Another one of those restaurants that keep trucking long after the fashionable crowd moves along to the next hot place, Pueblo Solis continues to thrive. Owner Al Solis has expanded into a room just to the north, effectively doubling the space when things get busy on the weekends. The "back" room also is slightly less noisy because it's farther from the bar and waiting area, where decibels rise.
This may be a good place to talk about being recognized and whether it matters. Joe wrote his opinion about it for Relish, the St. Louis Magazine food blog, and you can see that story here. We had a reservation. About a dozen people were waiting for tables when we arrived, some well-timed traffic lights helping us arrive early. We were seated 35 minutes after the reservation time. And, yes, we were recognized by Al, who was running the door. We waited our turn, just like everyone else.
The reward once we got to the table was an excellent margarita, chips that were fresh and warm, and what has been, in our experience, the always-tasty guacamole. Chunky and charming, it helped us study the menu. We did a lot of nibbling, starting with a cup of the soup. This may be the best use ever of the humble pinto bean, the soup sporting bacon, tomato, onion and cilantro, and a little heat, nothing immense. It's brothy rather than thick, but it's a big-flavor dish.
And then there were the quesadillas. The seafood was good, nicely cheesy with tender fish and slightly more firm shrimp pieces. But it's the potato quesadilla that's sinful. Think au gratin potatoes in a crispy flour tortilla, a just-right amount of spiciness and lots of excellent, gooey chihuahua cheese. (We're thinking chihuahua would be a splendid base for a grilled cheese sandwich, actually.) The spinach salad wore avocado, bacon, and some crumbled asadero cheese and was lightly dressed with a crisp vinaigrette.
A special that evening was fish tacos made with tilapia. The mild white fish is a good start for the creamy sauce with very little heat, and the crunchy lettuce. Rather messy to eat, as tacos are, whether they're crisp or soft; this used soft flour tortillas. Chicken enchiladas, here referred to as Swissa, are corn tortillas rolled around a shredded chicken filling, juicy with onion and fragrant with cumin. Green chile sauce showed off the roasted peppers properly with a medium degree of heat. Topped off with white cheese and with sour cream on the side, they were, in a word, succulent.
Both the rice and the beans that accompany entrees at Pueblo Solis are above average. Both seasoned more heavily, so that the porky flavor of the pinto beans is noticeable; and some tomato in the rice lifts it above the snoozer level of so many versions.
A sopapilla made from a plate-sized tortilla makes a special dessert, topped with vanilla ice cream, berries and the traditional shower of cinnamon and sugar. It was very crisp, and the crunchy tortilla, the soft berries and the chill of the ice cream kept forks working long after they should have stopped.
His late Mom used to do the cooking, but it remains in competent hands, still a reliable spot for tasty, refined Mexican food. Be prepared to wait on weekends.
Pueblo Solis
5127 Hampton Ave.
314-351-9000
Dinner Tues.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Difficult
Entrees: $8-$23
