Back to El Futuro

by Trey Popp

Four years after the sucker-punch, I can still feel the pain.

First, our belongings freshly transferred from California to a walk-up on Walnut Street, my lovely and I went out to find a six-pack. Two useless grocery stores and one $11 deli purchase later, the reality of state-controlled suds had us in a daze. Then, some days later, a burrito at the most lauded spot in South Philly came to us carrying a sad cargo of frozen peas.

How were we going to live in this place?

Patiently. After more than a thousand days of homebrewing and making our own moles and fish tacos, we are finally in the midst of an overdue restaurant trend. Xochitl was met with enough success to pave the way for a second crop of hope-inducing Mexican eateries, ranging from Paxia to Distrito to Cantina Dos Segundos — all to be reviewed here within a month.

Ironic, then, that it was only as I began salivating in anticipation of these new arrivals that I discovered Las Tarascas en Zocalo.

Situated on a quiet, pretty block of Lancaster Avenue in Hamilton Village, Zocalo has been turning out contemporary Mexican fare for nearly 20 years. This January, Mary and Gregory Russell bought and overhauled it after a long association with the place. Hand-carved and painted wooden chairs now fill the interior with vibrant primary colors, and the sound of gurgling water tinkles through a renovated patio that's filled with shade.

The food is also a refreshing departure from what has long passed for "authentic" in these parts. Enchiladas come drenched in a dark mole that's appealingly bittersweet. The pork butt in my cochinita pibil wasn't quite shredded, but a long simmer in vinegar and orange had rendered it tender and flavorful. Pollo santuario featured a pounded chicken breast topped with chorizo whose smokiness contrasted nicely with the tang of a fresh tomatillo sauce.

My favorite dish, however, has got to be the sik-il-pak, a Mayan mince of toasted pumpkin seeds, jalapeños, habaneros, garlic, cilantro and onion that Russell kept on the menu under pressure from his regulars. How to describe the salty, spicy pop of this healthy appetizer? If Cortés had tasted it, he might have discovered a purpose higher than pillage.

The rap on Zocalo over the years has been its prices, which remain high, but here's an easy solution: Go for lunch. A $20 entrée goes for $10 at midday, and portions are ample.

If only I'd found them four years ago.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Las Tarascas en Zocalo

3600 Lancaster Ave., 215-895-0139, zocalophilly.com

Hours: Lunch served Mon.-Fri., noon-3 p.m.; dinner served Mon.-Fri., 5-10 p.m.; Sat., 5-11 p.m.; Sun., 5-9 p.m.

Appetizers, $6-$12; Entrées, $18.50-$23 ($8-$12 at lunch)

Reservations recommended

Wheelchair accessible