Perhaps the word to describe Publico is "locaMex". Just inside the front door of the very modern interior, not a sombrero in sight, thank goodness, is a chalkboard with the local suppliers contributing to that evening's dinner. However it isn't quite Mexican either – certainly not in the Tex-Mexican sense we still automatically think of, but even beyond that. The fare runs south from the Rio Grande, sure, but it continues way beyond that, hopping over the Panama Canal and continuing until I wouldn't have been surprised to see regional specialties from the Puntas del Este and Arenas. There are arepas, the fat little corn cakes that come out of Colombia and Venezuela. There's a parrilla, the wood grill that we've come to know via Francis Mallmann, the hot chef from Argentina. But this is the newest project from Mike Randolph, known to St. Louis from The Good Pie, Half and Half, and the now-gone Little Country Gentleman and MediaNoche, and this kind of creationism coming from him shouldn't surprise his regulars.
On the drinks menu is alcohol from lots of Latin American countries, but the prime component is tequila. The wine list has Argentinian and Spanish wine, but none from Chile. Que pasa with that, anyway? Also some interesting cocktails involving those alcohols,both in the classic style and some innovations; from the former's list, there's a Frozen Paloma, made with Espalon Blanco tequila and a housemade grapefruit soda all put through what's essentially a Slushy machine. The result is happily, dangerously, tasty, superb on a warm night. (The soda is also available without alcohol, and not at all bitter, for those who hesitate at the idea of grapefruit.)
Most of the menu are lighter items, small plates, and tacos, so it's easy, and more fun, to nibble on lots of things. Take the pinto beans, for instance – and this is coming from a person who feels that of all the beans, pintos are her least favored. They're great, verging dangerously close to fabulous. Flavored with lamb drippings and, astoundingly, some mint, they delight. The dish is served with an arepa for wiping up the last bits. Arepas, which might be the love child of a corn tortilla and cornbread, also serve as a base for some other items, including one topped with lamb liver butter and crisp fried sage leaves with a drizzle of maple syrup. For the growing number of those who love salty-sweet, it's a revelation, the lamb butter like a foie gras pate, very salty on its own but balanced by the arepa and the dab of sweet from the syrup.
Far simpler are the cebollitos, grilled green onions. I didn't pick up much from the cilantro vinaigrette, but they're sufficiently tasty on their own. We did ask for some tortillas to wrap them in, creating a sort of onion mini-burrito. Returning to the complex, a composed salad with the very seasonal ingredients of morel mushrooms and fiddlehead greens, along with barley arrived warm with a properly assertive vinaigrette, lots of lime and more cilantro than the onions had worn. Impressively delicious.
Interesting options in the tacos' fillings, but do pause briefly to note that Randolph is buying corn from Mexico and grinding and pressing it into tacos in-house. They're about the size of street tacos you'd find at our more authentic Mexican eateries in town, two or three bites. No ground beef here, for sure. Fish, an al pastor, a smoked beef tongue. We tried some with leg of lamb and a charred onion salsa. Tacos are two to an order, and one is not allowed to get two different tacos in one order, despite all varieties being the same price, $6.50, so it was easy to share with my pal. The lamb was good, but not remarkable. What was remarkable, however, was the mushroom taco. Oyster mushrooms snuggled under julienne of radish and cucumber, and a little of the earthy-tasting fungus called huitlacoche, a light dribble of a goat cheese cream adding to the fun.
Four entrees total, two of which are meant to be shared. That's the whole roast fish and a whole roast chicken. Individuals may chose between a hanger steak and a pork chop. The pork chop, nicely brined and cooked to the point between pink and creamy white, sliced and using its bone as a decorative piece (although the barbarians among us could easily gnaw on it), it looked great. The dab of peach and habanero butter drizzled over it, though, didn't give the expected flair. In fact, except for a weensy bit of heat on two bites, it seemed non-existent.
Two desserts, a rice pudding with mango and lime and bits of grated dried foie gras sprinkled on it. The texture on the pudding was perfect, and the lime added a nice note. It seemed short on the mango, and the foie gras' contribution was neglible. The winner was the flan, that seeming cliche of Spanish-Mexican desserts. Satin-smooth and sitting in a puddle of what the menu called cherry mezcal soup but was more like a sauce, the rich custard and the sharp sauce balanced each other wonderfully.
Good service on two visits, although the kitchen's pacing seems slightly off. An early-evening visit when things were very quiet had the pork chop arriving about three minutes after the appetizer did. If this is going to be one of those spots where food arrives whenever it's finished, no matter the part of the menu it comes from, they need to let customers know. It's not an inexpensive spot, and that means standards are a little higher. The pork chop, for instance, was $19, a la carte, no sides, not even garnish beyond the bone rampant.
Nice pictures on the website but not much else – try Facebook. Reservations via Open Table.
Worth it if one chooses carefully is the early word here.
Publico
6679 Delmar Boulevard, University City
314-833-5780
Dinner Tuesday-Sunday
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Good
Smoking: No
Entrees: $18-$19