June 23, 2024
This smallish restaurant, on Palace, just a block west of the fine art museum, is not usually crowded, reasonably price and has a cozy on-street terrace for outside dining. The restaurant feels dark, so outside is preferable.
Oaxaca is home to mole sauce, and the classic is a chili chocolate style – the dark brown style in the picture. This is the best of the restaurants many moles. It can be ordered unassembled as sauce on meat, usually chicken, with three tortillas on the side or pre-rolled as enchiladas. This mole is more complicated that just chili and chocolate and is not done this well by most restaurants. This Santa Fe restaurant makes all its sauces from pure ingredients and this Oaxaca Mole is very fine.
Our second favorite mole of the half dozen offered is the green one in the picture. Mole Verde. It looks less appealing because of its chalky texture, but is very good. And a nice complement to the darker one.
Third on our list of favorites is the yellow, or Amarillo, mole also pictured. It is served with pork, instead of chicken. The rose mole is too sweet for my taste.