Latin Fusion in my Tummy

I love my wine club ... but I have to say the one thing about having a monthly get-together is that it certainly does rush the passage of time. I feel like it was just a few weeks ago that we were getting together for French cuisine (and in reality, it was!) and just last night we were gathered again for July's venture. I never could have guessed how fitting the decision to have Latin American cuisine in July would have been.

Much like the rest of the country right now ... we are in a heat wave of disgusting proportions (seriously, I merely walk out on my deck and I break into a sweat. To quote D this afternoon when he stepped outside for a moment, "I think I just walked out on the sun." (Granted, I'm a huge fan of thunderstorms, so I have enjoyed those in the evening, since they go hand-in-hand with unbearable heat.) Unfortunately, the torrential rain on Friday had caused the major highway I was planning on using to get to the restaurant to flood. So thanks to my inner navigational system and the GPS, I was able to get to Cafe Ena just in time.

I am not sure if the sweet little restaurant had air conditioning (and I am amazed at the brave souls who chose to eat outside) because I felt the ambiance truly suited itself to feeling like we were in Latin America eating dinner. But it was a truly splendid dinner all in all. (I have to commend us ladies, we have been doing a good job picking out the monthly spots!) To guide me through dinner ... I had a lovely Torrontes ... in fact, I realized after I ordered it, that I actually had a bottle of the stuff at home. I am a huge Sauvignon Blanc fan, but I have to tell you Torrontes and Albarino have become my go-to whites in the summer heat!

First course, we decided to split two appetizers. My boss (who is a big fan of Cafe Ena told me that we just had to try the Chile En Nogada. The Chile En Nogada is a roasted Poblano pepper stuffed with grass fed ground beef, raisins, red onion, braised apples, in a apple walnut sauce, drizzled with a pomegranate glaze. The apple walnut sauce elevated this appetizer ... and it had subtle flavor of fall ... which was a little off in the sweltering heat, but it could definitely be some one's light meal if they wanted something that is so complex that the flavors meld together beautify.

Our second appetizer was Calamares (in other words, calamari). It was in a yellow corn crust and drizzled with a chimichuri sauce. It also came with aioli ... but the light, fresh, lemony calamari did not need any sauce. I think it was the best calamari I have ever had ... and I love calamari ... so I often try to enjoy it at restaurants. There was something ... maybe it was the chimichuri ... that made it so light and refreshing, it was truly a plate that no one wanted any to go to waste!

For my entree ... I of course asked the waiter once again for recommendations. He provided three ... sadly they were the three that I was already considering so it didn't help me narrow down my choices. (The menu is truly mouth-watering and narrowing it down is perhaps the most difficult. After much consideration ... I selected what was called Conchas. The menus description: Coriander-cardamom dusted sea scallops served over a coconut risotto, sauteed baby spinach, in a curry cream sauce, topped with a pineapple salsa.

Of course, I am on a huge coconut craze right now, for some reason, and I think it was the coconut risotto that made me select this in the end. I loved the risotto and the pineapple salsa was a bit of a surprise. The scallops were not the best scallops I've ever had ... but they were a delightful scallop nonetheless. They melted in your mouth and if you were careful about getting all the flavors on your fork, it was a very nice contrast of flavors on your tongue.

Dinner is not complete without dessert. Unlike at Meritage last month ... this time I devoured the whole dessert. Perhaps it is become the lemon pie came with ice cream ... and this summer I am all about ice cream (my children have been grateful for the fact that there have been two occasions - today included - where I have declared ice cream for lunch or dinner.) I also loved the lemon pie ... it was a little richer than what I was anticipating, but a great citrus cut to the evening. And the mango coulis on the plate ... amazing!!! I think it really did make the pie.

I would highly recommend Cafe Ena - it's reasonably priced for what you get and would definitely make a great date night, girls' night or just for someone looking to branch out. Nice job!