[Note: Since this article was written, Taste of Puebla has moved to a new location, at 201 Birch St. in Kennett Square.]
When asked if I’d like to start writing about my culinary adventures with my son Jonathan, I jumped at the chance. My husband and I have been taking him out to eat with us since he could barely sit up, starting at first with kid-focused fare and moving over time toward more grown-up flavors.
In his 10 years Jonathan has dined on his fair share of ginger dumplings, jumbo lump crab cakes and charcuterie, but one of his all-time favorites is Mexican food. So when our first assignment came, to visit Taste of Puebla in West Grove, we were excited. We had already picked up some of the restaurant’s fabulous guac at West Chester’s Artisan Exchange and were anxious to try more.
Our visit to the restaurant landed smack dab in the middle of the summer’s first heat wave, and our spirits were sagging after several hot, sticky days. That feeling quickly ended when our lovely server Jessica brought us each an agua fresca. Concocted with nothing more than fresh blended fruit, water, ice and a wee bit of sugar, these drinks, shaken ‘til frothy, are refreshing and just plain fabulous. Jonathan ordered the pineapple, while I tried the lime & cucumber. He declared his “definitely a winner,” ordered another and then said those magical words every parent longs to hear: “It’s even better than soda!”
Next we dug into some homemade chips, pico de gallo and guacamole. Crunchy, just salty enough and not oily at all, this is what every tortilla chip should aspire to be. The guac is also wonderful: chunky yet creamy and packing a tiny bit of heat, it didn’t last long. I think we went on to have two more servings, but at some point I lost count. My highest praise, however, goes to the pico de gallo. Tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime and salt. That’s it—and that’s all it should be. Taste of Puebla knows the deal and keeps it simple.
While we waited for our dinner we spoke with owners Cristobal and Mariana Castaneda. Cristobal runs the front of the house and takes Taste of Puebla’s wares to local farmers’ markets while Mariana cooks, a relationship that has brought them much success. Married over 30 years, Cristobal and Mariana came to the United States from their native Puebla, a state in Mexico, in the 1980s. Surprisingly, Mariana never cooked professionally before the couple opened the restaurant, but after years of encouragement by family and friends, they took the plunge and opened Taste of Puebla three years ago.
Mariana explained that her goal is not only to provide an authentic Puebla food experience but also to dispel the myth that Mexican food is greasy and cheesy. She strives for better, healthier fare with each recipe, using as little oil as possible, local produce in season and always the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses.
My dinner started out with albondigas en chipotle—ground beef meatballs stuffed with hard-boiled eggs and served with a chipotle sauce. The meatballs were light and the sauce was fresh and bright, with just the right amount of spice. I followed that up with the enchiladas poblanas, corn tortillas stuffed with chicken, dipped in authentic mole poblano sauce and topped with queso fresco and onions. I’m glad Marianna recommended this dish. The mole was divine, and the crunch of the onions, the smoothness of the queso fresco and a touch of heat all worked together in perfect harmony.
Of course we saved room for dessert, which was buñuelos the night we were visiting. I’ll let Jonathan tell you about that below, but suffice it to say that this ice cream dish was a great treat on a hot day.
As we reluctantly left, the restaurant started to fill with customers whom Cristobal and Marianna greeted as if they’d known them a long time. They probably have, since after one visit I know we’ll definitely be back for more. We won’t have to travel to West Grove on our next trip to Taste of Puebla, however. While there I learned that the restaurant is moving to Kennett Square sometime this summer. Look for them in the former Kennett Steak and Mushroom spot at Broad and Birch streets. We’ll be sure to give you the heads up when they’re in their new location!
For now, find Taste of Puebla at 304 E. Baltimore Pike in West Grove and on Facebook; phone: (610) 869-5869.
Word from the Kids’ Table:
My pineapple agua fresca was even better than soda! I also tried the lime flavor, which was very good, too. The chips are pretty much the best that I’ve ever had, and so was the guacamole. I normally don’t like chunky guacamole, but theirs is delicious! I love the cheese that they use in the quesadilla I ordered—it was very melty, smooth and tasty. For dessert we had buñuelos: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice cream in a crunchy fried dough shell, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. What a relief on such a hot day! (I hope you like my picture of it above.) Our server Jessica was very friendly, and she checked on us often to make sure we had everything we needed. We also brought home a huge container of the yummy guacamole, which was gone in two days! I would definitely recommend Taste of Puebla to kids like me who like to try foods from other countries.
- Photos: Michele (and Jonathan) Kornegay
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