Mexican cooking is regional, Indigenous, colonial and constantly changing. Corn, beans and chile form an old foundation, while wheat, dairy, pork and beef entered through colonization and became part of local cuisines in different ways.
In Sonoma County, a neighborhood restaurant menu may move quickly from street tacos and burritos to chile relleno, birria, seafood, molcajete and family-size orders. Start small enough to taste the tortilla and salsa before the plate grows larger.
How it tastes
Mexican, in four cues.
Corn
A good tortilla smells and tastes like the grain, not only the filling.
Chile
Fresh, dried, smoked and roasted chiles provide fruit, heat, bitterness and color.
Acid
Lime, tomatillo and pickled vegetables keep meat and cheese in balance.
Roast
Comal, grill and fire deepen salsas, meats and vegetables.
At the neighboring table
How Mexican differs nearby.
A taco and a gyro are both handheld and quick, but their breads, marinades, sauces and histories belong to different food systems.
Mexican and Persian cooking both value layered rice and meat meals, yet corn and chile organize one table while saffron, herbs and dried lime organize the other.
Dish histories
The stories carried by Mexican food.
Taco
The form is broad enough to hold countless regional fillings. The tortilla remains the constant and should be judged as carefully as the meat.
Chile relleno
Roasted chile filled, often battered and sauced, turns the pepper into the structure of the plate rather than a seasoning.
Molcajete
The volcanic-stone mortar is an ancient kitchen tool. Restaurant molcajetes use the heated vessel as both cooker and serving bowl.
Margarita
Its exact origin is disputed, with several twentieth-century claims. Tequila, citrus and orange liqueur endure because the balance works with salty, chile-driven food.
Twenty stories connect food history to menus in Sonoma and Marin where these dishes can be ordered today.
Open the dish index ↗First visit
Your first Mexican table.
- Street tacos
- A house salsa
- Chile relleno
- Molcajete for a longer dinner
- Seafood at Los Gallos
Where to try it