Midtown Lunch

Whether from a truck, a cart, a hole in the wall, or a sit down restaurant with hipster waiter service, I like tacos. What I don’t like is paying a lot for them. Las Cazuelas, a Mexican restaurant in Olde Kensington, has found a perfect middle ground of authentic food, an unpretentious, homey-cute atmosphere, and low prices. And as it turns out, I ended up eating  a lot more than just their tacos.

I spoiled myself with a duo of ceviches ($8.75). Both pretty mounds of shrimp and tilapia were fresh and well seasoned, more refined and less thrown together than what you might get less nice establishment.

A special of the day was a calamari salad, featuring perfectly cooked pieces of the calamari on top of a smartly dress bed of mesculin lettuce. I would most assuredly order this again if it were offered.

From the long list of tacos (all $2.75 each), our waitress recommended the harrachera tacos, skirt steak. The skirt steak was prepared exactly as it should be, marinated, grilled until just slightly pink inside, and sliced. It was nice not have to pick out any grisly  or fatty bits from my taco, which frequently happens to me.

A torta would make a fine lunch on its own. The milanesa ($7), accompanied by  soft roll and fresh tomatoes and avocado, was tasty but not quite as good as the milanesa holy grail at El Gallo Pinto.

Holy moly, better yet was the platter of enchiladas de mole. The shredded chicken and soft tortillas were the perfect stage for the rich mole sauce that had not a hint of bitter or burntness  to it. The platter came with a pyramid of yellow rice and some ugly looking but exceptionally flavorful black beans. The fact that this dish is under $10 is the cherry on the sundae, or rather the cotija cheese on my tortilla. If you have time to stay a while, you should consider ordering this.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Authentic Mexican food made with quality ingredients at low prices
• Good variety on the menu
• Ambiance is welcoming enough to bring a person who is afraid of hole in the wall Mexican places

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• Good, but not the best milanesa in town

Las Cazuelas, 426 W Girard, 215 351-9144