Review: Milagro Modern Mexican in Webster Groves

In a town where Mexican food frequently means more of the same (read: blankets of grated cheese, rivers of sour cream and mounds of refried beans and Spanish rice), several have tried to break through the mundane (Maya Café and the erstwhile Agave come to mind). Now in swaggers Milagro Modern Mexican, Jason and Adam Tilford’s new restaurant nestled in the corner of a downtown Webster Groves shopping plaza. (The brothers also own Barrister’s in Clayton and Tortillaria Mexican Kitchen in the Central West End.)

Inside, you won’t find the typical Mexican décor trappings, just an inviting, refined space accented with stone, stainless steel, warm lighting, earth tones and an appealing soundtrack ranging from reggae to mariachi. Milagro is a Mexican restaurant trying not to look like a Mexican restaurant.

Before considering your first starter – while crunching through a few chips dunked in the brick-red, smoky salsa – order one of the extremely drinkable Margaritas (made with fresh limonada and agave nectar) and a hearty serving of chunky guacamole (bursting with red onion, serrano and cilantro). When the tostaditas de pato arrive, you will instantly know this ain’t your padre’s appetizer. Duck doesn’t typically show up on Mexican menus, but here, five crispy corn tostaditas came topped with pulled smoked duck meat, a mound of shredded lime-doused cabbage and a drizzle of blood orange and habanero sauce, all quietly blending into a few bites of meaty, smoky, sweet-hot, crunchy delight. Why, yes, another Margarita does sound good.

The appetizer quesadillas tradicionales is one of two dishes incorporating huitlachoche (aka “Mexican truffles,” aka corn smut, a gnarly corn-blighting fungus long-savored in Mexico). The delicacy also shows up in the mushroom and spinach enchiladas entrée (enchiladas suizas de hongos). When used judiciously, it adds a nutty earthiness with a hint of sweetness, especially when combined with the wild mushrooms in the appetizer and portabella mushrooms in the entrée.

Milagro’s menu changes seasonally, as it did between several visits over the past couple of months. The black bean sauce that gave the enfrijoladas de hongos its name is now an enchilada slathered in a creamy tomatillo sauce. Ceviche in June used mahi-mahi, a fine starter “cooked” in a simple lime juice and spice marinade. But the latest version uses sashimi-grade tuna as its base for a texture and flavor so fresh I may order all my tuna sushi this way. It’s also a very pretty dish, topped with diced mango, avocado and julienne of crunchy jicama. Call it “upscale” or “modern,” but the small side stack of blue corn tostaditas tied together with a sliver of banana leaf is a nice touch. The lamb barbacoa de cordero is gone, for now.

Of course there are tacos, but tacos tweaked to live up to the restaurant’s “modern” moniker. Fish tacos, always welcome, are beer-battered fried tilapia (a grilled option is also available). Topped with chipotle aïoli, lime cabbage, queso fresco and pico de gallo, the three fried tacos were worthy of San Diego, but during one visit suffered from a major flaw: lukewarm fish. In fact, several sides were served lukewarm during this visit, like the chile mashed potatoes. Otherwise, they’d be a splendid spicy accompaniment to a splendid carne asada, New York strip steak rubbed with chile spice, drizzled with huitlachoche butter, crowned with caramelized onions and served with street corn “off the cob,” a traditional Mexican street food. That corn is particularly notable: plump, sweet roasted kernels mixed with queso fresco and a bit of garlic mayonnaise. The addictively delicious corn also shows up with the conchinita pibil, a new menu addition of pork shoulder braised in banana leaves. While the hibiscus red onions, pickled in-house, and roasted red potatoes rounded out the plate, the pork lacked oomph.

If it’s depth of flavor you want, opt for the pollo con mole poblano: a roasted half-chicken drenched with a complex deep red mole, a smooth, sweetly spicy, nutty mixture redolent with Mexican chocolate and spices (dried chiles and cinnamon, to be sure) and enough gentle heat to caress and intrigue the palate. The accompanying cilantro rice pilaf was a welcome switch from the typical Spanish rice of most Mexican restaurants. The menu listed calabacitas (a squash-corn casserole) as the vegetable side, and I was pleasantly surprised with their version, a medley of local zucchini and yellow squash. Given that the Tilfords shop for produce at the Webster farmers’ market, it shouldn’t be surprising that many of the vegetable sides are based on what’s available seasonally.

Should there be room for dessert, the tres leches cupcake is worthy of sharing: dense yellow cake plated in a pool of three milks, drizzled with raspberry sauce and topped with a big dollop of fresh-made whipped cream. A thick wedge of flan comes sweet and light with a thinner-than-normal caramel sauce. Over the course of several visits, service varied from mixing up orders to lags between table visits to quick and attentive; things seem to be improving. The early dinner hours are the busiest for kid-toting families, but after about 7:30, tables are easier to score as things quiet down.

The Tilford brothers’ restaurants, as well as Jason’s cooking at Kota Wood Fired Grill and Triumph Grill, have a knack for pleasing the public without pandering to it. And while St. Louis has yet to see anything close to a Rick Bayless-level Mexican restaurant, Milagro Modern Mexican certainly pushes the boundaries of our expectations. After all, who wants more of the same?

NEW AND NOTABLE
Don’t-Miss Dish: Ceviche de Atún and Pollo con Mole Poblano
Vibe: Subdued Southwestern décor makes for inviting and contemporary environs. Busiest time is before 7:30 p.m., when families with kids rule the roost.
Entrée Prices: Starters and small plates: $4.95 to $9.95. Entrées: $11.95 to $15.95.
Where: Milagro Modern Mexican, 20 Allen Ave., Webster Groves, 314.962.4300
When: Mon. to Sat. – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun. – noon to 9 p.m.