by LINDEN GROSS A&E Feature Writer

When I first moved to Bend, my father took me to La Rosa. “This is not your average Mexican restaurant,” he told me. That point was reinforced over dinner last month. After a round of some of the best margaritas in town and a vat of guacamole made tableside, my three friends and I dug into a veritable feast.

Since we had all agreed to share, forks started flying the moment the flavorful Carnitas de Puerco marinated in Corona, Pepsi and wine hit the table. Things got even livelier when our server Michael Nerseth brought over the Carne con Nopales, which he insisted we try. The rare beef was so tender and flavorful that we checked the menu twice to make sure we were, indeed, eating skirt steak.

“It’s marinated in chipotle, pineapple and tequila, then grilled with a tequila-citrus butter,” said Michael. I made a mental note to put the steak on my short list of beef favorites in Bend.

We all sampled the over-the-top Burrito de Marinero next, filled with crab, shrimp and white fish, sautéed mushrooms, peppers and onions and smothered in a cream lobster burrito sauce. If creamy deliciousness is your idea of comfort, just bring your blankie and settle in.  

Then my dining companions and I moved onto the mole special—enchiladas with three completely different house-prepared sauces. As a foodie, it’s tough to admit that I’ve never been a huge mole fan. Now I know what I’ve been missing. I’m still not sure whether I preferred the understated zesty green mole, the barbecue à la chocolate red mole or the deep and complex cocoa black mole.
“I just had dinner and dessert in one bite,” said one of my dining companions after tasting the latter.

As good as everything was, the general consensus was that my Pescado La Rosa took top honors. I have to confess that I had tried the dish a year prior when a friend ordered it. One bite and I spent the rest of the meal filled with fish envy. This time I got to savor slice after slice of the sautéed Mahi, mushrooms, roasted Pasilla peppers in a white wine-chipotle sauce. A bottom layer of corn salsa cut the richness of the dish while adding a hint of sweetness. 

We’d clearly had plenty to eat, but our server wasn’t done. “You have to sample the Pozole Verde,” he said as he set down a soup bowl brimming with chicken and hominy. Did we ever!
“This is wrong. I’m absolutely stuffed, but I can’t stop eating this,” said the 18 year old at the table. “I love it. I’d eat this every night.”

Half an hour later on the way to our parked cars, he and his mom were already trying to figure out when they could return to La Rosa for another round of the green tomatillo and chile stew from the Guerrero region of Mexico, as well as the restaurant’s red haujillo chile version. (Call first because it’s not on the daily menu. As with many of the dishes vegetarian/vegan option usually available upon request.)

We ended the evening with deep-fried ice-cream served with a berry coulis and a dense cinnamon and banana flan that tasted as rich and decadent as cheesecake.

I could have felt guilty. Instead, I felt like I had given myself a well-deserved treat.

Pozole next week? Si, como no. Translation: You bet!

La Rosa
2763 Northwest Crossing Drive, Bend
541-647-1624
www.larosabend.com
Owner: Carole DeRose
Hours:
7 days/week: 11:00am–close
(call after 8:00pm to make sure they’re open)