Nuevo Leon on Lower Greenville Avenue isn’t the place to eat.
Tex-Mex. They don’t want you to. Nuevo Leon is the place to eat Mex-Mex. Owners David Trevino and Luis Ramirez think you should have a taste of the real thing.
You’ll find dishes with familiar-sounding names, to be sure, but expect to be pleasantly surprised by the difference in flavorings. Adventurous eaters will find selections to keep them interested as well. At Nuevo Leon, they focus on serving real “home cooking” from Mexico.
Authentic regional sauces give rellenos, enchiladas (the word derives from chile, meaning spicy – find a really spicy enchilada anywhere else in town), and steak and fish specialties a flavorful twist hard to come by in the Dallas restaurant scene. Trevino, the newest generation of an established Dallas business family, also operates two other Nuevo Leon locations. The first opened in Plano, and the newest store is in Uptown on Oak Lawn. Ramirez is a local boy made good, having started as a bus boy at Cantina Laredo in his youth.
Osvaldo Cortez, manager of the Greenville Avenue restaurant, can even tell you the difference between types of chiles used in the recipes, how to pit-roast a baby goat, and the esoterica of mole’ (yes, you can get it here). All you have to do is ask.
It’s enough to make a person swear off refried beans forever.
NUEVO LEON
2013 GREENVILLE AVENUE, 214-887-8148
CARNE ASADA CHIMICHURRI
2 tsp. fresh garlic, finely minced
2 c. olive oil
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced
15 chiles de arbol (available at Fiesta or Farmer’s Market)
Place all ingredients in blender, process at medium speed 30 seconds. Allow chimichurri sauce to rest a minimum of 30 minutes.
Grill an 8 oz. butterflied skirt steak medium (or to taste)
Ladle sauce over warm steak. Serve with guacamole, pico de gallo and borracho beans. Also good with grilled vegetables.
Serves Four.
