Tu y Yo Mexican Fonda

Usually I can go to a restaurant with friends, try a little bit from each persons dish, and call that research. Then there’s the places I hold in high regard and take friends to regularly, so reviewing them is a little harder. One such place is Tu y Yo, an excellent Mexican restaurant located near Davis square. One reason I find it hard to write about the place is that their specials change frequently and they trim the fat off their menu pretty often. For example: their exquisite pork in Guajillo and cinnamon sauce? Gone. Sorry if you didn't get to try it. The other reason I wanted to review the place is that even food writers who should know better tend to accuse the place of being expensive, since they are accustomed to 5 dollar blimp burritos instead of traditional southern Mexican cuisine. This is of course an unfair assumption; if we can pay $8 to $18 for “really good Indian” or “really good Italian”, then I think the price is perfectly fair for “really good southern Mexican”.

So what is Southern Mexican Cuisine? I would recommend breaking down its genes first, starting with the pre-Hispanic cooking of a dozen indigenous tribes. These chefs of ancestral times used fruits, nuts, chilies, spices, and wild game to produce exquisite dishes that conquered the conquistadors. Next of course is our Spanish influence, with the tapa analogue antojitos and our own spin on paella, chorizo, and albondigas. But the least appreciated element of southern cuisine is the splash of French influence established in 1867 (who do you think we fought on Cinco de Mayo?).

As such you have rich sauces made from indigenous ingredients, served with slow roasted meats or in small tapa style portions. And speaking of smaller fare the appetizers there are excellent, but not stingy at all. I recommend perhaps one appetizer per every two guests, unless you intend to turn this into an eating contest. The first thing that will catch people’s eye is the fact that crickets are served in a couple of the appetizers, be it in taco or empanada form. Traditionally crickets are lightly salted and served with lime, tasting like a meaty peanut. Here they have been sautéed with peppers and spices giving them the flavor of deliciously spicy sun dried tomatoes. Then again the crickets are mostly whole, so I doubt there will be a point where you forget that you are eating chitinous insects. Less dramatic but still exotic are quesadillas de huitlacoche, a fungus that grows on corn and is mild and sweet, with a slight touch of truffle earthiness. More mainstream appetizers such as the shrimp crepes are excellent and the platter of 5 tamales needs to be tasted at least once, just so you can try the amazing fish tamale included.     

As for entrees, you really can’t go wrong but for a taste of true Mexican cooking you won't get anywhere else; order something made with nopal (cactus) such as the indio vestido or the tasty bisteque borracho, a medley of beef, cactus and spicy beer sauce. Otherwise I recommend a dish that features their clever use of peppers such as one of the moles or better yet the “pulpo con camaron”, a mix of perfect shrimp and octopus served in a sauce of smoky and chocolaty pasilla peppers. Another smart implementation of chilies is their cochinita pivil, a mixture of pulled pork, orange and spices that is less tart than the traditional one but far more complex and rewarding. My most recent visit had me trying the chile relleno de camaron, a large and sweet poblano filled with rich cheese and shrimp. This pepper lies in a pool of deliciously tart cheese sauce and is garnished with a plump and artfully cut shrimp. All dishes come with Mexican rice and a bowl of tasty beans. I also recommend ordering a side of tortillas for your table, since guests will be looking for something to mop up all that delicious sauce with. I can’t tell you much about the desserts since I haven’t ever had the appetite left for it but your choice of drinks is great, in particular I recommend the Oaxaca style hot chocolate, a bohemia beer or even the sangria. Yeah, while most people who enjoy their wine hate sangria I have found it to be especially refreshing here and it has a wealth of seasonal fruit floating in it, making it all the more fun.