Companion: Jasmine
I find myself on vacation with Jasmine in Sedona, AZ. Long time Readers know both the Old Master and I grew up in the South West, and he is to blame for my love of Mexican food. So where do we go for dinner? A Mexican restaurant... thank you captain obvious. We considered going to anoter place (not Mexican) recommended by the hotel bar manager... but the reviews on Yelp were so bad, we decided to try for something else. The best rated joint in town is The Elote Cafe... a Mexican restaurant that doesn't take reservations and features a 1-2 hour wait. Note the cuisine is real Mexican food (or perhaps Mexican inspired... the Chef makes everything his own, with great results), so if you are looking for Tex-Mex, you are in the wrong place.
When we arrived, we found a mob in the lobby, many waiting for drinks and popcorn (more on that later), and Chef Jeff tucked away in the corner being interviewed by CNN. Obviously a good sign.
Some readers tell me my humor is corny. Well if you like corn (the food, not the humor), this restaurant is all about it. It is, after all a staple of true Mexican food, so you're just going to have to suck it up and deal if corn isn't your thing. Elote is a Mexican street food consisting of roasted corn on the cob, mayonaise, lime and chili powder. Of course it is on the menu and Chef Jeff makes it better than any I've had... his is "deconstructed" (off of the cob) making it shareable by everyone at the table. This was so good, had I been with anyone other than Jasmine, I wouldn't have been quite so willing to share. It really is that good.
I'd like to say that the portions put the "lot" in Elote, just for the bad pun, but most of the portions were well sized. Plenty of food for your money, and you won't leave hungry, but in most cases not TOO much (I hear the Lamb shank in Adobo will feed two and the Pastel de Elote definitely needs to be shared). Jasmine and I split everything so we could try more. We also tried the Roasted beet salad, with arrugala, a honey vinaigrette dressing, and some unbelievably nummy roasted pumpkin seed crusted goat cheese balls. As Goat cheese, beets and arrugala is one of Jasmine's favorite flavor combinations, she was in heaven (and so was I). It really is that good.
For an Entree we shared the shrimp enchiladas, which had bacon in them. This really sent an already great dish totally over the top. They were accompanied by some truly amazing, and appropriately portioned black bean refritos and perfectly done rice (miles away from the mountain of canned refried beans and dry rice that clog your plate and your arteries at your typical Texican Cantina del caca).
I was so blown away, I just had to meet the chef. Jeff Smedstad is charming, friendly and a gracious host who truly loves what he does and it shows through both his food and his personality. His goal is to make people happy through his food, and at this he succeeds admirably. After a quick chat, he disappeared back into the kitchen, as he is a very hands on chef, making sure everything is perfect. So many chefs make a name for themselves and coast on their accolades. Jeff is not one of those chefs. He cooks for the love of it. If you do what you love, success will follow, and it has followed Jeff Smedstad. The only negative I have seen about his restaurant is the wait, but if you don't like to wait, suck it up and deal. There are plenty of places to sit, including an outdoor heated patio, with blankets for the colder months. There is also a bar with an admirable selection of tequilas and other beverages. If all you want is water, they will gladly hook you up. The bar is also where you will find free Palomitos (popcorn), with Jeff's special touch of course... a tasty chili pepper seasoning (not too hot) which is also for sale at the front desk. The palomitos is great, and can help take the edge off while you wait. If you don't want to wait for one of the best meals you will ever eat, take your crybaby prima donna self somewhere else... my wait will be shorter. :) Or better yet, put your big girl panties on and deal. :) It really is that good.
Speaking of for sale at the front desk, Chef Jeff also has put out a cookbook, which I couldn't resist buying, and it is so well put together, I will probably read it cover to cover. He holds nothing back, shares all of his tips and tricks, and every recipe on the menu at the time of this writing appears to be in the book. Equally as impressive is the passion he has for the food he creates, and it shows in his writing. He came back out of the kitchen and signed the book for us, and spent a few more minutes talking food and cooking. Very genuine, and a totally chilled out Zen guy. My kinda cat.
Dinner was so good we went back (and waited) the next night. It really is that good. Bowl of palomitos in hand, and with Jasmine for company, it went rather quickly. We had another of those amazing roasted beet salads, and split the Carne Asada, which was cooked to perfection. Why share an entree? We needed room for dessert in the desert. In this case it was the Pastel de Elote which adorns the cover of the cookbook. A sweet corn cake topped with cajeta (goat milk caramel) cinnamon ice cream, whipped cream, berry compote and super-sweet corn (roasted and dehydrated corn kernels that are crunchy and oh so yummy... they add great texture to an already amazing dessert). In the words of George Tekai... "Oh, Myyyyyy".
One (okay, two) of the best meals I have had in my life. Chef Jeff is a true artist. If you are visiting the Sedona area (or are within a day's drive) come here for dinner. If you aren't near Sedona, plan a vacation. The food really is that good.
I give it 10 crunchy kernels of super sweet corn... because it really is that good.
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