Maya Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, new upscale authentic Mex, opens in Rowlett

by Teresa Gubbins

ROWLETT — For the latest authentic-Mexican restaurant, you'll have to drive to Rowlett to Maya Mexican Kitchen & Tequila Bar, located in a shopping strip on Route 66. Rowlett, whoa, but check out the menu: pan-seared scallops and tamale-battered shrimp on tomatillo serrano mango salsa; grilled sirloin carne asada on chorizo-Yukon gold potato gratin with charred tomato salsa and gypsy pepper rajas; roasted potato, caramelized onion, and cheese enchiladas; adobo-rubbed grilled bone-in pork chop on cumin-smashed potatoes with caramelized apple chile chutney. You know how you can tell it's an au courant place? When they say the potatoes are smashed, and not mashed (which is like so 1995).

Maya has an interesting story. Brother-and-sister Robin and Roger Tomberlin, who own the shopping strip, were approached by someone from a major local Tex-Mex chain who said he'd love to do a restaurant there. OK, said the Tomberlins, who welcomed the opportunity for a new Mexican place in Rowlett. But the guy didn't deliver as promised, and away he went, leaving the Tomberlins with a desire for a good, upscale Mexican.

They retained the services of restaurant vet Michael Costa, who'd helped launch similarly-titled upscale Mexican restaurant Trece Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar on Travis at Knox. Costa brought a team including a manager, chef (Kent Lemmons), catering director, and bar manager from Trece. But Costa says that Maya is equally inspired by Mamacita's, a highly-rated Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. Look for Patron tequilas, fruity margaritas, and maybe even tequila on tap.

Maya JUST opened this weekend so it's still rough around the edges. But prices are relatively low with the most expensive item being the chile-marinated NY strip steak with churrasco salsa on queso fresco potatoes and huitlacoche tequila cream corn for $21, and entrees averaging out at $14 -- cheap for this kind of high-end food.

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