OK, so we’re a bit late to the party at Alas de Frida, which recently opened at 931 Elm St., the former home of Birch on Elm.
The Mexican restaurant has only been open for a few months, but it’s the sister of El Rincon Zacatecano on Lake Avenue across from SNHU Arena, which even my sister who lives in North Carolina raved about after she stopped there with a friend during a visit.
A fellow Our Gourmet critic reviewed El Rincon several years back, but that’s no excuse for my negligence. I’ve yet to dine there, but I’m sure to do so after experiencing the wonder of Alas de Frida.
While I’ve sampled various versions of Mexican cuisine in the U.S., the most common Americanized variety of Mexican food is deep fried, smothered with cheese and served with a side of refried pinto beans and rice. I’ve indulged in that fare many times, usually after eating too many bowls of chips and salsa.
You’ll still find the complementary house-made chips and salsa at Alas de Frida, but from there the menu diverts from the usual. Sure, there are familiar staples — tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and tamales — but the dishes have more subtle flavors and textures.
My Lovely Dining Companion and I chose to pair our chips and salsa with the Cadillac Margaritas ($17) made with Don Julio Repasado tequila, Grand Marnier and fresh lime.
From the appetizer menu, we ordered the Mini Chimichangas ($12), which were described as “lightly fried,” filled with cheese and are available with chipotle chicken, shredded beef or shredded chicken.
We chose the shredded beef, which were filled with tender, seasoned beef and (as advertised) were lightly fried and tender, a welcome change from the over-fried style one of my sons refers to as “carnival food.” The order arrived with four of these little beauties, so we stashed two on the side for our take-home booty.
Pastor Shrimp Tacos ($16) at Alas de Frida.
We both chose tacos for our entree — yes, that sounds like I’m back-pedaling after the buildup of how authentic Alas de Frida is, but it’s all in the execution.
Plus, how could I resist this menu description for the Carnitas Tacos ($14): “Seasoned pork slow-cooked into tender submission, gently shredded and pan-fried to golden and crispy perfection.”
I surrendered to the tender submission and the crispy perfection. The pork was everything I hoped it would be — it didn’t need hot sauce to bring it to life.
The tacos were served in soft blue corn tortillas and topped with onions, cilantro and salsa (choice of medium spicy or extremely spicy — I chose the middle ground.)
My dining companion chose the Pastor Shrimp Tacos ($16): shrimp marinated in pastor salsa and grilled pineapple. The tender, fresh shrimp rivaled the carnitas for my favorite dish of the evening.
We had a few tacos and chimichangas to take home with us already, so our tour of this gem was brief. We’ll be back to try the Mexican wings ($12), the Spicy Salmon bowl ($18) and a selection from the Birria menu, made with a broth that features “slow simmered beef, aromatics and bone.”
We expect that, like the pork, the beef will be cooked to tender submission.
Alas de Frida 931 Elm St., Manchester; 603-518-7172, alasdefridanh.com Cuisine: Traditional Mexican. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; noon to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Pricing: Appetizers, $5 to $22; entrees, $11 to $18; seafood, $16 to $45. {related_content_uuid}3b0bd101-6f93-4cfb-ae59-b66fc6f547b7{/related_content_uuid}
Scores for Alas de Frida Atmosphere: 17/20 Menu: 17/20 Service: 19/20 Food: 19/20 Value: 18/20 Total: 90/100 {related_content_uuid}95d18ac7-5248-466e-9ba5-2f9a4b414e1c{/related_content_uuid}
