Nuevo Leon on lower Greenville Avenue is not 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 will find dishes with familiar-sounding names, to be sure, but expect to be pleasantly surprised by the difference in the flavorings. Adventurous eaters will find selections to keep them interested as well. At Nuevo Leon, they are focused on serving the very best of 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 that is hard to come by in the Dallas restaurant scene. Trevino, the newest generation of an established Dallas business family, operates two other locations of Nuevo Leon as well. 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, the manager of the Greenville Avenue restaurant, took time to talk about food and the neighborhood. Cortez is a native of Mexico City and a former graphic artist. He returned to his roots in the restaurant business to enable himself and his wife, a schoolteacher, to spend more time with his young son. He is proud that his restaurant fills a niche in the local eatery repertoire. Cortez also explained 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).
It was enough to make a person swear off refried beans forever.
Nuevo Leon
2013 Greenville Avenue
214-887-8148
nuevoleonrestaurant.net
CARNE ASADA CHIMICHURRI
Serves 4
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.
