A love of all things Latin American, including salsa dancing
Mark Laba
Province
Zocalo owner and chef Tanya Shklanka presides behind the Day of the Dead bar in her restaurant. Photograph by : Nick Procaylo, The Province
REVIEW
ZOCALO
Where: 2515 Main St., Vancouver
Payment/reservations: Major credit cards, 604-677-3521
Drinks: Fully licensed
Hours: Tues.-Sat., 5 p.m.-late; Mon., 9 p.m.-late; closed Sun.
North Americans have their shopping malls, Mexicans have their zocalos. Both are places where folks gather to meet and hang out, although one doesn’t have a Sock World nor does the other have a local police force that appears to be no older than 16, carrying machine guns and eating ice cream. At least, that was the scene at the town square I frequented on Isla Mujeres, but the tacos were phenomenal, the pickup basketball game riveting and the kids even refrained from jumping their BMX bikes down the front steps of the cathedral.
I met up with the Edgy Veggie to shoot the breeze, even if it was a cold north-westerly with a hint of torrential rain, at this new Mexican-influenced restaurant in the burgeoning Main Street culinary scene. Edgy Veggie was looking the picture of health and well being due to his vegetarian tendencies, not to mention his marathon running.
We submerged ourselves in this dusky room with its Day of the Dead chic bar, high ceiling of decorative stamped tin and spiffy overhead chandeliers that look like exploding fireworks. It’s a nifty space that maintains Main Street funk without giving way to Sally Ann functionality.
Owner and chef Tina Shklanka has combined her love of all things Latin American into this restaurant with authentic dishes and salsa dancing on Monday nights.
A bowl of complimentary nuts, salted, spiced and warmed up, arrived as soon as we sat down.
We began our journey with two appetizers: Mole Amarillo ($7), an Oaxacan-style mole with chilies, tomatoes and soft, murky spicing beneath which lurked mushrooms, and Tinga ($9), a great dish of shredded chicken breast with chorizo and tomatoes. Both were served with warm, homemade tortillas for wrapping. The mole was rich and the tinga was boisterous, especially after plopping on some of the chili sauce and fiery green salsa.
I passed on the esoteric tequila and mescal offerings and sloshed my palate with a Dos Equis instead and the Edgy Veggie stuck with authentic Mexican hot chocolate, quietly releasing endorphins for a natural inebriation.
My entree pick was Puerco con Chile Ancho ($17), slow-cooked pork massaged in mild chilies, spices and oranges. The rich, ancho chili sauce with its earthy and sweet undertones was a nice contrast to the tender porker. Edgy Veggie took on the Chick Peas con Chipotle ($12), the trusty garbonzos and yam energized in a sultry and spicy chipotle sauce that, oddly, is spiked with Coca-Cola, a southern secret which smooths out the smoky flavour.
For dessert we sampled the tres leches cake ($5.50) with Mexican chocolate, which was tasty, although I found the cake too dense instead of light and airy.
There’s plenty to like at this place, from the mussels cooked with Mexican chorizo, beer and cilantro, to the flank steak served with mushrooms done up in tequila and chilies.
And, of course, there’s always the mescal in case you want to send your brain on a marathon while your body relaxes and drinks in the scene.
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THE BOTTOM LINE:
If Mr. Potato Head were Mexican and married Miss Poblano Pepper, this would be their den of sin.
Grade: Food: B+ Service: A Atmosphere: A
