El Dorado is a legendary city of gold, sought over the centuries by hosts of Spanish Conquistadors in South, Central, even North America. If you don't believe me, check out the latest "Indiana Jones" film.

The El Dorado restaurant we discovered in Elkridge isn't, of course, made of gold. But the food here is something of a treasure anyway. El Dorado features "Mexican Cuisine," and both words are significant descriptives.

According to restaurant manager Ramon Magos, the culinary accent in this attractive restaurant is on Mexican food, as opposed to the Tex-Mex fare that more than a few so-called Mexican restaurants feature.

And the word "cuisine" also has meaning, as the menu features more "authentic" Mexican dishes -- and authentically prepared -- than you'll find in other South-of-the-Border-style cantinas.

El Dorado is at the corner of Route 1 and Montgomery Road. The building's style is contemporary, and inside, it's more Zen than you'll find in a lot of places featuring this type of cuisine. Arguably, that's because the place used to be a sushi restaurant, which went belly up a couple years ago.

When El Dorado owner Dimas Romualdo came along, he re-did the interior, adding colorful Mexican tiles and Mexican-style props: serapes, sombreros, like that. But the space features vaulted ceilings, plenty of skylights and windows and lovely, light wood throughout, all lending a very spacious air. Walls are yellow ocher and avocado green, tables are bare-topped "mahogany" and chairs are wood. And all the dishes are white, providing a soothing backdrop to the vibrant colors in the plated food.

The space is equally divided between a bar/dining room and "just" a dining room.

Four of us dined in the latter space on a recent Sunday evening.

First impressions

While we waited for our beverages -- which were somewhat long in coming and actually the only glitch in otherwise good service -- we perused the menu and munched on homemade salsa and homemade nacho chips. The salsa was semi-chunky, a tomato base with just the right heat, and undertones of smoky chipotle peppers. The chips were puffy and crisp, flour tortillas that had been cut into wedges and deep fried.

We shared a pair of appetizers: calamari ($6.95), and "El Dorado Taquitos" ($7). The former were among the best we've tried in a while. Petite rings, golden crisp in their cornmeal coats, tender and non-fishy. Lime wedges came with, as did a charming, smoky chipotle aioli (flavored homemade mayonnaise).

And the taquitos! Not those teeny-weeny cigarette-size rolls you can buy in your grocer's freezer, but a trio of larger, clearly housemade cylinders, stuffed with shredded chicken and garnished in and around with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, a pleasantly spiced, chunky pico de gallo sauce and sour cream. Plenty for the four of us to share. Actually, large enough to make a main course, particularly at lunch (if you can resist the temptation to try one of the other goodies on offer here).

Y quatro

This restaurant offers ample samples of what we in Norte America consider Mexican fare: fajitas (including an all-vegetable option), tacos (soft only) and enchiladas. But even some of these are creative in concept. Like chicken-filled enchiladas, topped not with ranchero sauce, but with a mole (savory chocolate) sauce instead. Or filled with crab meat and shrimp and done up in a brandy sauce.

Prices range from $8.95 for the classic tacos to $14.95 for the mixed fajitas, which feature chicken, beef and shrimp. All platters (and these are basically platters) include at least rice and beans. Some (the fajitas) even get pico de gallo sauce, guacamole and sour cream.

Just so you know, even the side-dish rice here is good. Lightly tinted red, fluffy and rice-y, making a fine foil for more personable companion dishes. The black beans are really black, creamy and really tender.

Ah, but back to the menu. There are six seafood entrees that among the signature dishes at El Dorado. Tilapia, snapper, shrimp and a paella are among the temptations, which range in price from $13.95 to $15.95 (for the Mexican-style paella).

There are also seven interesting items in the "Platters" section of the menu. Chicken is featured in four of them. But there are two beef dishes and a pork offering. Prices here range $12.95 to $16.95. And all sound interesting.

Our traditionalist went with the Tacos Mexicanos ($10.95), opting for the chicken rather than the beef filling. These were a pair of soft tacos, each actually two flour tortillas stacked atop each other and loosely wrapped around a filling of grilled, then shredded chicken (our taster prefers chunks) and garnished with lettuce, mild shredded cheese (like mozzarella), pico de gallo sauce and sour cream. And accompanied by the rice and those black beans I mentioned.

Another taster tried the El Dorado steak, which at $16.95 is the priciest item on the menu. And well worth it, according to this guest. The tender steak was grilled to perfect medium-rare and topped with grilled scallions, mildish chilaca peppers and small, tender pieces of cactus. "Best steak I've had in a long time," was the comment. Said more than once, by the way.

From the "Platters" section, one taster opted for the Paella Mexicana ($15.95). This is one of the most popular dishes at El Dorado, according to manager Magos. There's certainly plenty to eat here, all seafood: jumbo shrimp, calamari, littleneck clams and mussels. No peas or other veggies, as with classic paella Valencia, but served over rice, as is classic. The rice seemed somewhat salty to our taster. And while a background cilantro flavor was evocative, perhaps some saffron (which is what makes classic paella so wonderful) could find its way into the Mexican style dish?

Miguel -- just Miguel -- is El Dorado's chef. Magos says the dishes on the menu are the product of the entire staff, who all consider themselves part of Dimas Romualdo's extended family.

But Miguel regularly creates specials for weekend consumption. And on this particular Sunday, chiles rellenos were on offer. Not the "usual," stuffed with cheese, though. Rather, one of the pair of large, dark green, mildly spicy poblano peppers was stuffed with beef and the other with chicken.

Our taster, for whom chiles rellenos are a must-have whenever she can get them, was somewhat hesitant about ordering these non-traditional ones. Turns out she was so taken with the ranchero-sauce-topped combination she couldn't decide "which is better, the beef or the chicken?"

We opted out of the dessert course, although we were tempted by such traditional treats as rice pudding, flan (with a scoop of ice cream, too), fried ice cream and coconut ice cream made from goat's milk (helado con coco y cajeta). Most of the sweets are priced at $3.95.

El Dorado opened its doors on Jan. 4. Since then, the Dorado "team" has revamped the parking lot, and they're working on an outdoor dining patio which they hope to open before the dining-outdoors season comes to an end.

This place can be worth the trip, especially if all you know about Mexican food is from what you learned in chain restaurants..

El Dorado Mexican Cuisine (410-540-9572) is at 6270 Washington Blvd. (Route 1 at Montgomery Road). Open seven days. Kids menu. Sunday brunch menu.

user comments (0)