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Restaurant Review: Señorita’s!
By Janet Curran Perlman Published: 09/02/2009
Revisiting a previously reviewed restaurant always sends my culinary antennae quivering with curiosity. Will the menu be a little dog-eared and worn, featuring nothing but the same dishes? Will the restaurant have fallen victim to the revolving-door chef syndrome? Will a once-crowded venue now be empty?No, no—and no—I found when revisiting Señorita’s Mexican Grill in Bloomfield. Many items were marked as new on the menu, Chef Ricky Cascante was still firmly in charge of the kitchen, and a formerly undiscovered, but excellent, restaurant was now a popular destination, vibrant with life and filled with enthusiastic diners.
So, “Viva” for this eatery and for managing partner Andres Quesada-Cascante, whose enthusiasm and drive contribute greatly to Señorita’s success. “This isn’t a job to me—this is my dream,” he says. “I’m having fun every day.”
Quesada’s fun translates into fabulous authentic Mexican cuisine. Sitting under the restaurant’s logo of a lovely señorita, daintily lifting her long and colorful skirt, we were delighted to sample again the honey-glazed Grilled Platanos (plantains), $5.75, and the excellent tamale appetizer, $3.75, a mixture of corn meal, vegetables, and pulled chicken or pork carefully wrapped inside a large corn husk and slowly steamed, served with green tomatillo and red enchilada sauces.
Among the new and highly recommended appetizer items on the updated menu are the Sinaloa Shrimp Cocktail, $9.95, jumbo tender shrimp enhanced with the taste of lime and layered with a special avocado dressing, and the $8.95 Hongos Fundidos, baby mushrooms sautéed with garlic and lime, served in an aromatic broth and lightly covered with melted Chihuahua cheese.
Tableside Guacamole ($6.95 or $8.95 with asparagus) brings the preparation of an authentic guacamole right to the diner—as a waiter deftly slices, pits, scoops, and mixes the avocado with onions, tomato, lime juice, and cilantro.
Shredded chunks of chicken add dimension and depth to the generously portioned $12.95
Arroz con Pollo, a spicy and satisfying rendering of this traditional favorite, made here with saffron rice and a garden-rich array of colorful vegetables. Chicken Mole, $11.95, is outstanding, infused with ingredients ranging from 16 different dried chilies to almonds, sesame seeds, peanut butter, cinnamon, and chocolate.
Even steak takes on a southwestern flavor at Señorita’s, with the perfectly executed Steak Quintana Roo, $16.95, a rib-eye steak topped with baby spinach and Oaxaca cheese. Intrigued by salmon Mexican style? Try the Salmon Chipotle, $14.95, covered with Señorita’s red chipotle clam sauce and served with a choice of two sides.
Señorita’s offers a full-service bar with a variety of specialty drinks, including a full range of margaritas. For dessert, skip the flan and opt for either the velvety Mexican Rice Pudding or the Tres Leches Cake, tasty and moist, made with three types of milk. End the evening with a cup of Señorita’s dark and intense Mexican Hot Chocolate—bringing an authentic conclusion to your journey into the world of Mexican cuisine.
Señorita’s
Mexican Grill
285 Glenwood Avenue,
Bloomfield
973-743-0099
SenoritasMexicanGrill.com
Liquor license
Hours of operation:
Mon-Thu: 11am-10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm
Sun: 11am-9pm
