We were delighted to get an invitation to the Felipe’s Metairie Road opening party. Pike Howard is the owner of the company and we often have him on The Food Show to chat about various things. When he mentioned in one of those chats that they were moving to Metairie Road, I made a note to check it out.
The new place was beautiful from the outside, so I was excited to go inside and actually sample the food we always talk about.
We arrived to find a place even more stunning on the inside than it looks outside. The bold colors of Mexico are represented in modern tile inside, with fake breeze blocks crafted of wood framing the ample outdoor patio.
The style of service is what I call cafeteria line fast casual. I never go to places like this, not out of any abhorrence of this method of ordering, I just don’t gravitate to it. It seems rather efficient, actually, though it reminds me of a cafeteria. The only other place I have done this is Moe’s Mexican Grill, and that seemed to have a lot more offerings. This was contained.
What I really wanted was a bowl of veggies and grilled chicken, but I felt compelled because of what we do to order one of those “footballs” as I call them. I love to watch someone wrapping up those things. It’s almost alarming to see how much can be stuffed into a tortilla. These were small, though, so it wasn’t as exciting or challenging.
I was surprised to have the server ask if I wanted cheese. They put a slice in as they steam the tortilla. Another thing that surprised me was that there was no chorizo here. I love chorizo, and I am very particular about it. Hard Spanish chorizo is a hard no for me, and soft, crumbly chorizo is a must in “Mexican” restaurants.
There was Chicken Tinga so I got that, and also grilled chicken, as well as black beans and pico de gallo and some cheese. I asked for some queso and chips, and some guacamole.
Tom had a taco salad in a tortilla bowl, with lettuce and steak and pico, cheese, and guacamole.
Before going to Felipe's I asked my daughter, who is a Mexican food addict and a thrice-a-week Chipotle customer what she thought of Felipe’s. Her main comment was proven true as I watched the serving on this line. She felt it was “not very generous.” She left out the adjective laughably. As I watched the servings of cheese and guacamole added to the burrito in front of me, and saw the serving of guac I received, I could only wonder why someone would return.
We sat in a sumptuous booth by a big window. Tom ate his taco salad without remarking about it, probably because it was unremarkable.
My burrito seemed damp and unappealing, though I don't know if that is standard. I guess it is necessary to steam them to soften them for the herculean efforts required to stuff two pounds of food items inside and seal them. Not for me.
I liked the grilled chicken, probably because it was chopped small. It had a nice grilled and pepper flavor. The Tinga was quite spicy, but the pieces were long and stringy and a little tough. The black beans were nice.
The chips were crispy and greaseless and had a nice heft, which wasn’t necessary because the queso and guacamole were thin and light, as were the salsas and sauces.
I did like the queso, which appeared to have roasted Hatch chiles or chopped poblanos in it. It was thin for my taste and mild, but nice nevertheless. The guacamole was ordinary in every way.
A few of the other sauces I tried were quite spicy, and I thought by looking at that little bar that I just didn’t have an understanding of this program at all. There were chopped carrots and sliced radishes as well as chopped cilantro and a number of sauces for extra fire.
By sitting at the bar you can get full service and this seemed appealing. I might do that the next time. But I am much more inclined to go to a full-service “Mexican” restaurant instead.
And that is exactly what we did next. We left the opening at Felipe’s and went immediately to another “Mexican” place in the neighborhood. Las Cruces has been open for a mere two weeks, but its credentials are good. These are the folks from Central City BBQ, to me the best barbecue in town with no truly significant competition. Chef Chris Lusk is an alum of R’evolution, but his heart is in his home of origin, Texas. Tex-Mex feels like home.
There is no discernible connection to anything here. Las Cruces sits out of the way behind the strip mall where Pancho’s Mexican Buffet ended its run here. It is a totally new construction, and the building is metal siding. The place is sprawling and enormous, with a huge outdoor space next to, (and I do mean next to) the railroad tracks.
Immediately inside the industrial expanse is a long bar. The dining room comes next, with a door for access to an enormous outdoor yard with a play place.
I have been told that I am missing a key component to the appeal of Las Cruces. The drinks are fantastic. The play place is clearly for the kids, but the food is a little upscale for them. All of this will be tweaked.
We ordered lightly because this was lunch #2. A large pile of chips came in a metal bucket along with a dish of salsa that was smooth and crimson and had a hint of barbecue sauce. Weird. Equally strange was the queso, which was also too thin and devoid of anything but small bits of herbs. Both of these had odd flavors, but the chips were nice. Also not the norm, but I liked them.
For an entree, we got an enchilada plate, consisting of three enchiladas: one cheese, another chicken, and a third beef. This was very good. The beef was so tender and rich in taste it reminded me of Birria, though it was just called beef on the menu. This will definitely be on my plate next time. The cheese was our favorite. It seemed meaty because it was crumbly and had a medley of flavorful spices.
The chicken was the least interesting, and like the Tinga at Felipe’s, seemed tough as well. The sauce that topped these three enchiladas was great, thick with notes of cumin and chile. These were served in a cast iron elongated baking dish, which added to their allure.
‘Two sides came with these enchiladas. They were pinto beans and chile lime rice. I wish the rice hadn't been cold because it had a nice flavor, and I would have eaten it. I also liked the pinto beans, which were just the right soft firmness and the perfect spice level.
The menu was not large but there was enough on it, and the dessert section caught our eye. There was a Tres Leches Bread Pudding on it. Tom has always been intrigued by the concept of Tres Leches, and absolutely passionate about bread pudding in general.
We got this for him and it was a big surprise. Not a good one, This bread pudding was so hard it was impossible to cut into it without using muscle, and a knife. I asked about it and was told there was white chocolate in it.
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With Tom’s penchant for bread pudding we have seen our share, Never have any of the bread puddings I've seen in any way resemble the firmness of this one, and that includes the white chocolate versions. I asked Chris Lusk about this, and he pointed to the menu which clearly called it a “non-traditional” bread pudding. Okay, but does that make it rock-hard? When I showed him he agreed and sent out another one. This one better resembled a normal bread pudding, and Tom raved about it.
We left Las Cruces with the smell of smoking meats wafting through the air. I wondered how long it would be before this place morphs into Central City BBQ West.
