June 5, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

After 19 years, Mexican pioneer better than ever
by LEN LEAR

Zocalo is still a teenager, but at 19 years of age it is almost certainly the city’s oldest upscale, authentic Mexican restaurant. The stunningly beautiful outpost in the unlikely location of 3600 Lancaster Ave. in Powelton Village (a press release calls it University City, but that is a stretch) was owned from 1989 to 1997 by the founders and put on the culinary map by chef Jackie Pestka, who later served briefly as head chef at Solaris Grille.

A second set of owners ran Zocalo from 1997 until last year, but 10 years in the 24/7 restaurant business is like a century in a normal life, and burnout was becoming evident. (The current owner said his average work week is between 110 and 120 hours.) The managing partner even told friends that he wanted to sell the restaurant and go into the real estate business in Ocean City, NJ.

At this point, along came Greg and Mary Russell, both of whom had previously worked at Zocalo and then opened their own restaurant, Las Tarascas, in a strip mall in Sicklerville, NJ, which they ran from 2004 to 2007. (Greg, 40, a native of Northeast Philly, started as a prep cook at Zocalo in 1989. Mary, 46, a native of Morelia in central/western Mexico, was later hired to make tortillas from scratch. The two met at Zocalo and have now been married for 11 years.)

“We just happened to be in the market for another restaurant when we found out that Zocalo was for sale,” said Greg, who has also worked at the Four Seasons Hotel, Tamarindo’s in Broad Axe, Trinacria in Blue Bell and London Grill in Fairmount, among others. “Mary told me, ‘You always said you wanted to own Zocalo. Well, now you can.’”

Since taking over in December of last year, the Russells have clearly restored Zocalo to its halcyon days. They traveled to Mexico and brought back all new handmade glassware, plates and artwork. Also individually carved tables and chairs that are so beautiful and colorful (the hand-painted chairs depict traditional pueblo scenes), they’d look right at home in a Mexican museum. There is also a charming patio which has been expanded to seat 40 and is usually packed in good weather.

Mexican music plays softly in the background, and authentic regional dishes from central and southern Mexico are prepared with the freshest ingredients, with all of the salsas and sauces made from scratch. (There are 43 different ingredients in the molé sauce, for example, which could wind up in the Guinness Book of World Records if the editors are Mexican food aficionados.)

I hate to be the pin in the balloon, but Zocalo does not have Taco Bell prices; then again, the quality is on a par with the finest food we experienced during numerous trips to Mexico, proving there is more to Mexican cooking than yucky beans, cheese and nachos. Soups and salads run from $6 to $7.50; appetizers from $8 to $12; entrees from $18.50 to $23, and desserts are all $6.

Much of the food here would test positive for salsa; for example, the three-salsa appetizer provides numerous heat shades of chili pepper that never come close to having to call the fire department. All three are scooped up with crunchy house-fried corn tortilla chips. Another somewhat spicy starter offers addictive roasted pumpkin seeds with olive oil, lime, garlic, cilantro and coarsely ground jalapeño, also with tortilla chips for dipping.

One of our favorite things on earth is Chihuahua cheese, which is heavenly when grilled or baked. This is available at Zocalo either folded into flour tortillas as a quesadilla or served in a ramekin like an onion soup topped with cheese. Either way is a winner.

Entrees we can heartily recommend are the red snapper in a roasted tomato sauce with white wine, lime and garlic; and the thinly cut skirt steak marinated in salsa, garlic and cracked black pepper, grilled and served with guacamole, salsa, red rice and refried beans. This is the whole tooth and nothing but. We recently ate at another Mexican restaurant, and I’ve seen more meat on antlers than on the meat dish we ordered, but the portion at Zocalo was, to use a word I made up, magnimonious.

A dessert called Cajeta con nieve was an unctuous Mexican classic of vanilla ice cream layered with goat’s milk caramel. One drink we had, a tamarind (Mexican fruit) Margarita, exploded with delectable flavor.

Zocalo is a real family affair. We were served by the Russells’ daughter, Ana, 19, who is efficient and has a beautiful, non-stop smile. Another daughter, Gaby, 23, is the bartender, and their third child, Alex, 10, even comes in to help out occasionally.

Zocalo is open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner seven days a week. It has a Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. seven nights a week that features 25 percent off all appetizers and 25 percent off house Margaritas, Sangrias and selected beers. There is a full bar with at least 40 premium brands of tequila, and believe it or not, there is a private, free parking lot next to the patio, with an entrance off 36th Street. (In 26 years of writing restaurant columns, I don’t believe I have ever before used the words “private, free parking lot” in connection with a restaurant in or near center city.) For more information, call 215-895-0139 or visit www.zocalophilly.com.