Las Guitarras in Novato

We checked out this pretty standard Mexican restaurant yesterday in Novato. Established in 1973, the one thing that stands out on their menu are their "BBQ Oysters" which come with several types of sauce. 

But this place has an authentic charm all of its own, as they are doing things the same way as has been done for decades. I strongly suspect this place has many regulars who've been coming here for years. The salsas verde y rojo are totally unlike salsas nowadays, both very mild with a slight hint of tang and sweetness. A bowl of hot refried bean being served with the chips: that's very old school, and they were very nice indeed with a few chunks of mild onion and chile. The chips were the thicker variety, and not overly salted. Robin said her Tortilla Soup was pretty good--I could see it was thick with vegetables.

Mole Poblano. Rice was pretty plain, beans were better than usual, and the Mole? Pretty standard dark variety, the main flavors being from Poblanos (or dried Ancho chiles) and a tangy sweetness that I think is probably either Tamarind, Orange, or a combination. Robin couldn't taste that, but she only had one small bite. I've never had a Mole like that, definitely better than what one usually gets.

However, stop the presses, this just in: perfectly cooked, in my opinion, chicken. Too many restaurants no matter the genre tend to overcook the chicken until it's dry and hard to chew. This chicken, just perfect, moist and tender.

Chile Relleno plate. Another old school touch, they used an Anaheim chile for stuffing, instead of a Poblano/Ancho. The sauce included chunks of cooked onion, chile and even tomato. Very nice. See, there's a reason this place has been around so long.

http://lasguitarrasnovato.com/