Mamacitas brings high-end Mexican food to downtown Provo
The Beer-Battered Fish Tacos served at Mamacitas in Provo.
Mamacitas' Grilled Salmon topped with mango-papaya salsa served over wilted greens and Achiote rice.
Clockwise from left: Grilled Salmon topped with mango-papaya salsa served over wilted greens and Achiote rice, Quesadilla, Beer-Battered Fish Tacos, Mamacitas Salad, and guacamole served at Mamacitas in Provo.
Salsa, not blood, runs through my veins. That’s how much I love and live Mexican food. (Although I suppose you can debate Mexican vs. Tex-Mex since I’m originally from Texas.) Just like with Texas, though, I don’t mess around with my Mexican food.
I always judge an eatery by its salsa. If it’s awful, I don’t usually expect much from the rest of its dishes. If a restaurant can’t bring out simple but unique flavors in a sauce, there’s not much hope for an entree. The worst I’ve ever experienced in Utah was one restaurant’s salsa that tasted like it was poured straight out of a pasta sauce jar. The audacity, I know. So, when I caught wind of a new Mexican restaurant opening up in downtown Provo, I resurrected my hope. Maybe my food prayers were to be answered.
Mamacitas is located in the space where Choc’late Mousse Pie Bar once was, nestled by Provo’s popular Muse and Velour music venues. The decorations are familiar, and yet re-purposed to fit the Mexican/South American feel. (Though I don’t know if Coldplay’s music really fits into that genre.)
After the blistering days Utah County’s been experiencing, we were first tempted with cold, fruity beverages — and succumbed. While not on the menu, our waitress was helpful in sharing the many non-alcoholic options. We settled on a guava-passion and the Mamacitas special, which essentially included every fruit your heart could desire in one goblet. Our taste buds were cooled off sufficiently as we dove into my favorite part of any Mexican meal: the salsa, of course.
I’m used to paying for my chips and salsa these days. It’s standard fare in Utah. We ordered the chips and salsa for $5. There were several salsas to choose from for an appetizer, and we settled on the verde and roja. As far as salsa in Utah County goes, I was appeased. I preferred the verde. My partner in crime preferred the roja. All of which was perfectly fine with me, because that meant the less verde I had to share. If you’re a chip snob, the selection might not impress you for the price you pay, but it was something I was willing to overlook.
Diners might not typically associate Mexican restaurants with a variety of soups and salads, but the menu lineup was fitting and included ethnic ingredients like shaved manchengo cheese, fire-roasted poblano peppers and lime. Often Mexican food can be negatively associated with unhealthy options smothered in grease and cheese and topped with a thousand calories. Not the case here — we got a gourmet experience with ingredients that live up to that standard.
I love lettuce, but I love meat more — so I hopped like a jumping bean over to the tapas and tacos section of the menu to pick out an entree. The choices weren’t your typical enchiladas, burritos or chile relleno; I ordered the pan-seared sea scallops. The scallops were served on top of a sweet corn puree with black beans, tomatoes and my favorite — grilled asparagus. Talk about color and flavor.
Because the restaurant serves tapas-style, we shared our two dishes, the other being three carne asada tacos. The house-made corn tortillas were filled with carne asada on top of lettuce, delicious caramelized onions, the salsa verde and heirloom tomatoes. The meat was tasty and if you like pretty things, you’ll love the clean presentation too. If there’s one thing I’ll remember, it’s that Mamacitas knows how to cook some fantastic onions, which might be an unusual thing to fixate on, but you will too once you eat them.
The entree portions weren’t overwhelming, which allowed for the perfect little dessert to top off our adventurous meal. When we first walked up to the restaurant that night, there was a sign on the street announcing its avocado cheesecake. I didn’t forget this little tidbit. Mamacitas had me at avocado.
I’ll be honest, my accomplice was skeptical. He wasn’t sold on the whole avocado-and-cheesecake-together concept, but he humored me. It was green, creamy and crunchy. The butter cream sprinkled with spices atop the cheesecake was surprisingly my most favorite part, and quickly disappeared from the plate.
So if you end up popping in this place for dinner one night and acquire a new, burning love, don’t blame me — it’s named “Mamacitas” after all.
MAMACITAS
Where: 155 N. University Ave., Provo
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 4-10 p.m.
Prices: $5-$15
Info: facebook.com/MamacitasRestaurantProvo, (801) 375-0998, Twitter: @mamacitasprovo