Red Iguana

If you live in Utah and have a pulse, you have not only heard of this place but have probably eaten there as well. This is as much of an institution as we have around here, and it pretty well speaks for itself, so I won't take much time selling everybody's favorite hole in the wall. Instead, since the menu is fairly big and quite varied, I'll talk about some of my favorite dishes...they may just give you a new idea next time you eat there. Oh, and if you live outside of Utah, you need to eat here when you visit. If you live here and have not tried it, um, hurry and go before I find you and beat some sense in to you!

Fantastic Dish #1 - Cochinita Pibil
I first discovered this dish on my honeymoon. We were on our way back from a trip through the jungle to see the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. Magnificent! But I digress, this is not an archealogical forum. We drove our little Dodge Attitude (this was really the name of the car, I am not making this up!) into the plaza at the center of a modern Mayan city called Valladolid. After parking right behind the Bimbo ice cream truck (also true) we crossed the plaza, which reminds me of a miniature Boston Common, to an open-air restaurant which led in to a hotel. In Mexico, sometimes if it looks clean and cool, it is good enough! We sat down and with a nice breeze blowing through took a peek at the portion of the menu which was (thankfully) translated into English. My eyes kept coming back to dish described as "Yucatan-style pork, slow-roasted and marinted in its roasting juices, wrapped in a banana leaf." I couldn't resist, so after ordering a Sol, which is a terrific mexican beer, I proceeded to sample the Pibil. Heaven on a tortilla. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I vowed that I would search the menu of every Mexican restaurant back in the states and if I saw it, there would be no decision on what to order. Imagine my delight, then, when I saw it on the menu at my favorite Mex joint back home. No banana leaf at the Iguana, but there is an abundance of moist, mouthwatering shredded pork that comes tantalizingly close to that first heavenly encounter. So good, I may never order anything else here. As a side note, I have found this dish only one other place: Pancho's in Manhattan Beach, CA. Outstanding there as well.

Fantastic Dish #2 - Mole
Mole is one of those love it or hate it kind of flavors. There really isn't much inbetween on this stuff because the taste is so distinct. For those of you who are Mole virgins, it is a sauce made with, among other things, dried chilis, spices, herbs, nuts, and quite often, chocolate. The flavor of the mole depends greatly on the type of chilis used, and the Iguana has a guide to all of them and the Mexican regions from which they hail. There are 7 different varieties here and, being one of those people who loves mole, I have tried most of them. They all come with a different pairing of meat and are all outstanding, although you have to be a TRUE mole lover to like the Mole Negro, which can be a bit strong. My favorite is the Mole Poblano, which can also be found with the avocado-and-sour-cream Enchiladas Suizas, although as I said all of them are good.

Fantastic Dish #3 - Gringas
I'll borrow from the menu here: "Tender tips of carne adobada grilled with pinepple, sliced green, red and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes and onions, folded in a warm flour tortilla." That pretty much says it all. The meat is tender, spicy, and delicious. The other items compliment it perfectly. Just come hungry, because the serving is HUGE.

Fantastic Dish #4 - Everything else!
You really cannot go wrong here unless you do not go at all