26 June 29th–July 5th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | a few friends and get the parillada. This massive, sizzling platter is mounded with juicy grilled skirt steak, tender pork al pastor and some fabulous chorizo with potatoes that have sucked up all of the ruddy, spiced pork fat. This is all familiar territory if you’re modestly versed in street tacos, but the meats are rarely seasoned so well and cooked so perfectly. Add a pile of thick, fresh corn tortillas, punchy salsas, some pickled nopales, grilled cebollitas and a hefty tub of rice and beans, and you might need more than a few friends. If you come up short, the leftovers make for one hell of a taco night later in the week. A challenging future Given the current labor crunch in the restaurant industry, Cocina Chiwas’ weakness is predictable, and Hernandez knows it. “Our biggest downfall is always going to be service,” he says. “It’s hard to instill, listen, guys, be excited about this. We’re doing something. I think that’s the hardest thing.” The building is slick and the food is mostly sharp, but the service very much depends on the evening. Staff who’ve bought in are bursting with good vibes, but it isn’t difficult to tell who’s really on board and who’s just punching the clock. On one visit, we never received a specials menu. On another, the cocktails were outstanding, but by the time they arrived, the dishes we’d ordered them with had been served, eaten and cleared. But once the mains are gone, dessert is worth your attention. The tamal de dulce, made mostly with pecans, hits a perfect sweet-but-not-too-sweet note, dressed with mascarpone and piloncillo syrup. And if the panna cotta’s texture seems a touch more robust than you expect, that’s because it’s mostly made of corn — clean and light, topped with a tart berry compote and crisp toasted nuts. One could argue about the ways these dishes do or don’t adhere to a strict inter- pretation of Mexican food, however it’s defined, but there’s a signal coming through loud and clear: The food at Cocina Chiwas is informed by tradition, it captures the essence of Mexican cuisine and it chan- nels that energy through the lived experi- ence of a couple who have one foot in Chihuahua and the other in Arizona. The result is both honest and delicious, and it’s another example of how Phoenix chefs and diners would do well to be less certain about what they think they know, and to ease their preconceptions of what Mexican cuisine should or shouldn’t be. There’s more than one way to make food that speaks with a clear and earnest voice, and Arizona needs to find the space and support for all of it. As Hernandez puts it, “I hope that if anything, we inspire people to not think about Mexican food in the same straight line. Do something that’s different, that’s fun. We love Arizona, and we want Arizona to become better.” Amen. Cocina Chiwas 2001 East Apache Blvd., Tempe 480-916-3690 | cocinachiwasaz.com 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Small plates $12-$24; Big plates $22-$32; Table platters $65-$70; Desserts $14-$15. Cocina Chiwas’ “quesadillas” embody the restaurant’s ethos — playing with expectations of what Mexican food can be. Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin are the forces behind the newly opened Cocina Chiwas in Tempe. Dominic Armato Jacob Tyler Dunn Boundaries from p 24
