22 January 2010

Despite the fact that it is a freezing cold January night Tex Mex II seems to be doing a roaring trade. Cheerful conversation rings around the flamboyant pink and lime walls as we consider a well-stocked menu from our table in one of the window seats. When the original opened back in 1984, on Hanover Street in Edinburgh, it was the first Mexican restaurant in Scotland. The move to Thistle Street certainly doesn’t seem to have damaged its fame and I was keen to find out if its reputation for still being among the best would hold up.

To begin with, I plumped for soup of the day. Wholesome, thick and bursting with kidney beans, peppers and spring onions, this small but hearty soup is filling. Served with hotly-baked tortilla chips, it seems like a meal in itself.

Keen to try one of the hottest dishes on the menu, my partner opts for chilli relenos – cheese-filled chillies, fried and battered and served with chopped tomato and onion – and he wasn’t disappointed. When going for the option of fajitas, sizzle can all too often disappointingly transcend taste. However, nestled on a hot plate of red onion and pepper, these tender slices of char-grilled chicken are mouth-wateringly delicious. Across the table the chili Colorado – pork and beef sautéed in a mild, red chilli sauce -provides another hot kick. With a scattering of red peppercorns on top, even its accompanying simple side-salad manages to be spiced up.

In an environment where so many of the other choices were foreign, the dessert menu was just what it should be – homely and warm – comfort food to the max. We decided to go for one of the restaurants renowned ice-creams. Whilst the maple and walnut ice-cream is tasty I felt it was a little too creamy, however, the pecan pie was delightful.

Owner and head chef Donald Mavor says he likes the honesty of Mexican food with its blend of simple ingredients complementing a creative style of cooking. Keeping things simple means getting things right and Tex Mex II acheives this with a good balance of hot, mouth-watering food inexpensively wrapped up in a lively but informal atmosphere.

You also read this review on the Business 7 website.

'Scotland the Best' by Peter Irvine

Since its first publication in 1993, Peter Irvine’s book ‘Scotland the Best’ is firmly established an indispensable guide to the best things to experience in Scotland (according to the author).

Mr Irvine gives lists and top tens to help visitors and natives alike enjoy the best Scotland has to offer. His suggestions include: the best accommodation (whatever your budget), the best beaches, the best ice-cream, the best hill walks, the best bakers, the best spooky places, the best seafood, the best places for kids, the best ceildhs, and so the list goes on.

In the 2009 edition of the book, Café Marlayne at 76 Thistle Street, Edinburgh is placed number nine in the author’s top ten list for French restaurants in Edinburgh. Indeed, Café Marlayne is regarded as one of Mr Irvine’s favourite Edinburgh restaurants, he comments: “This tiny bistro is sans pareil.”

Café Marlayne also have a restaurant at 7 Old Fishmarket Close, Edinburgh.

‘Scotland the Best’ by Peter Irvine is available in all good book shops. More information and reviews can be read on Amazon.