Cafe Teresa gets creative with mixed menu

The logo says it all. The enigmatic Mona Lisa sporting a sombrero. You have to give Cafe Teresa credit for having the guts to put out a menu featuring Mexican and Italian cuisines, which may sound an unlikely marriage but has been a rip-roaring success for 17 years.

Just to clarify, this isn’t a fusion of the two, but rather a menu that offers both Italian and Mexican dishes. We’ve tried both and feel they do both equally well.

It’s been years since we visited the restaurant, so we checked in to see if the quality has been maintained.

We’re happy to say the food is still excellent, although we do think the interior could use a little updating. There’s a little bit of Mexican design and a little but of Tuscan design, but Cafe Teresa could use a freshening up with a new color scheme and some unifying design elements.

We sat down to eat and were given a basket of tortilla chips, which were very tasty, but would have been a tad better if they were warm, and excellent salsa.

A trip to Cafe Teresa wouldn’t be a trip without a serving of the Sweet and Hot Barbados Wings ($9.95) – deep fried and coated in the restaurant’s special rum, maple syrup and barbecue sauce. OK, these are neither Mexican nor Italian, but they’re darn good, and that’s all that matters.

In the past, we’ve also indulged in the restaurant’s Prince Edward Island Mussels ($8.95) appetizer, which can be made with a choice of fra diavolo; marinara; lemon, white wine and garlic; chipotle or Cajun or Latin beer sauces. We’ve enjoyed the zippy chipotle and the tangy lemon wine on ours.

Mr. T for T was in a Tex-Mex mood and chose the Grilled Shrimp Fajita ($15.95), huge marinated prawns charcoal-grilled and served with grilled red, yellow and green peppers and onions, Spanish rice and refried beans with lettuce, tomato, guacamole and sour cream on the side. And there was something which we really love – plenty of warm tortillas to wrap around the filling. So many times we’ve ordered this dish and have had to ask – and sometimes pay for – more tortillas because there’s so much more filling than wraps. And the dish was so good, we used every one of them. The shrimp were plump, juicy and perfectly spiced, as were the veggies. This was an excellent dish.

Italy was calling to Mrs. T for T, who ordered her favorite pasta – Puttanesca ($12.95), a heaping bowl with homemade marinara enlivened with capers, black and green olives, hot pepper, garlic and onions, and served with a house salad, for which we chose a yummy homemade cilantro ranch dressing. You can also order this dish with chicken ($15.95) or shrimp ($17.95), but we prefer it simple – just pasta and sauce – without protein to distract from the hot and savory tastes of the pepper, olives and capers.

On previous visits to Cafe Teresa, we’ve also enjoyed the Pollo y Gamberi Pesto Rosso ($17.95), sauteed chicken breast with shrimp, mushrooms and artichoke hearts seasoned with rosemary and thyme in a sundried tomato and black olive-pesto sauce, with chicken broth and cream, over penne pasta on the Italian side of the menu.

For a sandwich, we have also liked the Medianoche ($8.95) (sometimes called a Cubano), a panini made with roasted pork loin sliced and layered with provolone cheese, tomato, red onion and jalapeno mayonnaise. The sandwich derives it’s name – midnight – from its tradition of being eaten as a late-night snack after a night of dancing.

Junior T for T loved his kid’s Cheese Quesadilla ($2.99), and another guest devoured her Chicken Fajita Salad ($10.95), which was loaded down with fresh greens, charbroiled white meat chicken breast strips, guacamole, sour cream and a side of dressing – she chose, and loved, the homemade Parmesan peppercorn.

Cafe Teresa also offers a wide choice of margaritas, as well as a nice wine list.

We understand why Cafe Teresa has stayed open while so many other restaurants have closed. It took a chance with its creative mixed menu, and it worked.