Big Enchilada 

Service with a smile at 1900 Mexican Grill

1900 Mexican Grill: Traditional Mexican Cuisine

Since Tex-Mex (or border-Mex, Cal-Mex) became popular in the US some 30 years ago, all Mexican food has become known by tortillas teeming with meat, or refried beans and rice, topped with chopped iceberg lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. But actual Mexican cuisine is not greasy chips smothered with melted processed yellow cheese. Just as spaghetti is not representative of all Italian cuisine, Mexican cuisine is as diverse as that country's terrain, a blend of the Indian and Hispanic cultures and regional agriculture: corn, rice, limes, avocados, tomatoes, chocolate, beans, chilies and herbs.

But in the restaurant business, to paraphrase a line from the quintessential restaurant business movie Big Night, you gotta give the people what they want before you can serve them what you want. Restaurants are in business to keep their doors open. For an ethnic restaurant owner, the decision is whether to serve customers what they expect to find or to stick his or her neck out and serve truly indigenous cuisine. We have seen the latter come and go in Charlotte for lack of support. The proven choice for ethnic restaurateurs in Charlotte is to serve those ethnic dishes with some semblance of familiarity. This is especially true if the restaurant is located off Park Road in South Charlotte.

With this in mind, I opened the front door of the 96-seat 1900 Mexican Grill, Traditional Mexican Cuisine in the Park Selwyn Shopping Center. The windows on one side overlook a small fenced patio area. The interior is colorful: a brilliant array of vibrant yellows and blues. Wooden tabletops are decoratively edged by uneven Mexican tiles which cause some plates to tip precariously. In the dining room are lots of families and couples.

For restaurateurs Jesus and Maria Garcia, both natives of Mexico City, 1900 is their third venture. They also own the Acropolis Café (yes, the Greek place) and La Fuente, a casual Mexican restaurant. Both are located in Gastonia -- this is their first restaurant in the Charlotte area. Their daughter Tonya, who works in 1900, reported that these restaurants were a family venture and that 1900 was decidedly more "casually upscale serving more modern Mexican food."

In the kitchen at 1900 are chefs Andres Villa, and brothers Julio and Ricardo Sil. All are from Guatemala. Many of the recipes used here are from La Fuente. The lunch menu offers the same items as the dinner menu, but are priced lower and the portion sizes are reduced. Dinner entrees range from $7.95 to $14.95.

The Garcias naturally aim to please as many potential patrons as possible; thus the short menu is full of the usual Mexican suspects: nachos, quesadillas, taco salads, burritos grandes, fajitas and tacos. Others are unexpected, such as the hamburger and the black bean burger. In their Charlotte location, the Garcias offer their "traditional dishes" such as chilies relleno, enchiladas verdes, carnitas (fried pork), carne asada (rib eye with Mexican spices) and a few mole dishes. Recipes for Mexican moles are kept in the family, similar to Indian curry recipes. The mole here is the recipe of Jesus Garcia's mother.

The customary basket of fried tortilla chips with a not-too-spicy salsa was brought to the table as soon as we were seated. The in-house-made salsa tasted the same as one hundred-plus varieties that have passed through my lips. Then, too, the chicken quesadilla appetizer tasted familiar as well.

Entrees feature a welcome attempt at a lighter touch -- no lard in the refried beans -- yet portions are gargantuan. The Garcias have a great entrée in the fajita de la casa for one (but could easily feed three adults). Impressively tender slices of chicken and beef, grilled shrimp and sausage are presented on a sizzling iron skillet. The accompanying side plate of refried beans, rice and guacamole was enough to amply fill another individual. The chicken enchiladas verdes was another large platter crammed edge to edge with melted cheese, sour cream and rice.

It's curious that the mole winds up the menu's weakest choice. At the base was the ubiquitous rice, followed by a scattering of flavorless chicken topped with a mole with pale zipless flavors that didn't achieve a momentous taste. Traditionally, moles are a blend of chilies, Mexican chocolate, seeds, almonds, herbs and spices. Some legendary recipes have 100 ingredients, but none are supposed to stand out. Moles should have a flavor layering. I did not find this here.

Desserts, which include the suitable sopapilla -- similar to Indian fry bread -- are exceedingly sweet. The flan, however, was days past its prime.

What 1900 does excel in, though, is service: It's efficient, solicitous and easily outshines the food. Mexican dishes which pack the plate have the tendency to dull the palate and thus fall numbingly flat. However, the environment of 1900 is upbeat, almost fiesta-like. The management wants its patrons to feel welcome and they succeed in this.

Have a restaurant tip, compliment, complaint? Do you know of a restaurant that has opened, closed, or should be reviewed? Does your restaurant or shop have news, menu changes, new additions to staff or building, upcoming cuisine or wine events? Note: We need events at least 12 days in advance. Fax information to Eaters' Digest: 704-944-3605, or leave voice mail: 704-522-8334, ext. 136. To contact Tricia via e-mail: tricia.childress@creativeloafing.com.