Sun of Wolf -- Palo Alto, CA (Mexican cuisine)

This inventive and modern Mexican comfort food is served with the intention to impress all the senses. Located at 406 S. California Avenue, I became a victim of this intention. The small space had a pleasing atmosphere with colorful décor as well as colorful drinks. The soft, Latin music lent a hint of the cuisine and fit in very nicely with the fun but relaxing ambiance. The smells of each passing dish made for a slight problem with excessive salivation and a requirement to take a few extra minutes to decide on what to order. 

https://www.sunofwolfpa.com/

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

Hazy Wonder IPA. Made by Lagunitas Brewing Company, this was a mildly bitter beer with notes of tropical fruit and a zesty, light mouthfeel. A very nice, thirst-quenching sipper.

Corazon Espinado. Made with El Silencio mezcal, prickly pear, Chartreuse and lime. This was mildly smoky from the mezcal, nicely tart from the lime, and a bit fruity from the prickly pear. Overall a very well balanced and refreshing drink.

Chips & Salsa. It's usually the simple foods that can provide an immense amount of comfort. These were house-made chips, their thickness and crunch were supremely satisfying and the warm tomatillo salsa was a fantastic complement. The tomato-based salsa was also very complex and rich with flavor and I had a great time going back and forth between the two. 

Hand-cut Fries. Another simple food that ended up helping me sop up leftover sauces. These were a bit hefty, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Tossed with the perfect amount of salt and served hot out of the fryer.

Carnitas Plate. I have a soft spot in my heart for meat cooked in its own fat. These were exceptionally prepared, with a bit of crunch on the outer layers of meat, while maintaining a succulent tenderness on the inner layers. Played up with a tangy salsa verde cruda, creamy refried beans, crunchy pickled red onions and that wonderful tomato salsa, this was balanced in flavor and texture and also nicely presented.

Achiote Tortillas. Served on the side along with the Carnitas Plate, the achiote gave these warm corn tortillas an extra flair and flavor that made these unique in color as well as taste. 

Maja Lasagna. An interesting, and delicious, Mexican-Italian spin on this comfort food. I don't typically go for the vegetarian option on menus, but I could not resist trying this one. I was very impressed with the literal, and figurative, layers of innovative textures and tastes from the chipotle-tomatillo sauce, fire-roasted poblano peppers, oyster mushrooms, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and blend of cheeses. There was no shortage of umami-boosters and I was swooning over the crunchy baked cheese top. If only all restaurants would put this much thought into preparing vegetables.

I was pleasantly surprised at the variety and care of each vegetarian dish. I'm not a vegetarian, but I do appreciate a well-crafted veggie dish. I will be more than happy to indulge at this place again.