By their fruits ye shall know them, the Good Book says.
Or in this case, by the corn fungus known in Mexico as huitalacoche and billed by certain clever American restaurateurs as the corn truffle, some diners being timid souls.
Sean Yontz, the chef behind El Diablo, at 101 Broadway, is a huitalacoche guy. The dark, mushroomlike growths harvested from corn ears didn’t appear on Yontz’s menus early in his career, when he worked at such Kevin Taylor establishments as Zenith and Brasserie Z.
But in the last decade, when Yontz’s path took him to Tamayo, Richard Sandoval’s Nuevo Latino room on Larimer Street, and then his own restaurants, including the late, great Vega and now El Diablo, the little fungus that could has found a place on his plates.
And Denver diners should be grateful.
They also should be heartened by the appearance of El Diablo, which sits across from the Mayan Theatre in a space once occupied by Manos, a Latin American craft shop.
El Diablo is a worthy heir to that space, down to its large mural honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint. The rest of the restaurant, which attracts a youngish set of Broadway club cruisers, is decked out in wrought iron and deep bordello reds.
But repeat visitors don’t pack this room for its decor. They come for the contemporary Mexican food inspired by that country’s southern states, such as Jalisco, Oaxaca and Yucatán, with the latter’s emphasis on seafood.
If all you know about Mexican food is Sonoran-style beans-and-burritos, the most common fare in stateside restaurants, El Diablo offers an education — and with good value, given that dishes range from $5.95 to $16.95. The flavors are fresh and bright in the mouth, but also deep, dark and substantial.
The latter qualities are most apparent in the mingling of meats and moles, the complex, multi-ingredient sauces that blend nuts, berries, chiles and bitter chocolate to create revelatory flavors.
This being a Mexican restaurant, chips are required by law. For $2, El Diablo offers a basket with a trio of salsas.
A recent visit saw a tomatillo salsa, the tartness of that green tomatolike fruit leavened by a dash of creamed avocado. There was a smoky chipotle dip and a habanero version that hinted at that pepper’s head-slapping heat without turning your mouth into a blast furnace.
The huitalacoche appeared in a crispy, corn-driven quesadilla. The tortilla was packed with the nutty fungi, Oaxacan cheese, salsa negra and epazote, an herb with anise and fennel notes. It hit the trifecta of flavor, texture and color.
Next up was the Tamal al Puerco, a roast pork and chile tamale drizzled with crema fresca. The fire-engine-red chile sauce was curiously mild and lacked its potential punch. Then again, not everyone’s in it for the Scoville units on the hot-pepper index.
Entrees brought a seared duck breast and carnitas laced with mole negro, a dark sauce that paired well with the bird’s rich, fatty flavors. Roasted plantains and figs furthered the sweet-and-savory mix. Cilantro rice delivered a contrasting garden note.
Pecho de res spotlighted beef brisket slow-roasted with cascabel chiles, peppers resembling a raw bing cherry. It was paired with frijoles charros, the traditional Mexican “cowboy beans” made with pintos. The dish arrived as a generous slab of toothsome beef. At first it resisted the knife and fork; the trick was to go with the meat’s grain and shred it apart like pulled pork.
El Diablo offers 10 types of tacos. They come three to a plate, the ingredients piled on small, double-stacked corn tortillas. Yes, you can get traditional meat-driven tacos such as carne asada, barbecued lamb and carnitas. But try a non-carnivore version. The Vegetariano mingled roasted peppers and squash blossoms with avocado and salsa. The Rajas de Poblano combined fruity roasted pob- lanos and onions with a cool oregano crema and white cheese.
The dessert list reveals someone in the kitchen with a creative sweet tooth. The Capirotada was typical in its thoughtful execution — a warm chocolate bread pudding, rich and moist, topped with ice cream laced with caramel hinting of a touch of salt.
Cocktails range from traditional margaritas — on the rocks, por favor — to a refreshing watermelon mojito. The wine list is short but smart and there is an array of Mexican beers. This being a Sean Yontz place, Pabst Blue Ribbon is available.
Here’s a PBR toast to Yontz and restaurateur Jesse Morreale, who have brought a worthy addition to a stretch of Broadway enjoying a small restaurant renaissance.
William Porter: 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
El Diablo
Contemporary Mexican
101 Broadway, 303-954-0324, eldiablorestaurant.com
** (Very Good)
Atmosphere: Drenched in devilish red with murals and wrought-iron appointments.
Service: Friendly. The servers know their food and beverages.
Beverages: Lots of craft cocktails, and this being a Sean Yontz venture, you can also buy Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Plates: Starters $6-$7; entrees $9.95-$16.95.
Hours: Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
Details: Casual dress. Walk-ins welcome. Street parking.
Two visits
Our star system: ****: Exceptional ***: Great **: Very Good *: Good
