being catty - 8.07.09

The Carolina's Platter at Carolina's Mexican Cuisine

You’ll be hard pressed to find a restaurant company that has opened two locations of a new concept in a matter of four weeks (Carolina’s Mexican Cuisine) and with two more locations of a sister concept set to open the following month (Taco Mundo). However daring she may be, the food and décor of Carolina’s Plano location is far from those same bold aspirations.

Located off 75 and Parker, this second location of Carolina’s Mexican Cuisine is the former Mario’s Chiquita. The inside attempts but does not successfully recreate the Mexico City modern aesthetic of other notable and related - its namesake and owner Carolina is the ex-wife of Mico of Mi Cocina* - Mexican restaurants in Dallas. A bright and beautiful glass tile mosaic flanks the opening to the kitchen, evident when you first walk to the host stand. Its a glimmer of flashy, focused energy but the buck stops there. While the dining room is liberally filled with white clothed four tops, the walls are sparingly decorated with cheap modern canvases.

If there had not been numerous similarities between Mi Cocina and Carolina’s, the history between the two restaurants would be unnecessary and petty. Unfortunately, the ties are unmistakable: the La Bomba vs. Mambo Taxi, Brisket Tacos vs. Tacos “de Brisket” and chips in stainless steel bowl vs. chips in stainless steel bowl. Let the battle begin.

We were promptly and pleasantly greeted, but then again, it was 3:00pm on a Saturday afternoon. The service was friendly and the server teeming with youthful energy. He made a few suggestions and the late lunch/early dinner began with two La Bombas ($6.95).

Round 1: Though served in a tall, slender glass as opposed to the rival’s short old fashioned, the margarita was tart, dangerously strong, and sweet from the sangria swirl. After a second round, you may just assume you are at the illustrious Mi Cocina in Highland Park Village. After another look around the dining room, that may not be such a bad thing.
Outcome: Draw

While sipping, the chips and salsa arrived – in a stainless steel bowl, no doubt. The salsa was smooth and not chunky in the slightest. As they should be this time of year, the tomatoes were uber-fresh and made up for the lack of complementary flavors.

Round 2: The chips were thick and fried crisp but not greasy, deeply golden in color. I think I’ve seen these somewhere before…
Outcome: Draw

At the behest of our server and pleasant surprise to my husband, we ordered the Carolina’s Platter ($11.95). According to my dear friends Merriam and Webster, a platter is a large plate used especially for serving meat. As unappetizing as it sounds, the platter turned out to be a good choice. We tried an assortment of Carolina’s offerings in smaller portions: brisket quesadillas, sopesitos, stuffed jalapenos, crispy minichangas and guacamole. Merriam and Webster weren’t too far off, hidden beneath the fried facades there was a lot of meat on this plate. The sopesitos, small sopes, are corn masa rounds that hold tender bites of brisket. The minichangas, petite chimichangas, were slightly greasy, fried rolls of shredded chicken. The brisket quesadillas were, well, filled with brisket. After a self proclaimed effort to eat more vegetarian last week, I was not starting off on the right foot. However, our favorites on the platter were the vegetarian bites of lime-laden, buttery guacamole and cream cheese stuffed jalapenos, fried in a thick, crumb batter.

Round 3: In all fairness, the two brisket taco versions should be in the ring but: A. I’ve never had the brisket tacos and B. I don’t think I ever will have the brisket tacos. I did not want to like the brisket quesadillas. I don’t generally like red meat and it just sounds so… how do you say? ... fatty. If by fatty you mean tender, juices dripping and sinfully delicious, then yes, these are FATTY. Outcome: Mi Cocina is down for the count.

As I wiped my chin, the lunch combination plate landed ($7.95): a chicken taco, a cheese enchilada and a tamale. Nothing was great, the chicken taco was okay and the tomato rice was good. Overall, it severely disappointed.

Round 4: Carolina’s, even with its quite satisfying platter o’ meat, cannot make up for uninspired cuisine, flavorless Tex-Mex classics, borrowed cookbooks and a dull atmosphere.
Outcome: Mi Cocina is back on its feet, positioned for a KO.

*Note: Mico Rodriquez, founder of Mi Cocina, left the M Crowd in 2008. He no longer owns or operates the restaurants.

Carolina’s Mexican Cuisine
3310 N Central Expy
Plano, TX 75074
(972) 516-2276