One good guac

I’ve never been to Mexico, but yet I always crave it’s south-of-the-border food. I know our American version of the country’s food is rather unconventional, I love the bold semi-tropical tastes that even we here in the States get to enjoy. There is just something about that colorful combination of spicy, salty, creamy, sweet, and tangy that all meddle together in a flavorful fiesta. If only I could bottle up Mexico, sprinkle a bit here and there, then life would sure be more vibrant.

I admit, I have weakness for guacamole, and since my tastebuds are highly attuned, I can easily discern a fabulous guac from a sub-par wanna-be. I had the pleasure of dining at Mari Luna Latin Grill this past weekend, and I would say the chefs at Mari Luna make one exquisite guacamole. Is it the best guac I’ve ever had? No. But it is delicious, seasoned very well with salt and lime –  the two key ingredients I taste for in guacamole. The purity of the avocado should not be overwhelmed by onion or garlic, and Mari Luna Latin Grill masters this art. I could enjoy the guacamole with homemade tri-colored tortilla chips without worrying about that foul aftertaste onion so notoriously leaves in one’s mouth into the wee hours of the next day. Additionally, the “Mexican butter,” as it is commonly known, was chock full of fresh tomatoes and cilantro, both vital ingredients.

Overall, our meal at Mari Luna Latin Grill was decent. Mari Luna Latin Grill is the sister restaurant of Mari Luna Mexican Grill. The restaurants are located within one mile of each other on Reisterstown Road in Pikesville, Md. Both dining establishments offer wonderful food, respectively – the Mexican Grill offers traditional Mexican cuisine and the Latin Grill serves conventional Latin fare.