Malo - As Bad As It Wants to Be

Picture courtesy of malorestaurant.com

Malo
4326 Sunset Blvd.
Silverlake, CA
8.9.06 - Wednesday, 7:30 PM
Moi + Paul E.

I like Malo despite it's many flaws. He's rather like the super good friend you have that's always flubbing meet-up times and inserting foot-in-mouth, but you see his goodness, so all is forgiven. Actually, wait, no - Malo is like that friend that screws up on a regular basis but looks adorable during every last blunder, so what the heck. The love goes on.

It's the interior and vibe that makes me gaga. I love that there's a huge adjacent bar, separate from the dining area, and a large outdoor patio. All my moods are covered. And inside, there's dark gothic wall paper, sconce lighting, and a gorgeous crimson glow. Me likee. This is saying a great deal, I must duly note, as I don't go for scenester LA hideaways - I like my favs to have good food, first and foremost. Malo - well, like I said. I forgive.

My darling Paul and I met up last night at Mr. Malo for good 'ritas and a bit of noshing. He had never been, so I hit him hard with honest opinions. We agreed on all sides. I'll say one thing about this place - I've been multiple times now, and they are quite consistent. Good and malo.

Service is always somewhat polite but oh-so-spotty; our waitress disappeared for eons at one point (when we needed the check - grrr), but, you know, I've had worse. And the food is really hit/miss. Stick to the basics and you'll likely do just fine. I am never impressed with their specials. Except the gargantuan Mexican corn cob I had once. Those were good times.

If it's the real-deal tequila you're looking for, Malo's got it in spades. Kudos for that. And while their 'ritas aren't quite as good as El Carmen's, they certainly satisfy on a boilerplate day. See why I'm so forgiving?

Now for last night's rundown:

Drinks:

I had their basic margarita, with salt, on zee rocks. Thumbs way up.

Paul stuck to Pacifico. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Chips/Salsa:

Habanero and Cream
* Malo gets a lot of crap for charging people for salsas, but I don't actually mind - they're all homemade, along with the chips, and really quite tasty. This is my favorite, but it's got serious kick - you're going to feel the burn for quite awhile. To that I say, yes, please.

Appetizers:

Green Salad
* A handful of greens dressed up with tomatoes, carrots, onions, and the house dressing
Um, ewww. We both got this, as a little healthy rabbit food, and while none of us voiced the obvious, neither of us got past about two bites. Not good. Bad dressing, bland as all get out. Blech.

Entrees:

Eggplant and Potato Tacos
* A tiny bit of eggplant and a dollop of potato wrapped in a corn tortilla and fried. Served with guacamole and sour cream.
I always forget that the "corn tortilla" tacos are served taquito style, which makes me pissy. I didn't want fried goods, but so be it. My fault for having the memory of a goldfish.
These are OK. Not a lot of flavor, and if there was eggplant in there, not much died for my tacos.

Grilled Chicken Flour Tortilla Tacos
* Grilled chicken strips, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, salsa, on flour tortillas
I can't say these are a home run, but they're solid. Nothing scary or offensive. Goes good with beer.

Sides:

Mexican Corn
* A small ear of corn, cut in half, grilled, and dosed with butter and a bit of spice
Good. Nuff said.

The damage for one beer, one 'rita, two salads, two entrees, and one side of corn was $60, including tax and tip. Yup, you're right - more than it ought to be.

RESTAURANT REPORT CARD

Ambiance - B+
Service - C-
Food (Taste) - C
Food (Presentation) - D
Wine/Drinks - B
Value - C
Vibe/Energy/Scene - A-
Overall Experience - C+

Final word - It's just one of those places I can't resist. I'll be back, see - it's not so Malo.