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Steeped in Mexican cuisine at Casa Tina's
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Dining under the vivid colors of Casa Tina!
Casa Tina, a Mexican restaurant in Dunedin, seemed to have an identity crisis. As always, I was gravitated to the magnetic, vivid decor of a restaurant. From the host stand where I stood about five minutes before I was greeted ten feet away and waived to just pick my own seat, the atmosphere was charming, colorful and warm. The music was very inviting. It reminded me of Jim Carey’s “The Mask”. Advertised to have a fresh, healthy and authentic Mexican food; Casa Tina impressed me with the restaurant’s very vibrant and distinctive decor. The energetic art pieces dangled from several parts of the ceiling and the walls. The beautiful wooden chairs and tables were organized adequately on the restaurant’s floor.
There are two major influences to Mexican cooking. First is the Aztec and second is the Spanish influence. The arrival of Hernando Cortes marked a collision of cultures that resulted in the combining of these two influences that led to the creation of the Mexican foods. The menu was dirty and it had yellow stains on it. There were a few Spanish influences on the Casa Tina’s menu such as meats, cheese, and milk. The menu successfully reflected the Aztecs ingredients such as beans, corn, and squash. It was notable to see that there were vegetarian and vegan versions of popular Mexican dishes. I expected sweet, savory, and spicy Mexican lunch. The presence of the dirt on the menu indicated a possible sloppiness during my lunch service.
The non-alcoholic beverages were served cold and fast. Horchata, made with rice, almonds, cinnamon and sugar, tasted short as I did not taste any almonds. Aqua de Jamaica was hibiscus flowers that were steeped and made into a refreshing chilled beverage. It tasted just like cranberry juice and fruit punch mixed together. Getting a drink refilled was impossible.
The chili was almost like the Cincinnati style. It was a concoction of chopped red onions, red kidney beans, and shredded yellow cheese. It did not have the stew like juice because of the rice at the bottom of the mortar. It was not as the “hell’s brimstone”. The chili was served hot and served less than ten minutes. The server was efficient but failed to tell me that the dish was steaming hot. I discovered the temperature as I burnt several taste buds.
Ensalada de Nopalitos, the cactus salad, is supposed to be more characteristics of Mexico than any other salad. In this cactus salad, the ingredients were sacrificed. Dunedin, a town known for its Farmers’ Market, it was disappointing to see and taste canned cactus spears on my cactus salad. The flavors of the tin metal can were spread all through out the salad. Cactus paddles laid flat on unwashed leaf lettuce. They could have been crisp tender or even served tender and hot. I would not have even prepared that sort of low quality salad at home. It was valueless. I did not even taste any corn or bean salad as it was suggested on the menu.
Enchiladas En Salsa Roja with beef was cooked well. The portions were fair for the value paid. Red chili sauce tasted as if it was cooked three days ago. Rice did not look any fresher. Beans were stale.
The lack of a form dinnerware did not help the inconsistency of the dishes. None of them matched. The chili came in a plastic imitation of a mortar. The Cactus salad was served in a china soup bowl. The Enchiladas was plated on a glass plate and the under plates were all vivacious melamine.
Camaron que se duerme se lo lleva la corriente (Shrimp that sleeps gets carried by the tide)! That said, remember to enjoy the meal you are paying for. Once you get distracted by the vivid colors of the restaurant’s decor, it is hard to pay attention to the items that will make or break your dining experience.
Casa Tina's homepage is at www.casatinas.com/
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Mexican Cuisine
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