I am very into food combinations, especially unlikely ones. To most, the idea of putting together chilies and chocolate in a suace is a strange one. But at a very fundamental level, you have the hot and the sweet coming together. And not just sitting in the same dish, but melding together in a most sensually complex way. And thus you have: mole.
Carlos and I had been wanting to try this new Oaxacan restaurant in Park Slope for some time now. Well, for a few weeks. But those weeks are interminable when mole is on the other end. Chiles y Chocolate is a tiny, narrow place that is painted entirely in the rich brown, almost mahogany, shade of mole. Tables are small and round, and we were lucky enough to sit on a pedestal in the window, overlooking the entire mole scene.
We started with the quesadillas antiguas with a vegetable filling of huitlacoche ragout (smoky little mushrooms) and nice, melty cheese. We ordered two entrees to share, the mole negro and a mahi mahi with chipotle, chocolate and mango salsa. My mahi mahi came from the platos modernos side of the menu and Carlos's mole from the platos tradicionales side. I have to say, tradition is far superior to modernity in this case. The fish and its sauce sounded potentially amazing, and had beautiful presentation, but ultimately tasted like not much of anything.
But the mole.
It defies description.
Just go there and consume it.
For dessert we had tamales dulces with oaxacan chocolate and raisin filling. Oh, wow. And wash that down with the namesake chiles y chocolate drink with chipotle essence spread lightly on the inside of the cup. The sweet and spicy goes on forever at this place.
Chiles y Chocolate
54 7th Ave and Lincoln Place
Park Slope, Brooklyn
718-230-7700
Photo credits: Carlos
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