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Alice Dishes

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March 21, 2017

El Molino Central, Sonoma – Mexican Comfort Food With Style

It’s not often that I crave Mexican food. I love the way the meats are braised in tons of spices and herbs, but tend to find all that corn, beans and rice, a little hard to digest. El Molino Central in Boyes Hot Springs, Sonoma, is a jewel of a place and may just change all that.

First off, its vibe is quite different from the stereotypical Mexican joint. No dark interiors, with over-use of murals and cacti plants here. Instead, it manages to mash-up an almost French vibe (the lettering on the front of the building alone, says “French brassiere”) with a sweet, clean beach feel. Both the bright interior of the kitchen—which is where you order; and the fun patio area—where you eat, are inviting and fresh. Much like the food.

The indoor and outdoor patios at El Molino Central with a palm tree backdrop.

When I visited, the winter/spring menu was on offer with nary a burrito in sight, and quesadillas offered for kids only. From Pozole Rojo de Jalisco, a pork and hominy soup stew with traditional garnishes ($14) to Mole Poblano Chicken Enchiladas with refried beans and sour cream $13, and Bohemia Beer Battered Fish Tacos ($9.50), the dishes on offer – without exception – sound tasty and delicious.

And there’s the specials board – the Wild Halibut Ceviche ($14.50) caught our eye… although I have to say, our eyes were clearly bigger than our stomachs. Especially after munching away on the homemade tortilla chips and chunky, fresh-made guacamole. I should have predicted that the portion sizes would have been generous, to say the least.

We ordered the crispy beef brisket tacos ($14) with little gems, escabeche and crema salsa. I mistakenly thought that the beef would be crispy, not the tacos! But nevertheless, the beef inside the crimped tacos was very tasty.

Crispy beef brisket tacos (hidden under all the toppings on the left).

I didn’t get a chance to taste the Roasted Butternut Squash Enchiladas ($14) – but it looked like a plateful of cheesy comfort food – and who can argue with that?

Roasted butternut squash enchiladas.

And the halibut ceviche, which came with more chips and avocado was fresh and tangy, if a little too oniony for my taste, but sadly we had over-ordered. Thank goodness for doggie bags.

Halibut ceviche with avocado.

Teen Monkey hadn’t had dinner and wasn’t with us, so I picked up some delish pork tamales ($15 for four) from the chilled cabinet which was also stocked with a plethora of sauces and other takeout delights. A helpful customer in line recommended wrapping the tamales in plastic wrap when reheating in the microwave so they didn’t dry out. Duly noted.

We enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails at the Sonoma Mission Inn which is right across the street, and with a pleasantly mild hunger on arrival, we left El Molino Central completely satiated and with a bag full of leftovers for Sunday lunch.

You can find El Molino Central at 11 Central Ave., Sonoma (Boyes Hot Springs). (707) 939­1010

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel Tagged With: Boyes Hot Springs, El Molino Central, North Bay Mexican Food, Sonoma, Sonoma County

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A bit about me... I grew up in the UK and moved to Northern California in the late 1990s, drawn here, like so many others, by the lure of ...

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A bit about me... I grew up in the UK and moved to Northern California in the late 1990s, drawn here, like so many others, by the lure of the dot.com ...

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