Hold onto your molinos, mole fans – this Scottsdale sister location of the beloved Mod-Mex restaurant in Tubac is bringing the goods.
by Nikki Buchanan | Photography by Rob Ballard
Elvira’s Restaurant has been around in one form or another – and in one place or another – for 98 years. That’s no small feat in the restaurant biz.
The story of this iconic eatery begins way back in 1927, when founding restaurateur Elvira Rivera plated her first chile relleno in the tourist town of Nogales, Sonora. Two generations and several decades later, Elvira’s grandson, Ruben Monroy (who went to culinary school in Mexico City) moved the Nogales restaurant to the artsy Southern Arizona community of Tubac. Strung with endless glass pendants and other maximalist flourishes, it opened in 2009 and quickly gained a fervid foodie following for its fusion-y take on Modern Mexican food.
Now, thanks in part to wine-glass maestro Georg Riedel, the legendary restaurant’s next chapter is unfolding right here in the Valley.
It was Riedel who introduced Monroy to local restaurateur and fellow wine wonk Tom Kaufman (owner of The Living Room, Rock Lobster and CHoP Chandler), who was eager to partner up and bring Elvira’s – in all its crimson-curtained, candlelit glory – to DC Ranch in North Scottsdale, where its moody color palette and glittering chandeliers lend a Modern Gothic vibe. The high-ceilinged place is exotic and gorgeous, a stunning backdrop for Monroy’s elevated and well-executed food. From what I’ve observed, it stays packed – and for good reason.
Although Kaufman has put together a good wine list, most customers head straight for the margaritas, a half dozen of them served in oversize glasses rimmed with different salt mixtures. So far, my fave is the faintly spicy Xalisco, jazzed up with Cointreau, cilantro, jalapeño, cucumber and lime. It goes especially well with chips and guacamole, the mashed avocado studded with roasted jalapeño, onion, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate arils and cotija cheese. A tiny bowl of salsa roja (red chile salsa, tomato-y and faintly sweet) is pleasant but a little tame, which is surely how DC Ranchers like it.
Because Monroy frequently travels between Tubac and North Scottsdale, he’s hired Christopher George as executive chef and Luis Hernandez as chef de cuisine. I’m not sure who to credit for the taquitos de papa – crispy outside, creamy inside – but they’re irresistible, thanks to a filling of seasoned potatoes, mashed with buttery Menonita cheese. Cut on an angle, sprinkled with asadero cheese and spooned with salsa roja, they’ve been elevated from finger to fork food.
Mochomos are one of Sonora’s favorite snacks: shredded beef (in this case, short ribs) fried until crisp, then traditionally tucked into guacamole-swiped tortillas. At Elvira’s, these airy, melt-in-your-mouth threads come topped with salsa fresca and crema and sided with house-made blue corn tortillas. Sad to say, the tortillas are served stone cold (on two occasions), and they break in half (also on two occasions) before they can be filled with meat. Why not just buy yellow corn or flour tortillas (no need to reinvent the wheel here) from local tortilleria La Sonorense and serve a vastly better tortilla?
Thinly sliced discs of jicama serve as cold, crisp taco shells for hot, crunchy, panko-fried shrimp, a wild contrast of temperatures and textures in a girl-on-a-diet combo I adore. Mango pico de gallo, radishes, pickled red onions and cilantro add sweetness, tang and even more textural variety.
Elvira’s offers six moles, each served with chicken, creamy refried beans and buttery rice. The Tubac location is famous for its beef tongue in two moles – but, of course, DC Ranchers are far too persnickety for that, so it’s been taken off the menu here. What a pity! We request it ahead of our visit, and the braised tongue is fabulous – ultra-tender and slightly gelatinous, a luscious foundation for smoky, spicy, faintly chocolatey mole coloradito (made with three chiles) and rich, nutty mole almendrado (made with almonds). I can’t wait to try the other moles here, and I’d love to see mole enchiladas on the menu.
Elvira’s is famous for its molcajetes, grilled meat or seafood dishes served with veggies and sauces in the hot stone bowls that give the dish its name. Tequila-grilled shrimp and scallops swim in a bubbling seafood broth crowded with whole peppers, pure white panela (a fresh cheese that melts in the broth) and a flurry of cilantro. It’s wonderful.
Three lobster enchiladas, stuffed with Oaxaca cheese and bathed in chipotle cream sauce, are a splurge (market price: $79 on my visit), but so incredibly worth it: sweet with a hint of garlic, shallot and chipotle heat. I’ll dream of them until my next visit.
Even the desserts are first-rate. There’s a thoroughly decadent sweet potato flan, topped with candied nuts and a drift of whipped cream, and silky, lemon-kissed cheesecake, spooned with mixed berry compote.
Elvira’s DC Ranch may be a subdued version of the freewheeling Elvira’s in Tubac, but it’s still turning out a style of Modern Mexican food you won’t find anywhere else in town. DC Ranchers are lucky to have it, and they know it.
Elvira’s DC Ranch
Cuisine: Mexican
Contact: 20825 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, 480-350-7131, elvirasdcranch.com
Hours: 4-9 p.m. Su, W-Th, 4-10 p.m. F-Sa
Highlights: Panko-fried shrimp tacos ($19); mochomos ($22); tequila-grilled seafood molcajete ($59); beef tongue with two moles (special order, $45); lobster enchiladas (market price, $79); sweet potato flan ($13)
