Salon Mexico, New York

Nation's Restaurant News, Sept 23, 2002 by Paul Frumkin

Salon Mexico derives its name from Aaron Copland's orchestral piece, El Salon Mexico--which was constructed around traditional Mexican melodies and named after a Mexico City dance hail popular in the 1930s. Like Copland, chef-owner Alan Miguel Kaplan provides his own Yankee interpretation of traditional Mexican culture--in this case, its cooking.

And again in the Copland vein, Kaplan doesn't try to depict any particular region over another. Rather, he attempts to represent all of Mexico. "These are dishes I've taken from my experiences," he explains, "and then added my own signature to them."

John Mariani, in a review of Salon Mexico in his online newsletter, Virtual Gourmet, characterizes Kaplan as a zealous missionary for Mexican cooking. Kaplan, who lived in Mexico City for 11 years, says Mariani describes him perfectly. "I'm obsessed with the country," he says. "There's no greater joy than being a gringo in Mexico."

These days the high-energy "gringo" is back in the States, displaying his culinary obsessions at the 8-month-old Salon Mexico, located at 136 E. 26th St., the former site of the famed La Colombe d'Or. Kaplan opened, suitably enough, on Valentine's Day this year, which he allows was "a bold step" given New York's tough economic climate.

Kaplan takes a commonly served dish like chilies rellenos-- roasted poblano pepper stuffed with cheese--and proceeds to dress it up by adding shrimp and scallops and serving it in a salsa of chipotle chili, tequila and manchego cheese.

Another appetizer that bears Kaplan's signature is empanadas de pato. He serves the flaky turnovers filled with pieces of duck and shiitake mushrooms in a chili cascabel and cognac sauce.

He also features numerous variations on a Mexican mole theme --in fact, the menu lists a mole del dia, or mole of the day. While most moles served in this country feature chicken simmered in a dark, rich sauce flavored with a little unsweetened chocolate, Kaplan is quick to point out that a true mole can include dozens of ingredients. "A mole can be very intricate," he explains.

A recent daily special featured rabbit mole prepared in peanut and guajillo chili sauce. In addition, Kaplan offers duck in a green mole sauce flavored with tomatillos and several chilies, as a permanent menu fixture.

For a seafood special he also served an escabeche, which featured Hawaiian mahi mahi wrapped in banana leaves and flavored with onions, sauteed carrots, roasted raisins, jalapenos, tomatoes and epazote. The escabeche is unwrapped tableside, like a French poisson en papillote, so that the diner can appreciate the full aromatic qualities of the dish.

"It 's a dish that hits on all cylinders," he says.

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Opened: Feb. 14, 2002

Owner: Tepoz LLC

Cuisine: upscale Mexican

Check average: $52 per person

Food cost: 28 to 29 percent

Labor cost: 28 percent

Seats: 102

Menu maker: Alan Miguel Kaplan

Best-selling items: mole poblano; carne ala tequila; shrimp, Brazilian lobster tail, scallops, clams and mussels roasted in a salsa

BOTANAS

Ensalada verde mesclun greens served with goat cheese and cilantro dressing 6

Eempanadas de pato flaky turnovers filled with duck and shitake mushrooms in a salsa of chili chipotle and cognac 9

Seviche de salmon cold-water Maine salmon marinated in lime juice, orange juice and pepper in a salsa of tomato, orange juice, chili guajillo and olive oil served with avocado slices, onion, cilantro, and fresh tortilla chips 10

Sopa azteca chicken soup with chili guajillo, slices of avocado, oaxaca cheese, tortilla strips and sour cream 7

SIDES

Poblanos crema roasted poblano pepper with manchego cheese, onions and sour cream 7

Papa cazadora potatoes with chili jalapeno, crispy bacon and onion 7

Papa al chipotle mashed potatoes with chili chipotle, manchego, anejo and cheddar cheeses and sour cream 7

ENTREES

Hawaiian mahi mahi served with clams and mussels in a salsa of tomatillo, chili de arbol, cilantro, onions and tequila 17

Brazilian lobster tail, shrimp, scallops, clams and mussels roasted in a salsa of poblano peppers 26

Polio en mole poblano breast of chicken in a traditional salsa of mole poblano 15

Mexican casserole of chicken breast, tortilla strips and manchego cheese in a salsa of chilies Serrano and chipotle, pinto beans and sour cream 15

Cordeiro al salsa sirloin of lamb braised in a salsa of chili pasilla, onion, tequila and queso anejo 20.

Mole verde con pato duck breast in a salsa of pumpkin seed, chili Serrano, tomatillo and sesame seed, served with fresh corn puree 18