Móle Cantina Wellington, in the outer circle of The Mall at Wellington Green by the State Road 7 Whole Foods, is under new ownership. I was invited, as the Westlake Wanderer, to try out their new menu. Now, while I didn’t spend a single peso on this delightful evening of eating and drinking, know this: I would never lie to you all. So take this review with all the grains of margarita salt!
New owners Sia Hemmati, of Aventura’s beloved Petit Gourmet Diner, and Cuban-American Chef Daryn Garcia have almost 65 years of restaurant hospitality experience between them. Their goal with Móle Cantina isn’t so much to renovate or make property or brand changes, but, instead, to lower prices while improving the quality of Móle Cantina’s menu items. What I know, is that their food and cocktails are delicious and the ambiance has all the exotic, yet comforting Mexican mood we crave!
DRINKS: I had tastes of Móle’s Strawberry Basil Martini; Spicy Pineapple Margarita; Mango Mezcal Mule; and Espresso Martini. The fruit cocktails were fresh and well-balanced, the fruit taste was obvious without being too sweet, they were *just* spicy enough, and had a perfect pour of liquor. The fruit pulp in the Strawberry Basil Martini and Spicy Pineapple Margarita added a delightful cold “slushie” texture to the drinks.
As for the Espresso Martini, I could smell the caffeine emanating from it. So I had only a couple of sips. I wanted more, but I’d be dancing in my kitchen at 3AM with a dog in my arms, filling the dishwasher if I’d had the whole thing. Highly recommend if you’re Cuban or otherwise have coffee running through your veins.
FOOD: Everything I had was delicious. But if I have to, I’ll highly recommend the Birria Croquetas and anything with tuna or pork belly!
The Birria Croqueta was a perfectly fried orb of birria in a pond of tart, cooling tomatillo & avocado crema. The croqueta held up as a finger food. I squished the ball into a disc shape to dip it in the crema and it managed to not fall apart because all of its components were moist enough. The crema perfectly complemented the savory fried exterior and birria interior. YUM.
The Tuna (tartare) Tostada and Pork Belly Street Taco BOTH made my dining partner proclaim: What is happening?! I didn’t know either!
The tuna was so fresh and succulent and flavorful and the tostada chip it was on had a delightfully nostalgic tortilla chip taste. The Pork Belly Street Taco was finger li$%ing good. I’m sorry to lean on that slogan, but it’s the truth.
DESSERT: I had never had a Tres Leches Cake. My dinner mates warned me it was a soggy cake. But I tell no lies when I say that this cold, wet cake was light and refreshing and held its shape and texture and that everyone’s cake was gone by the end of the night. YUM.
I usually eat at Móle when I’m out in Wellington for doctor or hair or whatever appointments. The new Móle Cantina is still open during those appointment hours, but it’s also added some fun nighttime events, too, and the evening drive home to Westlake is surprisingly short (it was about 25 minutes!).
Legend has it if you get full on chips and salsa alone, these skeletons will reanimate and haunt the streets of Wellington till your next visit.
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