I, unfortunately, rarely make it out to this part of town. When I do, I tend to go an binges, scarfing down food from one or two of my favorite spots, and adding a new place that has been on my must-try list. This time, it was La Condesa. \n\nEverything about La Condesa took me by surprise, regardless of the high expectations I already had. I loved its interior--the small space, the rustic wood furniture, the artwork, everything. A big departure from the usual feel of cheap-mexican restaurants/taquerias, it felt homey, warm, inviting. I was expecting to just shoot a quick order to the girl at the counter, but instead got table service, and extremely friendly and attentive service to boot (sounds like it's usually an order-at-the-counter place, though). \n\nOn to the food: don't expect the usual suspects at the salsa bar--these salsas and toppings were phenomenal. I didn't ask, but I suspect they were all made in-house, and seemed incredibly fresh and were really a unique assortment. A great mellow, nutty peanut sauce, smokey chipotle salsa, creamy/salty cilantro, an awesome Mexican (or was it Mayan?) salsa (my favorite of what I tried)...my only regret was not sampling more.\n\nWhat I loved about the menu were the unique options that branched far beyond the usual suspects. I went with three tacos: tinga, mole, cochinita pibil. When they arrived, all of them looked beautiful, and were surprisingly and thankfully chocked-full of meat. I took one bite of the mole and...HO...LY.....SHIT. Ever go to a restaurant and casually take a bite of something without giving it too much thought, only to be immediately punched in the face by its deliciousness? I love it when this happens. It's one of those pure joys in life, and happens far too infrequently...but it happened here. I'm a sucker for any type of mole, but sometimes they fall a bit 'flat'. This one did not. It had a fantastic bite and complexity to it that really elevated the mole to one of the best I've had. The tinga and cochinita were both equally great. The meat in all three was insanely tender and flavorful from the great sauces they had simmered in.\n\nI paid the bill--$9.80--and realized that it was an awesome deal. Sure, you can find tacos in town for less than $3/ea, but they will not be like these. Not to mention, the portions were generous, I got free chips and a run at the salsa bar. \n\nI drove home feeling like I was teetering on the edge of purging...this was, after all, my second substantial meal in the course of 1 hour. But it was well worth it. Adding yet another spot to my list of places I have to hit when in the area. Already searching for an excuse.
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