Dining review: La Plancha offers south-of-the-border feel

There is something incomparable about sipping a margarita under a Mexican beachside palapa. Being there makes the heat feel hotter and the comingled aroma of grilled fish, lime and salt air more enticing.

At Corte Madera's La Plancha Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar, the long, horizontal windows turn Highway 101 into a scenic view wholly different from any beach scene, but the wire-strung Edison bulbs slung from the "thatched" ceiling and bright red booths call to mind the festive spirit of a south-of-the border barbecue.

Into the space tucked behind the Best Western that, for 17 years, was Max's Café, La Plancha sprung to life in early February. "Deli just doesn't have

Plato Pequeno roasted corn with crema and cotija cheese at La Plancha Mexican Grill & Tequila BarÊon Madera Blvd. in Corte Madera, Calif. Monday, April 15, 2013.(Special to the IJ/James Cacciatore) James Cacciatore

a hit list to pull in young families or the dinner crowd like it used to," says Billy Berkowitz, one of the owners of the restaurant group, Max's World, that includes La Plancha. A grandson of the original Max of Max's Café, Berkowitz and others in the family-run enterprise saw an opportunity in the mid-Marin market to serve the true flavors of Mexico. Max's World executive chef Carlos Salcedo's roots are in Culiacán, just north of Mazatlán. He designed a menu that mixes comfortable Cal-Mex standards with edgier, more modern Mexican fare and traditional Mexican dishes.

Salsa, a fundamental element of Mexican cooking, receives premium placement on a wide — and free — salsa bar near the front entrance. Eight

salsas were available the night I visited, ranging from mild pico de gallo and tomatillo-avocado to a spicy curtido, the chilies de árbol floating atop the brine. Perhaps less familiar to norteño diners than to Mexican diners is the beet and jicama salsa. Fans of Max's just might recognize the flavor. Salcedo took the onion and orange juice marinade from a heritage recipe of Max's, added some cilantro and — poof, a cross-cultural pollination that worked.

Dollop some beet salsa onto the tacos ($10 for three). Served street-style atop palm-sized corn tortillas with house-pickled onions and fresh cilantro, the petite bites ranged from a peppery carne asada beef to a braised, mild chicken tinga. Salcedo knows his way around chilies, and the blackened cod on the pescado taco was fiery with anticipated (and joyfully received) cayenne heat.

Step back from the heat with the pork carnitas ($16). Slow-roasted with whole oranges, oregano and cumin, then seared at 500 degrees, the charred ends were nice and crispy while the center meat remained juicy and tender.

Natural to a Mexican menu are beans and rice ($3, side dish), but Salcedo makes these staple dishes interesting with plenty of colors to choose from;

tomato red, garlic cilantro green or vegetable brown rice and black, pinto, refried or charro (border-style) beans. A side of corn on the cob ($3) was served as they would at the beach or a local Mexican market, rolled in cotija and a bit of crema, and a whole plantain ($3), broiled in its skin; it was silky sweet.

Vegetables feature prominently, too, on the camarones tamarindo ($18). A fine dice of Mexican squash, corn, onion, red and pasilla peppers were sautéed and delicately sweet. Nestled into this vegetable bed, the prawns — glazed only with tamarind, orange juice and piloncillo — was reminiscent of tomato-based barbecue, the sour note of tamarind tamed by the sugar. A tangle of watermelon radish added a bright note.

Enchiladas ($13) and burritos ($10, vegetable, $11, meat), cheese quesadillas ($8) and nachos ($8, add $3 for chicken or beef) will satisfy the less-adventurous eaters at your tables. But fans of traditional Mexican flavors will enjoy the sopa de calabaza y maiz ($6). A hearty portion of butternut squash and corn, the soup was lush and warmly spiced with cinnamon and red chile flakes.

La Plancha has an entire menu of tequilas and tequila cocktails and an entirely separate room to enjoy them in. The Cantina, off to the left as you enter, is for the 18 and over set. Hung with silver, star-shaped lanterns, and dressed in dark brown woods and tall bar tables, the Cantina evokes a dressier sort of beach experience. The entire menu is available here, too, and a Jalisco lemon drop ($9), swirled with reposado tequila and pomegranate juice, made an enticing entry into the new, energetic scene at the old Max's.

With a menu of old favorites partnered with edgier and less-familiar flavors of Mexico and two uniquely styled rooms in which to savor the cuisine of Mexico, La Plancha Grill & Tequila Bar has the power to charm Mexican food lovers of every stripe. Mix and match, high and low, north and south. That warm tropical breeze is closer than you think.

Source: http://www.marinij.com