Ole

Ole is a Mexican restaurant in Inman Square that serves a mix of tapas and full dinners. The ingredients are all fresh and made from scratch, and menu is creative and includes twists on classic Mexican dishes. I tried it for the first time over the weekend and ordered several items off the tapas menu. One appetizer, four tapas, and two sides were more than enough for two to share and experience a good portion of the menu. 

We started with the guacamole, which was prepared tableside. The ingredients were simple: avocado, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and once complete the guacamole tasted great. They seemed to use a little more lime juice than I’ve had at other places, and it really added to the flavor. The chips were also fresh, served warm, and not too oily.



The tapas and sides came next and included:
 

Sopes Ole: corn masa boats (like mini taco bowls) with black beans, plantains, braised pork, tomato salsa, cotija cheese, and pea tendrils. These were delicious and one of my favorites.

Tamal de mole negro: corn tamale stuffed with chicken, and topped with a black mole and pea tendrils. These were good, but I realized I’m not crazy about mole unless it’s mixed with another sauce (like BBQ).

Tacos de pescado: beer battered haddock in corn tortillas, topped with cabbage, cilantro pesto, spicy mayo, and black sesame seeds. These were another favorite, the fish was fried perfectly and I loved the flavor of the cilantro pesto.

Tacos al pastor: grilled marinated roast pork in corn tortillas, topped with orange pineapple salsa. This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes in general, and I ordered it whenever I see it on a menu. This was one of the better preparations I’ve tried.  

          Arroz Mexicana: this was described as baked rice with tomato sauce, onions, and garlic. I was expecting the rice to be creamy because of the sauce, but it was traditional Mexican rice cooked with just a little bit of sauce for flavor.

Frijoles churros: pinto beans simmered with bacon, poblanos, tomato, and pesto. These looked like Boston baked beans, and tasted great mixed in with the rice.

Each plate came with two pieces or portions big enough for two to share (and just have a taste). I enjoyed all of them, but my favorites were the two tacos and the sopes ole.  I would definitely like to go back and try some more tapas as well as the full dinner menu.