TRES Cazuelas
Tortillas
Spanish Rice
Patatas Bravas – Poblano Aioli, Parsley
Roasted Corn Off The Cob “Esquites” – Cilantro, Lime, Chipotle Aioli, Queso
Fettuccine & Braised Short Rib – Mushroom, Parmesan Sauce
Pollo En Mole Poblano – Pasilla-Chocolate Mole “Poblano,” Sesame Seed
Bistec Con Elote En Salsa Tatemada – Beef, Roasted Corn, Tatemada Sauce
Chicken Chilaquiles – Chicken, Guajillo Chilaquiles, Crema, Queso Fresco
They say failure to prepare is preparing to fail, and although Angelo Reyes’ TRES Cazuelas has gotten its fair share of accolades since opening a Saturday take-out order during COVID-19 restrictions sputtered and stalled in almost every manner imaginable.
Located at the corner of Spring Mountain Road and Polaris Avenue for just over a year, and self-described as serving “Artisanal Latin Cuisine,” it is inside homey confines that the former Marché Bacchus General Manager offers family recipes with a broad range of influences, Mexican making up the majority but also inclusive of traditional Spanish and a bit of Basque.
Currently Take-out and delivery only, a failure of anyone answering phone calls during updated business hours necessitating an e-mail to inquire about offerings and portion sizes, it was redirected to Reyes’ cellular phone that questions were answered followed by suggestions, the Fettuccine strongly encouraged and eventually added despite its failure to fit TRES Cazuelas concept.
Placing an order less than six hours later via ChowNow, as requested by ownership given the streamlined zero-fee format that accepts payment by credit card, confirmation was received instantly with Visa charge pending, a second e-mail from ChowNow telling of their brand and benefit to restaurants also appearing under Gmail’s “Promotions” tab.
Noticing minor discrepancies between the ChowNow menu and that on TRES Cazuelas website, it was three days later that an e-mail arrived early-morning to confirm the order would be ready at 11:30am, arrival at 11:25 finding nothing ready and Angelo standing idly while one kid cooked in the kitchen without PPE.
Clearly not expecting a walk-in despite open doors adjacent Sand Dollar Lounge, “I thought your order was 12:30″ followed by a steady stream of excuses, it was without gloves or mask that Reyes hopped on the line claiming everything “will be ready in 20 minutes,” in reality 43 during which conversation was heard including how many extra Tortillas should be included to make up for issues.
Suggested in various reviews to hand-make both Chips and soft Corn Tortillas, the former likely and admittedly excellent with a trio of toppings, suffice it to say that the latter was neither Corn nor made on-site, though lightly warmed in a pan and fine as a delivery mechanism for dishes such as “Bistec Con Elote En Salsa Tatemada” featuring bits of Steak and smoky Salsa with Corn.
Next taking liberties with traditional plates, the Esquites decent but likely better with fresh Corn, it seems hard to believe that anyone with familiarity will be convinced by Patatas Bravas dressed green, the soggy Spuds potentially previously frozen while the Sauce lacks complexity and comes across mostly medium-hot.
Not adding much but filler with Spanish Rice, Reyes description of portions as “generous” seeing two of each item more than capable of sating a family of six, Chicken Chilaquiles were further compromised by cold hunks of Queso atop a strangely Tomato-like Sauce while the aforementioned Fettuccine & Braised Short Rib was fine, but sporting less than 2oz of Protein and none of the menu-listed Mushrooms.
Perhaps making a mistake by not ordering more “cazuelas,” or dishes cooked in saucepots, the one item that did stand out was TRES Cazuelas Pollo En Mole Poblano, a dish often made far too sweet in America here finding great depth and earthiness with an unexpected assist from Sesame Seeds.
TWO STARS: Trying very hard to practice patience during tough times, but there is nothing particularly “artisanal” about TRES Cazuelas process or Ingredients, and If you’re going to use an online ordering system, but don’t know how to use an online ordering system, and thus completely void the reasons behind using an online ordering system…then probably don’t use an online ordering system.
RECOMMENDED: Housemade Tortilla Chips, Pollo En Mole Poblano.
AVOID: Patatas Bravas, Chicken Chilaquiles.
TIP: ChowNow Link currently looks to be down, so perhaps something was learned from this event, but ownership’s failure to answer e-mails or apologize without copious excuses suggests otherwise.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.trescazuelas.com

