Reno: Outstanding Mexican dish called molcajete at Muri Chuy's Mexican Kitchen

I’ve found my new favorite Mexican dish in the molcajete at Mari Chuy’s Mexican Kitchen. It’s got wonderfully cooked vegetables and meats that provide a variety of intense flavors. Despite the intensity, it never loses its delicacy so it remains a gourmet dish.
Molcajete refers to the stone cauldron in which the food is served. I’ve only had it at one other place, Los 4 Vientos. I like them both but the styles are different. At Los 4 Vientos the meat, vegetables and cheese is served in a bubbling sauce. It’s like the presentation of the hot, bubbling sauce is an important part of the experience. Check out my YouTube video of a Los 4 Vientos molcajete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiUoh...
At Mari Chuy’s, there’s no sauce, or at least not much. It seems most of the meat and vegetables are grilled and then placed into the molcajete. A big difference between the two is that Mari Chuy’s vegetables are only lightly cooked and still retain much of their freshness. I’m probably going to forget all the vegetables, but it seems they had red and green bell peppers, cactus, jalapeno, scallions and probably some others. It has white Mexican cheese, I’m going to guess queso fresco, and several types of meat: steak, chicken, chorizo and shrimp. I liked all the proteins but the chorizo stood out for me. It’s housemade and unlike typical Mexican chorizo they go easy on the cumin. A typical Mexican chorizo might overwhelm the dish but this complements it perfectly. I look forward to trying the chorizo in other dishes.
The molcajete includes a set up of whole beans, salsa, rice, a tomato with cheese (again I’m guessing queso fresco) and a tortilla with guacamole. The salsa at Mari Chuy’s is excellent, too. When I first sat down they brought chips and pico de gallo. Then they brought red and green salsa. I liked both but I especially loved the garlic kick on the red salsa.
It’s $22, so it’s not something I can afford to get all the time. It’s probably big enough for two people. I haven’t tried any other food at Mari Chuy’s, but at the owner’s previous location, Fresh Mex, he made some of the best tacos in town. So for two people I could easily see them making a meal out of a molcajete and a couple of tacos. It’s not on the regular menu.
Mari Chuy's Mexican Kitchen
764 S Virginia St
Reno, NV 89501
(775) 322-6866
http://www.chuysmexicankitchen.com/