By Jim Duncan CVFDude@aol.com

I get more mail, both positive and negative, about Mexican cafès than all other types of restaurants. That figures since it takes a scorecard to keep track of the Hispanic restaurant scene here. So, in pursuit of a broader perspective, I ventured beyond my usual haunts - the brilliant kitchens of Carmen de Avila (La Pena), Rosa Martinez Ruiz (La Rosa) and the Carlos de Leon family (El Salvador del Mundo), seeking the state-of-the art of chiles rellenos.

First stop was La Hacienda. In a previous incarnation, this Army Post Road store was a gem called La Fonda. Its owner grew all his own peppers and squashes on the property. Sadly that garden is gone, but the handsome ranchero dècor remains. We were told that fresh poblanos are used here in all seasons. That is a third millennium, and NAFTA, miracle. La Hacienda served their chiles rellenos "naturale," meaning the stems were intact. They had a perfect golden hue, suggesting fresh oil and some egg yolks added to the whipped egg white coating. They were stuffed with white cheese, which oozed without leaving any greasy puddle. In one special, a stuffed chile came with a taco, frijoles and a generous mound of fresh guacamole, for $4. In another, it came with a tamale and a tostada for $6.50. Hopefully they make a profit at their lively bar, which specializes in lime, strawberry and peach margaritas, plus a full line of tequilas.

Next stop was Los Pinos, where a large parking lot sign warned "No 'For Sale' Vehicles Allowed." I saw such a sign once before and that led to a fantastic dinner in Texas, so I took it as a heavenly omen. The place was packed with mostly Spanish-speaking customers. That doesn't mean as much as it used to, as Mexican taste buds have become Americanized and vice versa. For instance, tacos were all in prefab shells and all combos were made with ground beef. But condiments were very interesting here, with multiple salsas and a Yucatan (habanero)-style hot sauce joining the usual jalapeno-based salsas.

The menu looked familiar. In fact, it was nearly identical to La Hacienda's. The only differences were that Los Pinos added a few house specials, including a chicken mole and some surprisingly good, end-of-the-season oysters on the half shell. A couple prices differed, but the same chiles rellenos special was there. This version also had its stem on, but was darker brown and heavily breaded, with more than whipped eggs. The stuffing reminded me of "suiza," more sour cream than cheese. Our service sucked. Every booth around us turned over twice while we waited for rather simple orders.

Finally, we visited Des Moines' legacy Mexican cafè. El Patio has been around since 1941 and at its present location since 1953. Today it looks more New Mexican than Mexican, with Indian art of John Nieto, Frank Howell and R. C. Gorman. (Gorman once told me to never call him a "Native American.") So we tried the Santa Fe-style chiles rellenos. Since most New Mexicans eschew poblanos for the much sassier New Mexican chilies, I had high hopes. But I barely detected a thin strip of mild pepper. I then deconstructed over half of my order and found that, not only was there no stem, there was no chile either. I was told, "We do it different here. That's the way we've done it for 30 years." When I asked what kind of chile was used, I was told perfunctorily "green."

I didn't ask about the doughy black-bean flauta, served on a "Santa Fe sampler" which also included black beans. Or about the glistening puddle. Even without a full chile, an a la carte relleno here cost more than the combo dinners at the other places.

Food News

The Shops at Roosevelt will inaugurate the city's first all-organic Farmers' Market, every Tuesday beginning in May...Valley Junction's 122 Bar & Grill has relocated, as the Double Deuce Bar and Grill, now at 2222 Forest Ave. Their Italian menu moved to Drake intact. CV

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