Rosa Mexicano: Eh....

You know, it might be better if people told you that a restaurant sucked before you went there, because if it were only halfway decent, you'd probably be okay with your experience there. Of course, the problem with that is that you might never go if you heard that it sucked. How does this relate to Rosa Mexicano (http://www.rosamexicano.info/ -- D.C. location at 575 7th Street)? Well, I had been wanting to try it for the longest time, because I had heard great things about it. As a result, my expectations were rather high. RM was fine, but I don't think that it lived up to the hype. I was with a big group and we first ordered the guacamole, which was made tableside, always a fun touch. It was of course nice and fresh, but a bit on the bland side; maybe it could have used some salt or something... I ordered the chicken tortilla pie. I once had a discussion with a fellow cheese-loving friend about whether something could be over-cheesed, and we concluded that it could be. I think that the tortilla pie was a tad overcheesed, which detracted from the overall presentation of the dish. We ordered churros, which were okay and could have tasted a little less greasy and a little fresher. The coffee was fine. Nothing to write home about, but not bad at all. Would I go back? Sure, if other people were going, I wouldn't pitch a fit, but I wouldn't go out of my way. If I went back, I would order the mole because it looked really really good. Oh, and the black beans served with the entrees are to die for. Hands down the best part of the meal.

Mi Casita

I highly recommend Mi Casita (1334 Defense Hwy Gambrills, MD 21054). I have been there twice. The first time, I went on a whim because I like to try new restaurants. I'm not sure how long it's been around, but I'm sure that it will stay around for quite awhile given the excellent food. Granted, I'm no connoisseur of Mexican food, but I know what tastes good and what's boring. The first time that I actually had decent tacos was at Tacqueria Nacionale in D.C. I didn't expect anything nearly as good at Mi Casita. It's in Gambrills for heavens' sake -- not in podunk, but not really known for its stellar food. During my first visit, I tried the marinated pork tacos. Excellent is all I can say. The stringy pork was tender and flavorful, and the tortilla tasted like a real, fresh corn tortilla. It's amazing how many Mexican restaurants on the mid-Atlantic coast are incapable of serving good corn tortillas. The first time that you have good tacos is an earth-shattering experience. We ordered sopapillas with ice cream for dessert. Again, fantastic. The sopapillas had the perfect texture and flavor, were drizzled with honey, and came with dense and rich vanilla ice cream. The second visit was just as good. I branched out from the tacos that I love and tried the marinated beef flautas. They were crispy on the outside, and the beef, like the pork the previous time, was perfectly marinated. They were topped with fresh Mexican cheese, and believe me, you can taste the difference. My husband ordered beef enchilladas poblano, which were topped with a chocolate-infused sauce. The chocolate flavor came out nicely and paired well with the beef. We ordered the fried ice cream for dessert. I wanted to order the sopapillas again, but my husband prevailed upon me. I'm usually not a big fan of fried ice cream, but it was excellent. The ice cream was coated with cookie crumbs and came in a fried cinnamon tortilla bowl. There was a choice of honey, strawberry, or chocolate topping, and we picked honey. It was absolutely delicious. Let's see. Other good things... The servers on both occasions immediately brought chips and fresh-tasting salsa to the table. Because I live in a perpetual state of hunger, I really appreciated it. The only downside was the rice and beans, which are never really that exciting. I thought that given how wonderful the rest of the food was, there might be something special about them. A minor complaint, though. Pricewise, it's more expensive than a lot of other Mexican food, but not by much. The quality of the food makes it well worth it.