La Carta De Oaxaca, Seattle

Sample Menu

• Appetizer: hand-mashed guacamole and house-fried tortilla chips
• Lunch dish: tamales salsa verde
• Dinner dish: mole negro oaxaqueño—black mole with chicken or pork, served with rice and tortillas
• Drink: house sangria

Where to Sit: If your party is small, grab some seats at the counter so you can look in on the open kitchen and watch the chefs at work. If you have a party of 10 or more, make a reservation for the outdoor plaza, which features large communal tables.

When to Go: Instead of trick-or-treating, head out for a bite on October 31. That’s when the restaurant celebrates the Day of the Dead with live music and a parade.

Inside Tips

• Order lots of different things; the menu consists mostly of small plates.
• Be ready for some heat. Spiciness is king in Oaxaca, the region in Mexico that inspired La Carta de Oaxaca’s cuisine. This is especially true when it comes to one of the region’s most famous foods, mole sauce.

Praise

• Seattle magazine calls this, “easily Seattle’s most authentic Mexican restaurant...”
  
• Seattle Weekly says, “The margaritas are practically perfect.”

Vocab Lesson
Mole: there are many regional varieties of this rich sauce, but chilies, spices, and mexican chocolate are the most common ingredients. It’s typically served atop poultry or pork.
Huevos rancheros: fried eggs topped with a tomato-chili sauce (or salsa) and served atop lightly fried tortillas.
Tamale: corn-based dough that’s stuffed with meat, veggies, or cheese before getting wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.

While You’re in the Neighborhood
Before: Shop for some local artwork at Venue (5408 22nd Avenue NW).
After: Finish off the night with an eclectic lineup of live bands at Sunset Tavern (5433 Ballard Avenue NW).

If You Can’t Make It, Try This: La Carta de Oaxaca’s sister restaurant, Mezcaleria Oaxaca (2123 Queen Anne Avenue N).