Cielo Rojo, Takoma Park, Montgomery County, Maryland

I’d heard some good reports about Cielo Rojo in Takoma Park — apparently there was a positive report by the Washington Post reviewer — and I’d put it on my To- Eat list. So when Nancy suggested we go out for dinner, I raised it as a possibility. Nancy readily agreed, and off we went.

Takoma Park is an interesting suburb. It started off as a commuter suburb in the late 19th century, and then early in the Progressive Era imposed racial and antisemitic covenants on residential property. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the city adopted zoning to restrict multi-family housing and return houses with apartments to single family use. Gentrification duly followed. These days, Takoma Park allows 16 year olds and non-citizens to vote in municipal elections, and has declared itself a Nuclear Free Zone and a sanctuary, at least for Guatemalans and Salvadorans. It also has banned municipal business with Burma, and gone on record as opposing foie gras. It is and has been the home of many well-known people, from Dominique Dawes to Mary Chapin Carpenter. We lived there in an apartment when I was three while while my father was stationed at Walter Reed. Apparently I would take off all my clothes and run down to the corner grocery. I haven’t done that in years.

Back to Cielo Rojo. It’s a large restaurant, and it was encouragingly busy on a Friday evening

We arrived and found the parking lot full, but there was a space in a neighborhood not too far away. We entered the large and attractive space containing a bar area

and two distinct dining areas, one off to the right and another beyond the bar. We were seated inside in the rear dining area. After less than 30 seconds I asked Nancy, “Is this too loud?” She replied by getting up, and we returned to the host station where we requested and presently received an outside table. Much better.

Our server, Andrea, arrived with a smile, menus, and water, and presently returned to take our order. She took care to read the orders back to us to make sure there were no mistakes. We started with some guacamole ($12) and their Trio of House Salsas (additional $3).

That was first class guacamole. It was creamy but not too creamy, with a light zip, but mainly a fresh buttery avocado flavor. The guacamole came with thick and hard tostadas rather than the more familiar thin chips, and they had little flavor. We broke the tostadas into more convenient pieces for scooping and eating, and that worked fine with the guacamole. The salsas, with the exception of the earthy salsa on the left, were a mismatch to the thick tostadas. The orange salsa de arbol and the green salsa were both extremely thin and sufficiently under seasoned that about all you got was tostada flavor. None of the salsas were a hit with either of us. The ratio of tostadas to salsa also was way off, with half or more of each salsa untouched. Stay with the guacamole or perhaps try the queso fundido, and lower your expectations for the chips.

For her main course, Nancy ordered Camarones and plantains ($20).

This was a solid success. The shrimp arrived tender and tasty. Nancy praised the tomato-based sauce and commented on the fragrant rice, and on the dish as a whole.  I had a taste, and after Nancy had eaten all she wanted, finished the remainder. I completely agreed with her assessment.

I ordered three tacos — from left to right, carne asada ($6.00), carnitas ($4.50), and papas and chorizo ($4.50).

Each of the tacos had a good flavor. The carnitas were beefy and vibrant with flavor from the grilling. The meat was enhanced by an avocado salsa, grilled cheese, some poblano strips, and a bit of pico de gallo. The taco contained two slabs of beef that were thick and tough enough to require a good serious bite to get through the beef without pulling it all out. Still, the flavor made it worth your while.

The pork in the carne asada had been braised in orange juice, garlic, and beer and then shredded. That’s much less complex than the carnitas preparation, but if you do that right, it’s all the dish needs. The pork was tender and rich and delicious. The onion and cilantro on top helped balance the richness of the pork. This was good.

Chorizo and potatoes form a classic combination, and pan-fried potatoes with chorizo are common fillings in all manner of Mexican dishes. Their joint appeal comes when the potatoes are finished with the chorizo so that the chorizo and its spicy oil coat the potatoes and the flavors meld. Here, as you can see, the potatoes were cooked by themselves and the chorizo plopped on top. The potatoes, moreover, had been cut into large pieces so that it was harder for the chorizo flavor to penetrate. I added some of the salsa, the green one, in an effort to bring the flavors together, but …

A couple of random notes — A remarkable number of couples and groups sitting outside had brought their dogs. All of the dogs were well behaved, and it gave the restaurant a nice neighborhood feel. And as Nancy noted, there was no cheese on anything not even a dusting of cotija.

We passed on dessert, and when we got home I looked up the Post’s review of Cielo Rojo. As it turned out, the focus was on the appearance of the restaurant and the dishes — “such vivid food that it could just as well be served in a frame as on a plate. Fetching gold and purple tostadas complete the picture.” He and I view restaurants through different lenses. There were some hits with the food, but some misses as well. If artistic presentations and decor are a vital part of your dining experience, definitely give Cielo Roso try.

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