After visiting New Mexico, I wanted to find authentic New Mexican cuisine in Nashville.  A quick search led Cary and I to Sopapilla’s in Franklin, a surprising find.  We ordered margaritas,which featured fresh lime juice.  I am always excited about margaritas when they are not an electric yellow color.

The salsa was smokey with slight overtones of chili pepper and cilantro.  This is very reminiscent of the salsa from New Mexico.  The chili pepper really separates the salsa from the garden variety found in most Mexican restaurants.

The chili con queso has a smooth texture and a smokey flavor.  It was loaded with hatch green chilies and shrimp.  We ordered the dip appetizer with bean dip, con queso and guacamole on a previous visit.  The bean dip was loaded with the con queso and didn’t have the typical dryness of refried beans.  The guacamole was fresh with tomatoes, onions and lime.

The Tres Tacos features a shredded beef taco, chipotle shrimp taco and a blue corn chicken taco.  The beef taco was slightly spicy with tomatoes, iceberg and cilantro, a typical nice blend.  The shrimp was flavorful with bacon and cabbage.  My favorite taco was the blue chicken taco.  The onions were surprising sweet and complemented the chicken perfectly.

The Green Chile Flautas were full of chunks of smokey chicken, cheese, bits of onion and peppers, and then topped with Sopapilla’s green chile sauce, and more cheese.  The tortillas had been placed under the broiler just enough to crisp up the exposed ends of the flautas. The dish ended up being a not-too-heavy, not-too-light combination of the chunks of chicken, which went well with the black beans and rice that came with it.  They might look like traditional enchiladas from the picture above, but the combination of smoky chicken and spicy green chilis, along with the texture of the tortillas makes for a filling (and plenty spicy) meal.

The sopapilla was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It was excellent with honey.

For a recent date night, Cary and I decided to go to Sol, the sister restaurant of 55 South, which you can read about here.  Sol offers upscale Mexican cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere.  For those with children, Sol offers a kid’s menu and we saw several little people there.  The restaurant is just loud enough that if your children make a little bit of noise, no one will notice.  We will keep this in mind when our nieces visit!

Sol offers table side guacamole.  This is how I learned to make guac at home.  Ignore Cary’s hand and the chip in the background.  Sometimes he has a problem waiting while I take a picture!  You can choose either mild, medium or hot guacamole.  We went with the medium with 1 and 1/2 scoops of chiles.   When you visit Sol, I beg you to try the guacamole.  Even if you think you don’t like it, Sol can change your mind!

We also decided to splurge and go with a second appetizer, in this case, the Tuna Nachos.  These Nachos consist of a fried tortilla strip topped with a medium rare slice of high quality Tuna.  Then on top of that, a slice of avocado, pico de gallo, and a tangy hot ancho chile aioli (as well as some pickled red onion) finish off each nacho.  The result is a tangy/sweet, cool/spicy, and tender/crispy combination.

The salsa had a distinct smokey flavor.  The chips that accompany the salsa are thick and crispy.

Sol also bears the honor of being the first place outside of Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans that makes a decent Hurricane.  While many examples tend to be on the syrupy sweet side, or far too strong or too light on the rum, Sol presents an excellent version of the NOLA original.

The Shrimp Herraduro features grilled shrimp in a creamy sauce with Herraduro tequila on corn tamal.  This is topped with a corn salsa with hominy.  The combination of flavors in this dish is delightful!

The Quatro Tacos feature a Taco al Pastor, Carne Verde Taco, Grilled Shrimp Taco, and a Fried Grouper Taco.  Each are lightly seasoned but remain juicy and flavorful.  It’s a great option when one has trouble making up their mind.

Since it was a splurging kind of night, we also decided to give Sol’s dessert’s a try for the first time.  The Churros were like an ultimate donut with a crispy exterior and still creamy inside.  The cinnamon sugar, chocolate drizzle, and whipped cream round it all out for a decadently sweet, crispy treat.

The Chocolate Ancho Pudding has a hint of spice, which matched perfectly with the sweetness of the chocolate pudding.  It is topped with Turbinado sugar, which reminded me of a chocolate creme brulee.