Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
Milagro Modern Mexican
20 Allen, Ste. 130
Webster Groves
314-962-4300
Lunch and dinner Tue–Sun
Dress: Casual, but leave the huaraches at home.
Average Main Course: $9–$17
Reservations: Like the local tianguis, it can get busy on weekends.
Chef: Jason Tilford
Who knew Webster Groves needed a Mexican restaurant? Milagro Modern Mexican seems to be thriving, even in its not-really-visible-from-the-street location. The restaurant’s contemporary decor breaks the stereotypes, and so does its menu. While the words often seem familiar (e.g., enchiladas and tacos), others (e.g., aioli and blood oranges) announce that this isn’t business as usual.
Chips and salsa? The former are dry and fresh, but the latter has almost no heat. A slosh of commercial jalapeño sauce remedies that. The guacamole isn’t strongly flavored and is slightly nubbly, but the texture is oddly sticky. Still, the margaritas are crisp and strong, with no hint of that distressing flavor that reminds us of lime lollipops.
Pressing on, we were rewarded. While the menu item is “traditional quesadillas,” what arrives is more like empanadas, with a thick layer of masa, or corn dough, folded over cheese, wild mushrooms, and a touch of huitlacoche, the fungus delicacy that grows on corn. Freshly cooked, the turnovers are tender, deeply cheesy, and utterly irresistible, making the chipotle-lime aioli superfluous.
The salmon Yucateco arrives medium well done, warm inside but not rock-hard from its grilling. Unfortunately, the achiote marinade adds no particular flavor. The mango salsa on top goes for the savory, the mango still quite firm and tart. Sautéed spinach is nigh-on perfect, with a little garlic, the leaves bright green and almost sweet. Instead of the rustic mashed potatoes that are usually served alongside the dish, we asked for the spicy fried potatoes—quarters of small red potatoes, oven-roasted and crusted in cumin, creamy inside but not crisp.
Testing what the menu terms “street tacos,” we wondered how they compare to those served along Cherokee Street and happily decided they come close. The tortillas are the same as those used for the quesadillas—house-made of masa and perhaps an eighth of an inch thick. That made us smile, as we prefer corn tortillas to (wheat) flour ones. And the fillings? Beef is shredded, a little tingly with heat, but busy with many other seasonings. Chicken tinga is a little spicier, seasoned with chipotle chilis. Roast pork is pulled and quite moist, but it falls behind in terms of flavor, the seasonings lagging. It does, however, wear a tangle of red pickled onion in lieu of pico de gallo. Interestingly, there are salsas for each type of meat: The beef pairs nicely with a seriously spicy chile de árbol sauce; the chicken, with a smoky chile morita salsa; and the pork, with a fruity habañero sauce that’s not too intense, despite the presence of the fiery habañero. The beef and chicken are so good that we merely sampled the salsas; the pork, however, fits perfectly with the orangey fruit-habañero salsa.
Rice and beans? Even the pinto beans, normally not something we dote on, are excellent, well-seasoned, properly cooked, and full of flavor. And the cilantro rice, while not particularly handsome, is far more sophisticated than the usual stuff found with enchiladas, burritos, and so on.
Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream provides a first-rate Mexican chocolate, pudding-thick, dark, and musky-rich with pepper. The tequila ice cream isn’t as successful. And the individual tres leches cake flunks; it’s hard to imagine with this dessert, but the top was desert-dry.
Our greatest tip might be providing directions, as even a GPS fails to find it: When you see Webster Records along Lockwood Avenue, turn onto Allen Avenue and go straight, toward the railroad tracks. Follow the signs until you reach the last building on the left. Bienvenido a casa.
The Bottom Line: A new Mexican restaurant that’s a welcome addition to Old Webster.
By Joe and Ann Pollack
