Review: Sonora Grill

(Credit: Angharad Guy)

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Sonora Grill

Midtown Global Market's newest dining destination

Photos: Sonora Grill

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Wander around the Midtown Global Market looking for a bite to eat and you could walk right past Sonora Grill, nestled into an unassuming corner. The brightly lit open kitchen, stylish lighting and cool signage might cause you to take a second glance though, and once your eyes move to the menu you'll be well and truly intrigued.

Composed of Latin American, Spanish and Basque elements, Sonora offers a combination of foods that you'd be hard pushed to find elsewhere in the Twin Cities. This newcomer to Midtown Global Market is the creative endeavor of Alejandro Castillon originally from the Mexican state of Sonora, who has previously cooked at Solera (no doubt responsible for some of the menu's Spanish flourishes) and most recently at Bar La Grassa. Sonora Grill might be one of the most authentic examples of "fusion" dining we have in the Twin Cities as its menu juggles Peruvian rice, Spanish pincho with an Argentinian twist and Sonora hot dogs without missing a beat.

All dishes are prepared in the restaurant's self-described "100% scratch kitchen", including house made aioli, chimichurri and salsas, with the menu divided up into four sections—pinchos (skewered meat kebabs), bocadillos (sandwiches), caramelos (Sonora style tacos) and salads.

Bocadillos ($7.90) are a must try but might not be exactly what you'd expect if you're familiar with Spanish bocadillos (served on long baguette à la bahn mi). The use of a soft bun (from their Midtown Global Market neighbor The Salty Tart) with a slightly glazed outer edge, gives the sandwich the familiar feel of an American burger.

The pork guajillo bocadillo ($7.90) is served as a delicious jumble of smoky shredded pork with adobo sauce, rich sautéed onions, melted chihuahua cheese, tomato and arugula to create an incredibly happy mouthful. Fresh cut french fries on the side are a real treat, seasoned and served crispy, piping hot, and thick enough to offer a satisfying bite, especially dipped in a creamy chimichurri aioli sauce.

Sonora style tacos or caramelos go for $2.50 each and are delightful little bites if you're not so hungry. The shrimp caramelo (red tempura, cilantro aioli and cabbage) is light and crunchy with a fantastic creamy tang from the cilantro aioli. Other options include pork guajillo, chicken verde and beef skirt steak. The tongue caramelo, served with chipotle salsa, cilantro and onion is seriously rich and flavorful, having had the benefit of a long, slow cooking process. Though a little heavy-handed on the tongue—considering the rich, somewhat mineral taste it's known for—more salsa and cilantro (and less meat!) would have balanced this out.

The word "pincho" literally translates from Spanish to "spike" and is also the name of a type of bar snack eaten in Spanish Basque country. Here, pinchos are skewers of meat such as the beef chimichurri ($8.50) with charred edges that give way to supple but chewy skirt steak, complemented by bright herby chimichurri, exactly reminiscent of the real deal Argentinian version. Delightful Peruvian rice is served alongside, flavored with coconut milk and warms up the overall impact of the dish, as do the guajillo beans, which are smoky, dense and perfect for scooping into a corn tortilla.

While the offerings at Sonora are meat-heavy, there are vegetarian options in every menu section that are not mere afterthoughts. The elote cilantro ($4.50) is corn on the cob charred to perfection, rolled in that wonderful cilantro aioli and served with a side of creamy Peruvian rice. Eggplant features heavily in the other vegetarian options with an eggplant bocadillo ($7.90) on offer as well as eggplant caramelos (tacos) served with roasted red pepper, sautéed onion, chihuahua cheese and chimichurri aioli for $2.50 a pop.

The offering of salads in this kind of setting can often be disappointing and nothing but an afterthought but Sonora's salads seriously shine. The tilapia cilantro delivers fresh, perfectly cooked fish with a light char on the edges served with pickled red onions and cucumber over a bed of the freshest greens. The cilantro vinaigrette really makes this pop and accents the olives, capers and pickled onions while complementing the mellow tilapia.

Alejandro Castillon and his small team at Sonora Grill clearly have talent and aren't afraid to flaunt it. Incorporating such a variety of influences they don't miss the mark once, offering a menu of exciting, deeply satisfying dishes at wholly reasonable prices. 

Angharad Guy is wholeheartedly obsessed with food. She writes the blog Eating for England and contributes restaurant reviews to Metromix. Angharad tweets @Eating4England.