There are chile-lime chips. Lots of them. The ample supply of juices and sodas includes my favorite, cashew juice. Near the counter, a variety of pan dulces made in Maryland tempt with their candy colors. In other words, the market alone is enough to draw me to return to Mex-Mart & Deli in South Riding.
But the back of the store is the best part. There, a sparkling clean open kitchen is ready to spring into picante action. Remember a few weeks ago, when I mentioned a tasteless meal of chilaquiles that I failed to enjoy? I’ve been keeping my eyes open. And I realized that Mex-Mart might be the place to refresh my outlook on the dish.
Though the chilaquiles verdes is listed under breakfast dishes, it’s served all day. The meal starts at $8, but I upgraded to include both steak and eggs in my takeout container. (Mex-Mart has no seating.) The aroma that vented from the Styrofoam on my way from Mex-Mart to office was mouth-watering.
Well-primed for success, I was disappointed to see that the chips had been cooked beyond any semblance of crispness. Visually, the chilaquiles resembled lasagna more than a pile of corn chips. But at first bite, this hardly mattered. The salsa verde is one of the best I’ve tried in the region–zippy with tomatillos and just spicy enough to draw me back for yet another bite even after I was full. This sauce and I are going to be companions for a long time. I would go anywhere with it–even to a soggy container of chilaquiles.
The crisp-edged eggs popped with soft yolks as soon as I cut in, creating a creamy sauce of their own. The steak is marinated long enough to lend a garlicky sweetness of its own to the meal. And slices of avocado, resting in crema alongside a length of panela cheese, bestow their own fresh flavor to the combination.
There is much else to try at Mex-Mart & Deli, from tacos and tortas to soups and stews. But chances are, my next order will still be a steak-crowned chilaquiles.
24630 S. Point Dr., Ste. 100, Chantilly
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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