House of the spirits
Krahling's latest venture a sangrita away from perfection…

by Carol Inkellis

Marinitas, 218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Anselmo Map location Phone: (415) 454-8900 Hours: Mon-Thu 11:30am-11pm, Fri/Sat 11:30am-12am, Sun 11am-10pm Price code: $$-$$$

If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Marinitas, Heidi Krahling's foray into Mexican and Latin American cuisines, has been in this spot for years. It's hard to believe that Ted's--and the short-lived EAT--was ever here.

Marinitas is truly a feast for the senses. It's an expansive space with a tall, open-beam ceiling, a large stone fireplace, old-fashioned "gas" lamps against the wall, hundreds of books lined up on high bookshelves, antique-looking mirrors, wrought-iron touches here and there, large ceiling fans, playful chandeliers--there's just so much to take in. And the Virgin of Guadalupe looks down upon the whole scene from her location above the large front doors. Magical realism doesn't seem farfetched in this setting--sitting in a large booth with the embossed leather (and comfy) banquettes, Hispanic music and wonderful aromas filling the air, I felt as if I were in a scene from an Isabel Allende novel.

As good as Marinitas is--and it is good--it is not the place for an intimate dinner. (Krahling's more elegant restaurant Insalata's is more appropriate for a special date.) It is crowded--even on a weekday evening--and noisy, very much a party atmosphere. The full bar offers 90-plus tequilas, three different Margaritas (ranging from tart to very smooth), a number of signature drinks--including a couple of mojitos, a pisco punch (which we thought had a bitter flavor)--and a selection of Argentinean and Chilean wines. Joining my favorite dining companion and me were two friends who have traveled extensively south of the border. They were surprised, and one of them quite disappointed, that sangrita--a mixture of tomato juice (sometimes citrus, too) and chiles or hot sauce--was not offered to accompany tequila shots. On being told they didn't have it, our disappointed diner commented that they should, and that high-end Mexican restaurants always have it. More on this later… Chef Frank Villa, along with Krahling, has created an interesting menu highlighting dishes from various regions of Mexico and Latin America. Sharing dishes family-style is encouraged--though diners are certainly welcome to order separately--and we were on board with that. We were given "share plates" (about the size of a saucer), which were replaced frequently (along with silverware) throughout the meal. We started with the sopa de tortilla ($6.75), a fire-roasted tomato broth with shredded chicken, fried epazote (a common Mexican herb), queso fresco and tortilla chips. We enjoyed the stewy, rich flavor (in spite of some question as to its authenticity). We couldn't pass up the ceviche sampler ($13.75), an appealing presentation of three small variations of fish and seafood "cooked" by their marinades: the classic shellfish, tomato and lime--the most familiar and overall, our favorite; the Jaliscan with cod, orange and green olives--unlike any I'd had before, and quite good; and the tuna crudo, with adobo and cucumbers (cut into long, thin "strings")--which we also liked. Along with the ceviche, we were given a ramekin of exceptional housemade Tabasco sauce. And that's when our sangrita man leapt into action: Calling our server over, he carefully explained how he wanted the bartender to mix the Tabasco with tomato juice; then to bring two shots of this mixture and two shots of tequila; and finally, to send the manager to our table. Manager Omar White tasted the concoction and told us he would certainly bring it up--and , in fact, management is currently looking into recipes. Tequila drinkers, you can thank us later… The clear "winner" among our appetizers was the queso fundido ($8.50): though presented attractively, we quickly made a mess of the chorizo, crushed potatoes and pumpkin seeds blended with smoky chile sauce, cilantro crema, topped with melted cheeses and served with large, warm tortilla chips. Definitely too rich to eat regularly, but well worth the occasional indulgence--especially when split among four people. We couldn't decide between the two salads, so we ordered both. The Mexicana ($9) was especially good--a great combination of flavors and crunchy textures with chopped romaine lettuce and cabbage, radish, jicama, green onions, queso fresco, fresh oregano and tortilla strips, lightly dressed in a cumin citrus vinaigrette. The subtler Marinitas ($8) featured Little Gem lettuce (a farmers market favorite) with avocado, pumpkin seeds and queso fresco in a creamy--and very good--lime vinaigrette. It seemed odd, but each of our entrees was served separately, which entailed a change of "share plates" and silverware. Although the explanation (later when I talked to general manager Patrick Coll) that this keeps sauces from one dish mixing with another makes sense on one level, it adds up to a lot of water to wash so many dishes--and that was just our table. Coll did tell me that we should have been asked if we wanted everything served together, but I think we threw our server off with the sangrita issue. That our plates and silverware were whisked away so quickly--we finally kept our hands on them--is certainly a sign of good service, but we were also concerned about the water. And yes, we actually discussed water usage as we continued to enjoy our meal. We found the roast cod in the pescado Yucateco ($16.75) to be a little dry, but the sikil pak, a Yucatecan salsa, helped counteract that; and the corncakes with epazote, cherry tomato-pumpkin seed vinaigrette were excellent. The especiales de la semana on Thursday is a pork "Tinga" stew ($13.75) with sweet corn polenta--a must-have for two in our group. The tender pork was fine, though undersalted, but the creamy polenta with kernels of corn was perfect. From the list of enchiladas and tacos we went with the two enchiladas de pollo ($12.75) and were glad we did: a melt-in-your mouth combo of tender, shredded chicken with a smoky, spicy--though not mouth-burning--ancho chile tomato sauce and jack cheese Our final entrée, the plato vegetariano ($14.25), featured a chile relleno; but you can forget the familiar dipped and fried version bathed in cheese. This chile was stuffed with grilled corn and queso Oaxaca, quinoa pilaf (unlike any quinoa I've tasted before), chard with raja crema, sautéed trumpet mushrooms (so earthy and delicious), along with chipotle glazed butternut squash--a creative, colorful and delectable dish. We had packed away a lot of food, so our server seemed surprised that we wanted dessert ($6.50 each). We considered the chocolate chile cake, and the tres leche cake with strawberries (which I've been told is wonderful), but those sounded too heavy; so we chose the alfajores, a South American shortbread cookie sandwich with sweet milk and coconut (served in a small paper bag) and churros--plus excellent coffee. We enjoyed the alfajores--but loved the light, greaseless churros with their warm chocolate dipping sauce. When asked if we'd like anything else, we laughed and said, "a small check." Considering all the good to excellent food we ate, the check was quite reasonable. And judging by how busy Marinitas is after just a couple of months, it's apparent that many others are also enjoying the tasty ethnic fare in this festive setting.