WHAT IS MEXICAN INFUSION? I can make it very simple: my mother operated an “infusion” kitchen when we were children. When my mother cooked Hungarian goulash, it had an infusion of Italian. When she cooked potato latkes, they were infused with an Italian flair. The difference at Eduardo’s is a gourmet menu and my mother’s was an “eat this or eat nothing” menu.
At Eduardo de San Angel, we find decidedly gourmet chefs, who are trained in Mexican cuisine, re-creating dishes from around the world. An example is the duck l’Orange — Long Island duckling in a spicy guava syrup and cinnamon-poached pear compote. Out with the French and in with the Mexican – brilliant!
Eduardo de San Angel (and he is a real person, the owner, and the chef ) has an outstandingly international menu that creatively re-organizes famous dishes to reflect a delicate, but enticing, Mexican flair.
Most Mexican restaurants are bright and dance like in their décor. Not Eduardo’s. Here we found a lighting pattern bright enough to know that no one was hiding the food from sight and still soft enough to project a romantic aura. Here walls were not full of Mexican scenes; they were subtle and tasteful, as found in a New England estate home.
But this “estate” was not so large as to lose guests and not so small as to cramp everyone in. This is a fine example of a well-balanced establishment with proper flow, aimed at the customers’ satisfaction. It is balanced against the ease of service and the maximizing of attention to diners. I was quite struck with this eatery and pleased to see that the food presentations were as well-conceived as the environment.
My guests and I are all fans of ceviche. Here, it is prepared with plum tomatoes, sweet onions, and jalapeno peppers, then cilantro-marinated in lime juice and gold tequila. The sashimi-grade loin of yellowfin tuna and the grilled North Atlantic calamari were each treated to Eduardo’s infusion of Mexican spices. They were a perfect segue to one of the tastiest soups ever created. Eduardo’s cilantro soup, while still only a frequent special, is soon to be a regular feature. Do yourselves a favor and ask if it is available.
We sampled homemade ravioli’s (the Italian part of the dish) filled with black beans and fresh cheese (the infusion), which were served with smoked chipotle and toasted walnut cream sauce. We also had the trio of Colorado lamb chops (true American fare), prepared with brushed cilantro-garlic oil, and grilled exotic mushroom tamale, served with a duo of smoked chipotle and green tomatillo (thus making this a great Mexican infusion).
Of course, we also saved room for the restaurant’s special desserts. If one picture is worth a thousand words, take a look at these great pictures, which serve as mouthwatering invitations to a rare dining experience.
EDUARDO DE SAN ANGEL—located at 2822 East Commercial Blvd. (954-772-4731) in Fort Lauderdale, features Mexican-infused international cuisine.
By Charles Marcanetti
December 2011