Vegetarians, carnivores, go south of the border

By GAIL CIAMPA
Journal Food Editor

• See the menu.

PROVIDENCE -- How perfect is a place where you can please vegetarian and carnivore alike, enjoy a frozen margarita -- and do it all in less than 30 minutes?

Pretty perfect, as long as you like tacos and burritos. I confess, I do.

Cilantro Mexican Grill in downtown Providence follows a quick counter-service model made famous by many a fast food joint. But the difference here is that they do it with fresh ingredients, homemade condiments and a Cal-Mex flair.

Give me a giant warm flour tortilla, folded around a filling of spicy chicken, cilantro-flavored white rice, yummy pinto beans, and garnished with crunchy corn and mango salsa, and I can face the rest of the day and night. Add a side of deep-fried white corn chips with a side of creamy guacamole and house-made salsa, and well, let's just say I'll take it over any grinder and chips, any day.

The restaurant, in the shadow of Johnson & Wales downtown campus, is narrow and long and utilitarian. A photo shop once occupied the space. Its walls are painted bright red, and on them hangs original artwork that is for sale.

There are lots of tables and counter seats that face a wall. Music plays, loudly. It's a college atmosphere, but many of the diners on the day of my visit are in suits, businessmen and women from downtown offices.

They are clearly drawn by the food. To the back of the restaurant they walk, to look up to the menu and down to the line of servers, secure behind a glass partition. They are at the ready to create tacos and burritos. All the ingredients are in view, so you can see then select, from the meats to the garnish.

The first decision is whether to pick a soft flour burrito in white or whole wheat, or crunchy folded corn tortillas that make the taco shells (you'll get four per order), or soft tacos (three per order).

Then it's time to decide on the meat, from marinated chicken, ground beef or pork. The chicken is marinated in an adobo sauce, a paste made with chile peppers. The carnitas pork, Mexican for little meats, is shredded and blended with a spice mix that includes cumin, garlic powder and cayenne. The ground beef is also spiced, then mixed with red onions.

Next, the long-grain white rice is added.

The vegetarian alternative skips the meat portion and goes straight to bean selection. The choice is black beans or pinto beans. Neither is cooked in a meat stock, so they are truly vegetarian.

Red or green bell peppers, flavored with oregano, and red onions are stuffed into the veggie dishes, but also are another choice for all the meat ones.

Next up are the salsas, all of them house-made. They come in three heats, mild, regular and hot. The medium choice is corn and mango, which includes cilantro. It adds a fun crunch to any burrito. The hot has chopped jalapenos for heat. The mild is a freshly chopped tomato mixture.

Garnishes include romaine lettuce, sour cream and shredded cheese, a blend of white cheddar and Monterey Jack.

You don't need chips and salsa, but why deny yourself? White corn chips are deep fried and spiced with fresh lime salt. They are made fresh daily. So, too, is the guacamole, made from Hass avocados, which are dark green, almost black with a prickly skin.

The margaritas come out of an old-fashioned lemonade machine with the clear glass revealing all the Tequila fun. Bottled Corona beer is also available, as are soft drinks.

Before sitting down with your tray full of food, diners can pick up salt and pepper shakers (very cute mini Corona beer bottles) and several varieties of hot jalapeno sauces.

You can have dinner or a late-night snack at Cilantro -- they are even open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday -- and you can enjoy those margaritas or bottled Coronas. But it's also nice to the see the luncheon choices in downtown Providence expand to south of the border.

*****

Details, Details

Cilantro Mexican Grill, 127 Weybosset St., Providence, (401) 421-8226 (TACO). Counter service. Free delivery. Wheelchair accessible. One high chair available. No smoking. Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturday. V and MC. Street parking. Burritos and tacos cost $5.25 to $5.74; chips and salsa $1.99; margaritas $3.99 and beer $3 to $3.50. No wine available.

*****

Bill of fare

The bill for two at Cilantro Mexican Grill might look something like this:

Chicken taco . . . $5.74

Vegetarian burrito . . . $5.25

Side of guacamole . . . $1.25

Chips and salsa . . . $1.99

2 sodas . . . $2.50

Tax . . . $1.16

Total . . . $17.89

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Cilantro Mexican Grill