Date Night: Rosa Mexicano

If there is Mexican cuisine in this city, you bet I’ll find it. And when it comes to GOOD Mexican food, Rosa Mexicano ranks up there with the best.

Now, to be completely transparent, Scott and I have been to Rosa Mexicano several times and have always felt satisfied but not “blown away”.  On Friday night, we ventured back into Penn Quarter to sample the special menu for their 30th Anniversary Celebration. And yes – Friday we were blown away.

The menu is a collection of the restaurant’s favorite plates from the last 30 years, so you can bet you’re getting the best of the best. For $30 a person, you can choose an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. We had the honor of sampling all the items, and you simply can’t go wrong.

The appetizers are all fabulous but we both really favored the crab empanadas.

The entrees from the 30th Anniversary menu are some of the best we’ve had at any Mexican restaurant, and though the mole was incredible (and time consuming, I’m told) the menu boasts a filet with mushrooms in cream sauce. Two things to say about that dish: 1) Scott ate mushrooms. Scott never eats mushrooms. And he said it was part of the perfect bite. 2) I never eat steak medium/rare – but this was advised by the chef and I couldn’t agree more. Though it was definitely on the rare side of medium, the texture was perfectly suited with the mushrooms and cream sauce. And truth? Even after we finished the steak, I asked to take the mushrooms home in a box. It was THAT delicious. Not to mention, the dish is priced at $28 and given the menu price is $30 for all 3 courses, you totally get a deal with this plate.

The dessert didn’t disappoint either, though Scott and I are a little more critical of Mexican desserts. We were really impressed with the one plate, the Tres Leches de Zarzamoras as it was a perfect marriage of fresh fruit and sweet toasted meringue. We enjoyed the crepes, but if we had to recommend one over the other, it would definitely be the Tres Leches de Zarzamoras.

The guacamole is always table-side and a pleasure and the margaritas are well-crafted. However, this menu was an awesome departure from the regular one, and we are hoping a few of these items are back to stay.

The limited anniversary menu is only available until October 12th, so make sure to get in soon!