Casa Sanchez

Casa Sanchez Restaurant Review:

This isn’t another neighborhood joint serving homogenous Mexican cuisine; indeed, Casa Sanchez is a sophisticated dining experience on a stretch of Centinela Boulevard. The dim and masculine dining room is bedecked with beautiful portraits, leading to a stage at the far end where musicians like a mariachi band or piano player perform nightly. There is a secluded romantic patio as well, where diners can enjoy starters like the scallop and shrimp ceviche spiked with plenty of lime juice and a slight spice --- a good accompaniment to the complimentary chips and salsa. Plump white shrimp are laced with a punch of heat from a cilantro-pesto-habanero sauce, and mole poblano has the requisite depth of flavor that is usually associated with the slow-cooked, multiple-ingredient sauce. There are typical dishes like enchiladas and fajitas, as well as specialties of baked salmon wrapped in banana leaves, tender rack of lamb, and a hulking pork chop stuffed with walnuts and figs and grilled to a slight char. Flan makes an appearance for dessert. Wines are very limited, so it is recommended to focus on specialty house cocktails or the lengthy tequila list.