ENTERTAINMENT

‘Watts for Dinner’: Molcajetes adds even more Mexican flavor to Golden Gate

Will Watts
Correspondent
Pazole, left, and chicken flautas from Molcajetes, Golden Gate.

If you’ve ever eaten at El Rincon De Mexico in Naples, the former Maria’s at 951/41 or the Bayshore Drive location of Molcajetes, the menu and food here might seem familiar to you. And that’s a good thing.

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On this Saturday, tacos were being served out front, the music was festive and included moments of karaoke bliss. To this point, Molcajetes might not be the place for a quite conversation – at least on the weekend.

Complimentary chips from Molcajetes, Golden Gate.

First up the complimentary chips and salsa. Thick cut corn chips, along with a stout green (and red) salsa, and Pico de Gallo.   

For my entrée, I picked tampiqueña, which includes refried beans, rice, three cheese enchiladas with your choice of green or red sauce, and your choice of meat – chicken, pork or steak. I picked the skirt steak and green sauce.

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The tender thinly sliced meat featured strips of roasted onions. Fans of skirt steak know if is easy to overcook; but this was grilled to perfection. In addition to the green sauce, the top-notch cheese enchiladas had even more cheese on top, and crema. The rice and beans were not extraordinary, but they weren’t bad either.

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My partner in dine picked the pazole, which means hominy, a traditional stew from Mexico. It is made with its namesake, meat (in this case pork) and is garnished with lettuce, radishes, raw onion and lime.

Tampiqueña from Molcajetes, Golden Gate.

This entrée also comes with your choice of tacos or flautas. My dining companion picked chicken flautas – chicken rolled in corn tortillas, then deep fried and garnished with cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

Every drop of soup was finished and the flautas were devoured. If one must complain, the chicken inside the flautas was a tad dry, but that’s just an excuse to add more salsa.

Try Molcajetes, for authentic flavor and a good time.

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If you go

Molcajetes

  • 12275 Collier Blvd unit 6, Naples
  • 239-778-8473
  • facebook.com/Molcajetes-Golden-Gate