Rosa Mexicana

61 Columbus Avenue at 62nd Street
Near Lincoln Center
212-977-7700

Robert Abrams
November 25, 2003

The entrance of Rosa Mexicana, a Mexican restaurant near Lincoln Center, opens into a narrow but vertically impressive space with Wrightian sightlines. A continuous two-story wall is covered with blue glass tile. Inserted into and projecting from the tile are many human figurines, arrayed in a rectangular field, in the act of diving as water cascades down the tile. This, other than being beautiful, anchors and multiplies the energy flow of the space. You can examine it up close by walking up the staircase to the second floor.

I started with a house salad (Ensalata de Casa). The light dressing on the lettuce was complemented by the boldly prepared onions which added a welcome zing to a standard dish.

As the entrČe I had the chicken mole enchiladas. This dish was excellent. The chicken had just the right coherence: it held together on the fork, but fell apart in my mouth. The mole was savory, activating the tongue with its spices without being overpowering. This dish was served with generous portions of rice and beans.

In a fit of classicism (not to mention hipness), I tried the house special drink - the frozen pomegranate margarita. This was very smooth and fruity. I am not quite sure why the pomegranate seems to be everywhere these days, but if you like fruity drinks, you will like this one. Just drink in moderation so you don't have to spend six months in Hades.

The service was attentive without being intrusive. The flower petals embedded in the lucite at the bar and in the bathroom were a nice touch. The bathroom looked reasonably clean.

The total with a drink, starter and main course came to about $33 before tax. The meal took about an hour from entrance to check: just about the right amount of time to have an enjoyable dinner and make it across the street to catch the ballet.