Tequila's offers a little piece of Mexico

Los Catrines and Tequila's Bar, located discreetly in a block of office buildings at 1602 Locust St., quite possibly offers the most authentic Mexican food -- and assortment of tequilas -- in the city.

Decorated with paintings and memorabilia from Mexico's past, the elegant bar leads into a dining room that comfortably seats groups both large and small.

While the line for dinner is frequently out the door, and they do not take reservations for groups smaller than eight, the wait can be worthwhile if you can afford to spend between $60 and $80 for dinner for two.

But the freshness and variety of the food make up for the extra price. My guest and I began with a basket of heavy, fresh-baked chips with three sides: a mild "salsa fresca" made with tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice and a spicier "salsa ranchera" paste made with roasted tomatoes, onion, cilantro, chipotle peppers and lime juice.

The final dish was made up of assorted vegetables and jalapeno peppers, spiced with cilantro and chipotle peppers as well.

Add to that a generous helping of freshly made guacamole ($6.50), and the appetizer make a meal.

"Los Catrines" represents the period during the Mexican Revolution when many traditional families resented what they described as the fake wealth of the most powerful, who they represented in skeleton form.

With most of the friendly staff originally from Mexico, the restaurant's employers seek to give you a two-hour excursion into their grandparents' Mexico.

My guest and I had a large serving of queso fundido ($6) -- a bowl of melted Mexican chihuahua cheese with flour tortillas and topped with poblano peppers. The cheese was enough for four, however, and left us wondering if there would be enough for our meal.

The Tequila's staff suggested Puerto Viejo Tequila for a margarita ($8.50), and highly recommended its other signature drink, a spinoff on the typical cosmopolitan they call the "Mexipolitan" -- a mixture of tequila blanco and pomegranate juice ($8.50).

The meals came, and my guest enjoyed the plato vegetariano (for a slightly excessive $15.50), which included two corn tortillas stuffed with assorted vegetables and cheese, chiles rillenos -- green peppers stuffed with cheese and covered in a tomato-based cream sauce -- and a side of Mexican rice.

The filete grito ($18.95) was my choice, which included a beef medallion -- cooked just as I asked for it -- spiked, literally, with mildly spicy chiles serranos and topped with a sweet but tangy tamarind fruit and chipotle peppers sauce. In both cases, the presentation was incredible.

In the end, the atmosphere, appetizers and drinks made the whole night worthwhile, so if you're headed to Center City for an evening on the town, be sure to check out Los Catrines and Tequila's Bar on your way.

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