Dallas Food - Upscale Vegetarian: Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana

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Upscale Vegetarian: Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana
Posted on Thursday, October 11 @ 20:26:49 PDT
Topic: Vegetarian

Though Dallas has been the focus of these reports, I had to make an exception for a notable Fort Worth restaurant. The series wouldn't be complete without visiting Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana, arguably the best Mexican restaurant in Texas. On to the food...

Some might dispute that Lanny's is a Mexican restaurant. They see some of the French, Italian, and Spanish styling and conclude that it's "fusion." This ignores the rather obvious fact that virtually all contemporary Mexican food (and certainly the dishes most Americans would regard as "Mexican") grew out of the fusion of European ingredients and techniques with those of the indigenous populations. (Eliminate pork, beef, chicken, goats, dairy products, onions, citrus fruits, cumin, cilantro, wheat, sesame, radishes, and rice from the Mexican pantry, and what percentage of "Mexican" cuisine is left?)

But, more specifically, such a claim ignores the backdrop of nearly half a millennium of class conflict within the country. In a nutshell, the Spanish were determined to assimilate the native populations. This meant, among other things, bringing them to heel under Christianity, under the Spanish language, and even under European ingredients and cuisine. Tragically absurd efforts were made to root out corn from the native diet, in favor of wheat. Native ingredients and dishes--like the native languages and gods--were associated with poverty and ignorance. Enlightenment and wealth meant European ingredients, dishes, and techniques (and fashion, architecture, art, etc.). Culinary syncretism (as well as religious) was more prevalent on the lower rungs of the social ladder.

Spanish influences were a given. When Italian culinary ideas swept Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, they gradually and predictably filtered into the thinking (and onto the tables) of Mexico's elite. And Mexico's upper class had no special immunity from the increasing culinary dominance of France in the centuries after that--particularly in the brief reign of the French-imposed emperor Maximilian I and during the Porfiriato. It's really only in the last century that indigenous and mestizo culinary influences have started to break through the conservatism, chauvinism, and self-consciousness of the upper class (and those aspiring to join its ranks).

This is a long way of saying that Lanny's is close, in substance and spirit, to the elite culinary traditions of Mexico. While some may disapprove of the more gently "fused," Eurocentric cuisine that dominated the tables of Mexico's upper crust through most of its history, that doesn't make it--or Lanny's--any less "Mexican."

Okay, back on track now. In each meal, the waitstaff were aware that I was dining as a vegetarian, based on the reservation. They were able to identify which menu items were vegetarian and answer detailed questions about ingredients and preparations. Vegetarian entrees were not included on the menu, except on one occasion. However, the kitchen was very willing to improvise. I don't recall any service missteps, vegetarian-related or not. Though the tone of service is fairly casual, it has generally been competent.

The waitress on my first visit asked to confirm that dairy and eggs were okay, but fish was out. She then pointed out the few vegetarian items on the menu--a green salad, a soup, and a tamale appetizer. I asked if there was any stock or lard in the soup and tamale. She said she'd check with the kitchen again, but that Chef Lancarte had informed her that they were true vegetarian items. Returning with the answer (no stock, no lard), I ordered the tamale and soup, and put myself in the kitchen's hands for an entrée.

Shortly after ordering, the amuse bouche arrived--a blue corn and olive croquette suspended on a wire perch. Perfectly crisp on the outside, warm and creamy inside. Sweet, slightly acid, with just a little spiciness. Clever presentation and great flavors.

Lanny's is the only North Texas restaurant I'm aware of that makes regular use of huitlacoche. In the restaurant's early days, before the relocation to the Cultural District, the fungus often appeared in crepes (cf. here and here). This time, it came in a neatly tied tamale with sweet corn mash. The masa was light and smooth. The full, firm lobes of huitlacoche suggested it was fresh or frozen--no mushy canned stuff. The lightly creamy corn mash provided moisture for the otherwise unsauced tamale and a stronger, complementary sweetness to play against the earthier sweetness of the huitlacoche. Beautiful.

I subsequently sent an e-mail to the restaurant asking about the tamale. Chef Lancarte responded, writing, "We use butter in the masa for the huitlacoche tamales, instead of lard. We also use milk and a little bit of sour cream, instead of chicken stock. It is similar to the corundas made in Michoacán."

Next up was a cannellini bean soup. A simple, but agreeable soup with a vegetable stock base, beans, tender (but not mushy) spinach, and a tangle of egg white cooked on top. Though it had a certain home-style appeal, it was probably the least interesting dish I had at Lanny's.

Jump from the mellow, rustic soup to one of the most interesting and successful improvisations I encountered in the preparation of this series. It was a trio of house-made angel hair pasta (i.e., fideo), a carrot and Brussels sprouts salad, and spaghetti squash. The al dente pasta was served in mojo de ajo, with sautéed shiitakes and a sharp, nutty parmesan. The salad in the center consisted of cumin-infused baby carrots and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Visually mirroring the angel hair, the spaghetti squash was treated almost like pasta, served in a slightly spicy beurre noisette with a faint hint of truffle aroma (probably from oil), and with crisp, sweet broccolini. Between each of the three dish components were halved, smoked grapes. The mild smoky sweetness of the grapes brought together the aromatic qualities of adjoining items, linking them effectively. There was a lot happening on the plate, but it was coherent, interesting, and delicious.

Dessert was one of my old favorites from Lanny's: churros with cajeta. Fried to order, light and crisp, the churros were fantastic. The cajeta, made with raw goat milk from La Cuesta Farm and a splash of brandy, was robust and complex--no mistaking it for dulce de leche. A perfect rendition of a classic.

The mignardises were Mexican wedding cookies. I neglected to take a picture of them, but you can see them in this photo from a prior meal. Light, crisp, and sweet.

The amuse bouche for my next meal was a pea tendril salad, lightly dressed with a lavender vinaigrette, served with a ripe, halved, grilled aprium, and a rich balsamic reduction. Mid-summer on a plate.

The appetizer was the huitlacoche tamale again. There's nothing to say that isn't already said by the fact that I ordered this a second time.

The entrée this time was linguini with broccolini, morel and maitake mushrooms, and a mint chimichurri. The pasta and sauce were excellent, as was the broccolini. The mushrooms were good (though out of season), adding some earthiness and meaty substance to the dish. A very enjoyable dish. (My dining companion, after trying a few bites, wanted to swap me for her non-vegetarian entrée, which was also quite good.)

Dessert was a raspberry goat cheesecake with a praline sauce and cajeta. Though the two sauces were one too many (especially with both having similarly intense sweetness), both were good. The goat milk cajeta had a natural affinity with the cheesecake, though the nutty praline sauce offered some welcome textural contrast. Though the cheesecake may have been baked, it wasn't obvious to me, if it was. In texture and flavor, it seemed like a simple chèvre whipped with ripe, seasonal raspberries, and molded. Apart from the confectionary sauces, it struck me more as a cheese course than a dessert. I don't consider that hybrid quality a negative. In fact, I liked it well enough that I repeated it in a subsequent meal.

The mignardise this time was a mini milk chocolate pie, topped with toasted meringue. The milk chocolate fell into the background behind the buttery pate sucre and meringue, but it was an enjoyable bite. (And, with each piece a little larger than a quarter in diameter, a bite is all they were.) Cute presentation. My only quibble (and it is minor) is that I'd prefer a quality dark chocolate that would better assert itself, in such a small portion.

My last vegetarian meal at Lanny's was easily the best. Once again, I made an advance reservation specifying the need for vegetarian options. Upon my arrival on a relatively quiet weeknight, I was presented with a separately printed vegetarian menu with five items. The waitress told me I could order from that menu ala carte or have the kitchen prepare a tasting of all of the items. Hmm...let me think about that.

Another cleverly presented amuse bouche. A roasted fingerling potato cap was filled with a jalapeno and goat cheese mousse and garnished with an excellent balsamic reduction. A little earthy, a little spicy, a little tangy, a little sweet...great finesse and balance.

The first course was a chilled avocado and green apple soup. Smooth and velvety, avocado was the major contributor of flavor and texture, with the Granny Smiths (and a drizzle of crema) providing a tart, acidic counterpoint. Enjoyable, but very rich. Though the apples weren't in season at the time (except, perhaps, in New Zealand), the dish didn't seem to suffer for it.

Like the opening potato dish, this was another model of balance, but at a higher volume. A perfectly textured risotto with bright ruby beets was served over wilted beet greens and sprinkled with Cabrales. This wasn't a wild "explosion" of flavor. It was a controlled demolition. Sweetness from the beets. Bitterness from the greens. Acidity, thick peppery notes, and a little saltiness from the cheese. (It's nice to see a bold cheese like Cabrales on a local menu.) Intense, complex, and harmonious.

Next came a chile relleno. A roasted poblano was slit and stuffed with a seared slab of tofu and served over a red appaloosa bean puree. The bean puree, with a low, smoky burn of chipotle, was great, and a good match for the sweet and bitter chile. The texture of the tofu was fine--brown and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. But, you know, it was tofu. There are about a thousand foodstuffs I'd rather see in that chile over tofu. Since it would be impolitic to mention the filling Lanny's has used in this presentation to wonderful effect in some of my prior visits, I will just say that I would rather have seen a good cheese, a lentil "picadillo," a honey-drizzled sour masa stuffing...I don't know...something other than tofu. It's not that the dish was bad with the tofu. And maybe a true cradle-to-grave vegetarian would've adored it. But I think the dish would've been better with some other filling.

As some background for that comment, though, Lanny's gets only two or three vegetarian orders per month, according to Chef Lancarte in a Q&A to be posted next week. Fort Worth's unofficial nickname is "Cowtown." The fact that the kitchen would devise a special vegetarian menu and purchase tofu solely for that purpose says a great deal about the restaurant's commitment to delivering as satisfying an experience as possible to every customer.

As the fourth course, I got the huitlacoche tamale again. What can I say? I like it.

The final savory course was house-made spinach linguini with morels, portobello, guajillo, and parmesan. Perfect pasta, again, with the buttery, sautéed mushrooms, and gentle warmth from the chiles. Another successful pasta entrée.

Given a choice from the dessert menu, I opted for the raspberry goat cheesecake again. As before, it offered a pleasing blend of savory and sweet.

The parting bites this time were small chocolate cookies, topped with toasted coconut. Light and moist in the middle. Simple, but enjoyable.

To sum up, Lanny's performed well in every respect. None of the typical vegetarian-related service slips were made. The kitchen gets bonus points for preparing a special vegetarian menu on an evening where time permitted. Though there were no standing vegetarian entrees, the kitchen improvised willingly, creatively, and successfully. Most vegetarian dishes were on par with the non-vegetarian menu, in terms of ambition and quality. Seasonality of ingredients was generally observed, with some exceptions. (One regret is that these meals were not as spread out through the seasons as my meals at other restaurants.) Special mention should be made of the quality and presentation of opening bites and mignardises, in which Lanny's handily surpasses most of the big boys in Dallas.

Rating for Lanny's Alta Cocina Mexicana: Recommended.

Pros: Waitstaff are sensitive to vegetarian customers' needs. Kitchen improvises vegetarian dishes willingly and well, particularly with advance notice. Vegetarian dishes are consistent in style and quality with the regular menu. Seasonal and regional ingredients are often used.

Cons: Non-seasonal ingredients are occasionally featured too prominently in dishes.