La Mula Terca breaks out of the Mexican food rut

In Spanish, la mula terca means ‘'the stubborn bull.'’

I wonder if Israel Nocelo and Arturo Lorenza were thinking of one another when they named Lorenzo's new Mexican restaurant?

I don’t know about the friends (Nocelo is a chef) being stubborn, but they’re definitely bullish, betting on an out-of-the-way corner storefront and a menu — executed by Nocelo, who’s spent the bar year as the head cocktail man at Zavino and Tredici — that eschews the typical Mexican dishes you find in South Philly

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“Everything seems boring on the menu of the local Mexican restaurants,” Nocelo told the Inquirer’s Michael Klein last summer. “You go to a Mexican restaurant and every single one has the same mole, tamales, chips and salsa.”

I understand what Nocelo, who has turned his chef skills to other projects, means. At many of the places I go for Mexican food in Philly, I’m not engrossed in the menu, fervently debating what to order because everything sounds so good. Chances are I know what I’m getting before I even walk through the door; the menus are as familiar to me as those at a red-gravy joint.

Mula Terca’s menu, I read every word.

Sure, there’s guacamole (the best in the city, lightly crushed to just the right texture, alive with jalapeno and cilantro, preternaturally green and ringed by large, half moon-shaped, blue tortilla chips, $9) and ceviche and quesadillas, but those familiar dishes are seriously outnumbered by things like chorizo montaditos with hoja santa and garlic cream, grilled pork ribs with salsa pasilla and mar picante, a fiery seafood stew. It’s the kind of set list you want to probe, plunder and explore.

The space is cozy, with black chairs, green tables, wooden fencing and potted plants that make you feel like you’re inside an urban courtyard. Lorenzo knows a thing or two about ambiance; his other restaurant, Café y Chocolate, located just across the street, is a beacon of cheer in a corner of South Philly whose restaurants mostly consist of pizza and Chinese take-out.

When I was growing up near here, if you would have told me I’d be sipping honey-sweetened chamomile iced tea ($2.75) from a coconut shell at a restaurant on the corner of Snyder Avenue and Beechwood Street, I’d have laughed. Now, I’m just smiling. Entrepreneurs like Lorenzo and Nocelo are adding vitality to the hood; they should be commended for that.

I’ll also commend them for the mole de olla ($15), a soup I assumed — not noticing the price — was an appetizer but arrived as a steaming tureen of tomato-guajillo broth, beef shank and ribs, hunks of chilacoyote (same vibe as summer squash), carrots, cabbage and a hunk of corn on the cob. The broth was deep and complex, though they might want to consider pulling the beef into pieces small enough to collect with a spoon.

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The nopales salad ($9) brought a straightforward, satisfying tumble of shaved onion, crispy chicharron, queso freso and tender straps of cactus paddle dressed with olive oil and lime.

Pollo tamarindo ($14.50) showed pro-chef skills with a chicken breast roulade involving smoky ham, vegetables and a sweet, tangy tamarind lacquer.

Mixiote ($20), a Mexican dish I’d never had before (but will be eating much more often) featured big hunks of slowly braised lamb shoulder in a brooding espresso-hued sauce fragrant with cinnamon, bay leaf and garlic. Warm con tortilla comes in the side to DIY taco assembly.

Another way Mula Terca is different from many of South Philly’s Mexican spots, Nocleo and Lorenzo give some love to desserts. But some tweaks could make them better.

The rice in the arroz con leche ($6) was slightly under-cooked and definitely under-sweetened. The visually stunning “Sunset Peaches” ($8) stars wedges of fruit dyed a striking cranberry from hibiscus, but the quality of the hard, crunchy fruit is too middling to serve these peaches raw; a light roast would soften them up and bring out coax out their natural sweetness.

The sweetness in the service is already there. A little tentative, perhaps, but warm and genuine.

When our server dropped the check — bring cash or an ATM card; there’s a machine tucked into a corner — and said he hoped we’d be back, I drained my mug of café de olla (coffee brewed in an earthenware pot with canela, piloncillo and orange peel, $2.75) and answered in the affirmative.

Mula Terca is officially added to my Mexican restaurant rotation. I promise Nocelo and Lorenzo to never order the quesadillas.

Adam Erace reviews Philadelphia restaurants for the Courier-Post. He writes about food, travel and style for many national publications. He can be reached at Erace.CourierPost@gmail.com

Dining review

La Mula Terca
2053 S. Beechwood St.,  Philadelphia
(267) 761-5194

Food:  ★★★½
Atmosphere: ★★★½   
Service: ★★★ ½
Value: ★★★        
Overall: ★★★½

Cuisine: Mexican

Recommended dishes: Guacamole, Mole de Olla, Nopales Salad, Pollo Tamarindo, Mixiote

Hours:: Tuesday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm, Sunday 10 am-7 pm, closed Monday
Appetizers:   $7-$11
Entrees:  $11-$24
Desserts: $6-$8

Late night: No
Brunch: Yes
BYOB: Yes
Outdoor dining: No
Live entertainment: No
Wheelchairs   No
Parking: Street

What the stars mean: Five stars is excellent; four stars is very good; three stars is good; two stars is fair and one star is poor.