our taste : RESTAURANT REVIEW
Maria Bonita Mexican Cocina Flavors That Will Make Your Tastebuds Sing Beautifully
BY THE WEATHERFORD FOODIE
wanted to find a good restaurant in Aledo ; several
I people directed me to Maria Bonita . Located on South Front Street just off FM 1187 in a standalone building , I found Maria Bonita Mexican Cocina .
The exterior is quaint and historic ; the interior is inviting and provides seating for all size parties , tastefully decorated with traditional Mexican artwork and a large portrait of the restaurant ’ s namesake Maria Felix .
Maria Bonita is a Mexican song written by Augustin Lara to his wife Maria Felix and has been recorded by many artists including Placido Domingo and Julio Iglesias . Their marriage was to the people of Mexico what Marilyn Monroe ’ s marriage to Joe DiMaggio was to Americans .
The restaurant has a family friendly environment offering a good opportunity to learn some cultural information . The menu lists a variety of choices by category including Mexican authentic , Tex-Mex favorites and seafood and don ’ t forget to look over the daily specials listed on the white board . My companion and I decided to share an appetizer and chose to have the ceviche bowl with tilapia fish cooked in lemon juice served with fresh avocado , pico de gallo and chips . The ceviche tasted well-balanced and not too fishy or too lemony , the fresh avocado was a welcome touch and provided extra color and a nice texture to the dish .
For our entrées , I chose pollo al chipotle , roasted chicken breast with chipotle cream sauce with cilantro rice and grilled zucchini , and my companion chose to have carne asada , charbroiled steak topped with bell peppers and onions , served with Mexican rice and refried
beans with warm tortillas and served with guacamole , sour cream and salsa .
Both entrées arrived after a short time and were lovely ; they understand that people eat with their eyes first and have a knack for beautiful plating .
Everything was cooked beautifully . My chicken breast was very thick but fully cooked and juicy ; the carne asada was hot and inviting with welcome flavors and warm tortillas . Each entrée was quickly consumed and enjoyed .
We decided to share a dessert and ordered one piece of tres leches cake , a traditional Mexican cake made with three types of milk . It looked so pretty when it came out , beautiful cake garnished with fan-cut strawberries and blueberries ; it was almost a shame to eat it — almost . The tres leches cake was so light and flavorful and was an excellent choice for dessert and did not leave us feeling overly full .
The total check for an appetizer , two entrees and dessert was an exceptional value at $ 38.93 .
Opened in 2011 , the restaurant is family owned and operated , has an excellent staff and is an exceptional value . I will definitely return .
Maria Bonita Mexican Cocina is open Monday through Saturday , 11 a . m . until 9 p . m ., and Sunday 11 a . m . until 2 p . m . Location is at 100 South Front St . in Aledo , just south of the railroad tracks . They can be reached at 817-441-1652 , on Facebook or at http :// www . mariabonita . restaurant . com .
Weatherford Foodie can be found at weatherfordfoodie . com and on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Yelp , Urbanspoon , Foursquare and Pinterest .
FEBRUARY 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
97