interested in Cuchara, the stylish new interior Mexican restaurant at the corner of Fairview and Taft. The self-styled "Mexico City bistro" would be worth a visit for the handsome industrial interior alone. Designed by Jim Herd's Collaborative Projects (they did Underbelly and Haven, too), the space is galvanized by the fierce, cartoony murals of Cecilia Beaven.
This Mexico City-based artist is the sister of Cuchara co-owner Ana Beaven, and she's a treasure. The more I gazed at those murals — one of which flies high overhead in the bar area — the more I saw, and the more entertained I was by their energetic wit.
The same thing happened as I sampled the agave cocktail menu put together by Chris Frankel, formerly of Anvil and Underbelly, who is working behind the bar and training staff in these early weeks of the restaurant's life as part of his consulting gig.
A striking Cecilia Beaven mural defines the clean industrial spaces of the new Cuchara interior Mexican restaurant. Photo by Alison Cook
Chairs at the bar at Cuchara interior Mexican restaurant, on Fairview at Taft in Montrose. Photo by Alison Cook
The Bandido cocktail at Cuchara, with Sotol, lemon, chia seeds & Pimm's #1. Photo by Alison Cook
Frankel is one of the few mixologists who can coax me out of my cocktail comfort zone and get me to appreciate sweetness in my drinks. It's all about the balance he achieves in cocktails like Cuchara's house Margarita, in which the regulation fresh lime juice and Espolon Blanco tequila are mellowed by a piloncillo sugar syrup that adds a burnished warmth to the drink. Instead of the usual Triple Sec, there's a dash of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaḉao.
No, no, no, that that sickly-sweet blue stuff: we're talking an antique version of Curaḉao that's more like an orange brandy with a dry and slightly bitter finish. It helps make Cuchara's Margarita both fascinating and familiar. I ordered my Margarita straight up and liked it that way, but it's usually served on the rocks here, with a fresh lime garnish.
Way less familiar is Frankel's Bandido cocktail based on Sotol, which is distilled from a wild agave native to Chihuahua state. Frankel adds lemon juice, gelatinous little chia seeds (they're reminiscent of the basil seeds that float in some Chinatown drinks) and a float of Pimm's #1 Cup to produce his homage to Iskiate, the chia frescabeverage of Chihuahua's Tarahumara people.
Again I found myself appreciating a cocktail that's sweeter than I normally like, because of its interesting balance of flavors. The herbal notes in the Pimm's seemed to pick up the vegetal flavors of the Sotol, and the bouncy little chia seeds made me laugh out loud. That can be a good thing in a cocktail. Like those Cecilia Beaven murals, this drink had energy and wit.
Tacos of cheese with jamaica flower at Cuchara. Photo by Alison Cook
Ceiling mural over the bar area at Cuchara. Photo by Alison Cook
But what about the food? The tightly edited menu looks interesting enough that even though I was headed for dinner elsewhere, I immediately wanted to sample it from top to bottom. Botanas (or appetizers), salads and soups run from $6 to $10. Grit your teeth, Tex-Mex diehards, because a trio of salsas — from tomatillo served with peanuts to a five-chile version served with pork rinds to burnt-arbol-skin salsa served with tortilla "crackers" — goes for six bucks. Cuchara isn't a gratis chips-and-salsa sort of place, and they make their Mexico City slant abundantly clear starting with the outdoor signage.
I loved my small plate of deep-fried taquitos, little flour tortillas rolled around a molten cream-style cheese tinted purplish with dried jamaica flowers, like the ones you'd use to brew hibiscus tea, or perhaps an agua fresca. With their subtle floral filling and brittle, pastry-like crusts, the tacos were interesting enough not to really need a dunk in the good red salsa that came alongside. They worked as well with the cocktails as they would with the brief selection of wines by the glass or Mexican beers.
Cuchara's half dozen entrees range from $14 to $20, and one that caught my eye was the vegetarian-friendly grilled cactus pad (er, cactus "filet") stuffed with panela cheese on a bed of house salsa, served with grilled green onions. I want that. I want the pork mole verde, too, with its side of white corn puree; and the mixiote of shrimp steamed in a maguey packet with guacamole; and the snapper Veracruzana on a base of crisped plantain and amaranth grains,
The esquites of white corn kernels with epazote, lime, oregano and manzanao pepper sounded good to me, too, as did the entire lineup of tropical ice creams and sorbets. Nieve de guanábana? Yes, please.
The bar at Cuchara, the new interior Mexican restaurant on Fairview at Taft. Photo by Alison Cook
So I'm crossing my fingers, hard, and waiting eagerly to return when Cuchara has had a chance to get some practice. Houston can use more thoughtful, modern Mexican cuisine to flesh out our rich Texas-to-Mexico culinary spectrum. With the advent of restaurants like La Fisheria and Cuchara, it looks like we're starting to get it.
Cuchara: 214 Fairview at Taft, 713-557-2608. Hours: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday—Thursday; 5 p.m.—11 p.m. Friday & Saturday 5 p.m. —11 p.m.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
Sounds great but do they actually spoon you when served??
lol, thank you for making my day.
ANOTHER loushy pick by alison cook , and the chairs in the bar look very uncomfortable. But cause it weird and not typical is why she likes it.
What's loushy [sic] about it? The food looks pretty good to me. Or was it just the chairs that you object to?
So you know the pick is lousy despite never having tried the place. That omniscience sure must come in handy. And the chairs look uncomfortable compared to what? The ones you selected for your own restaurant? Having never put your own money where your mouth is makes you more than willing to shoot it off.
Places like this are "weird" and "not typical" to some people. Small-minded people who don't get around much.
I totally agree about the bar stools/chairs, totally "shorts unfriendly" and this is Houston. My wife would not want to park her fine buns on those and I wouldn't want her to either! Looks like Allison pulled the trigger on this spot before it was ready to be seen, heard, felt, smelt and tasted. I'm just sayin'
lets sit on the chairs before we post "chairs look unconfortable".... people just looking for any reason to complain, geesh.
It's like rolling dice with her recommendations. Might as well go in an try it yourself. Allison Cook: russian roulette food experimenter (critic is a little too esteemed) or chron's food blogger.
Those bar stools don't look very "shorts friendly". My wife would not want to plop her fine buns on those, nor would I.
so stay home. more room for me!
Your comment is just rude\and unprofessional Allison. How can I take your recommendations seriously? You can criticize but not be criticized?
I was teasing, Hyped. I guess I should have appended a ;-) to my comment.
"You can criticize but not be criticized?"
Seems she's responding to rude, personal criticism, not differences in opinion about the restaurant.
So, others can insult her and diss her reviews, but she's rude for responding?
The weirder the more Allison raves about it. The article rambled on about the "cocktails" and then gave minimal review of the "food." Get with it and give us some good reviews on RESTAURANTS...
BTW-This CAPTCHA is a royal pain in the....
Get it Right, ironically, you're wrong. I said specifically that I was going to dinner elsewhere. I was at Cuchara to do a preview of the cocktail menu, which is really special; and to try an appetizer and get the feel of the place. I think I did so. The full review will come later, after at least three visits and a full sampling of the menu. You may not understand this, "Get it Right," but it is irresponsible to review a restaurant that has been open less than 2 weeks. You can do a snapshot preview and that's about it. Which is what I did.
Ah, Allison, "Got It Right" is just jealous you found it first.
I don't eat out much but I always enjoy your reviews--they make me feel like I've just had an interesting meal at some great restaurant. Keep up the good work!
The place is awesome. I went the first night and it was delicious. The chairs are ok. If you are wearing shorts you should go to a cheap taqueria, not a good restaurant
Alison, Keep up the good work; you've rarely steered me wrong. Unlike some of the trolls who freak out over the idea of eating anywhere that isn't a steakhouse, tex-mex, or a chain (that isn't "weird"), we love and appreciate the depth of variety and diversity found in the Houston restaurant scene.
We've tried and fell in love with many places thanks to your reviews that we may never have discovered otherwise. Frankly, I'm bored with the folks who keep posting to your reviews claiming how bad you are. Really? Then why are they here in the first place? Trolls.
Advice to the haters: All food critics are not created equally. There are dozens who publish in Houston. Find one whose tastes closely match your own. You'll discover this quickly after trying a few of their recommendations. If they are not a match, move on, until you find one that you trust. Meanwhile, stop being an ass by coming to this site to make rude and immature comments about a critic whose taste you claim to already disagree with; you just come off as a jerk. You know who you are.
Looking forward to trying Cuchara!
I totally agree with Jonlaz!!!
Try chow.com for other Houston reviews.
Amen and well said! Thank you Jonlaz.
Cant wait to go..drive by often..wish it were open for lunch..the murals are terrific..
Has it really come down to b**ching about barstools in which you have never even sat? What sad little lives you must lead to pick that out and focus on it.
well, looks like another one of those artsy-fartsy places with a pretty plate and nothing to eat on it, for high $$.
The decor does not inspire me to eat there.
Sammie Jo -- "The decor does not inspire me to eat there." Why is that? Do you plan on eating the chairs, the murals or other elements of the decor? What an interesting diet you must have.
Agree, the chairs look uncomfortable. Guess, okay for those wearing pants.
I haven't been to this restaurant yet, but I hear from those who have, that it is fantastic! One really shouldn't be commenting on the place if you do not have personal knowledge of the place! I love the artwork!
I stopped reading this when she said Fisheria was good. I disagree again. Cuchara is very good, why compare to Fisheria? She seems to be in love with Fisheria
kenny if u knew anything about rest biz. Bar stools must be comfortable or at least padded, your goal is to keep guest at the bar spending $! And by the looks of the the food presentation is amateurish, which means sloppy looking for you kenny.
I know what I like and what I don't like, and the precision of Alison Cook's reviews always gives me a clear idea of whether a restaurant is a place I want to try or not. As usual, this review gives me a ton of information about Cuchara.
All you haters should be thanking Ms. Cook for telling you enough about this place to know that you won't want to try it. She can't spend all her time reviewing Olive Garden and Landry's.
I found the food very authentic and the service excellent. They are currently not taking reservations considering this is their soft-opening. I arrived with a group of 7 and had to wait an hour to be seated but assume this isn't the norm considering the size of my party. The great part is they have a bar you can get drinks from while you are waiting. The owner came by and spoke to us briefly and our waitress was very sweet and attentive. Apparently the chef is from Veracruz, I recommend the quesadillas de huitlacoche(corn fungus quesadillas) and the mole verde is by far the best mole verde I have ever eaten in Houston. This place is VERY Mexico City, even the interior looks like it belongs in La Condesa.Glad to have something like this in town.
You had me at quesadillas de huitlacoche! It's now on my list to try this week.
I don't know about this one. I went there for the first time last week and the place was very sharp. I agree about the chairs. They would look great outside. But the sharpness feel of the place does not help when the chairs are metal and patio furniture. I tried the Sotol cocktail. I love Sotol, it'a a spirit that seems to be making more appearances now. I didn't like the drink at all. It was too sweet and just lacked charater. The sevice was very pushy, and they all stood bored in one area. Very odd. But more than anything, I find it appalling that Cook would fail to mention Hugo's as a main fixture in this great town! Hugo's is the staple restaurant that continues to educate people on what Mexican food really is. La Fisheria? Really? No comment on that place...
Appalling? Really? Because I noted that more contemporary interior Mexican restaurants were opening in town and cited La Fisheria as an example along with Cuchara? Hugo's is wonderful, and it has been open for ten years now, and it was my number four restaurant on my recent Top 100 list. It's not part of this recent wave, which also included Concepcion until chef Jonathan Jones left.I don't understand your complaint, given my record of coverage of Hugo's.
Can't wait to try the place. I'll give those seats a shot. Just keep the margaritas or Bandidos going and I'll put down a ton of food.
Thanks Alison
For all those haters, how can you complain and criticize a place if you have not even been there?
I was luck to go to Cucaracha this past Friday and I was pleasantly surprise. We sat in the bar chairs while we had some yummy drinks, Bandito was my favorite, and the chairs are just fine.
Now, we order some appetizers and of course the chips and 3 salsas. We had the picaditas, and the huitlacoche quesadillas, both super yummy. The pork rinds salsa was amazing!!!
For main course, I had the green pork mole, and it was fabulous, great taste, good size portion and with such an authentic flavor, made me thing about home (Mexico).
This place is not Tex-Mex, so don't expect your typical dishes covered with cheese. This is modern authentic Mexican cuisine.
Didn't this place used to be a sandwich restaurant awhile back. At any rate, don't judge a place by its barstools. The wife with the fine buns can sit comfortably in shorts there but she'll have pressed ham with grill marks when she leaves.
[rim shot]
I will come to Alisons rescue because I am so chivalrous!! I can say I do NOT always agree with her reviews but she has turned me on to some great places to eat so in my humble foodie opinion she is doing good work. I tend to like simple, good, fresh, interesting and unpretentious.
Alison, I'll have to say I love how you can put some of these people in their place. It's clear that everything you include in your reviews is your opinion - what's so difficult for anyone to understand about that? Geesh. If you don't like Alison's reviews, then stop reading them. If you don't agree, that's fine and I'm sure she loves to read about it, but don't try to come off as knowing more about the quality of a culinary and/or beverage experience. I can assure you that she has a broader perspective that just about anyone commenting.
Hopeful that this new place can overcome some problems. It is deafening to begin with, and has little if any flexibility on the menu. Unfortunately, I am allergic to dairy and minimize corn, flour and refined carbs. I had few options, unfortunately. I realize that it is probably crazy to have these expectations of a Mexican restaurant, but others successfully accommodate me.
I don't know about the bar stools but the food was great! I ate there Saturday, tried 5 of the 6 cocktails and was pleasantly delighted. If someone wants fajitas, queso, guac and burritos; go eslewhere. This is the kind of place where you find someone's abuelita working in the back. The food was absolutely STELLAR. I had the chicharron, which I'm not really a fan of in general- it was ok, 3 salsas - pretty great, pollo adriana and a side of the corn puree - absolutely fantastic (I hate the word phenomenal). Then we had the bunuelos, ice creams, and coffee. Totally in love with this place. The flavors were on point and unlike anything I've had in Houston. Btw, my family is from various parts of Veracruz. This food is legit!
I am consistently amazed by the negative comments posted here from those who have never set foot in the place. If you have a personal experience with the restaurant ...love to hear it. Otherwise ...shut up. I come here to get a peek at new ideas ...trends, maybe, to learn a little about the place before I try it. Or not, but to offer an opinion otherwise is wasting your time and anyone else's whose interest is in supporting Houston's thriving restaurant industry. Your opinion is worthless if you haven't been there or haven't any experience with the designers, owners, staff. Just move on.
Went again this last Friday before their grand opening party and sat in the bar for a couple of drinks and desserts. The chairs are actually comfortable.
for all those complaining about the chairs…go sit on the couch or the other "standard" chairs. They got some of those too. Reference photo with the wire chair and look in the top left corner…sit your precious buns there.
Heading there tonight to give it a try and I am very excited!