Maiz De La Vida Restaurant - Review - The Gulch - Nashville - The Infatuation
"Maiz de la Vida’s food truck is one of our favorite places to eat. And while their new brick-and-mortar doesn’t quite live up to the greatness of the food truck, Maiz de la Vida is now Nashville’s standard for upscale Mexican. Even though we say upscale, this isn’t some stuffy experience. The room feels like a Sonoran bungalow, with warm walls, Mexican pottery, potted marigolds, and a giant mural made up of 250,000 kernels of corn. There are two bars here, one looking into the kitchen and the other minding the drinks, either of which are great for posting up on your own during a work lunch. The wood-slat booths, however, on the side are the money spot for a second dinner date. photo credit: Casey Irwin photo credit: Casey Irwin photo credit: Casey Irwin The favorites from the food truck—quesabirria tacos, quesadillas, and guacamole—are still just as good here, but the kitchen is also flexing its culinary muscles with some bigger plates. Those come with varying results. The chicken milanesa and tres leches are superb takes on classics, while other plates, like duck breast in mole negro and the aguachile, fall short. But we’re confident those dishes will improve over time if the team can find its groove in this new setup. For now, stick with any of the hits from the food truck (the quesabirria) or some new dishes that really show off corn in interesting ways (the grits). Or, any of our recommendations in the food rundown. Food Rundown photo credit: Casey Irwin Aguachile The aguachile—an eerily one-for-one dupe for Mi Compa Chava’s version in Mexico City—is a divisive order for us. Some of us on the team relish the scorching heat that comes with the bowl of citrusy shrimp, while others think the chiltepin ruins the dish. Also, the ginormous ring of cucumbers garnishing the bowl doesn’t seem to serve much of a purpose. You’re fine skipping it. photo credit: Casey Irwin Quesabirria We can happily confirm that the quesabirria tacos are just as good at Maiz De La Vida’s brick-and-mortar as they are at the truck. The cheese exterior on the tacos is crispy, and the rich, complexly layered consomme makes for the perfect dipping partner. And there’s no shame in drinking the broth straight from the cup after you’ve finished your tacos. photo credit: Casey Irwin Chicken milanesa This is an exceptional version of breaded chicken. The coating uses a combination of sage and cotija cheese, which gives the crunch around the eight-ounce chicken cutlet a bit more depth. Douse your chicken with the lime wedges on the plate. photo credit: Casey Irwin Duck breast in mole negro Maiz De La Vida nails their mole negro. Unfortunately, the duck is too underdone, which detracts from the velvety layer of the sauce. Stick with the milanesa for your entree. photo credit: Casey Irwin Grits This restaurant is a temple to corn, so having grits on the menu isn’t that far of a stretch. The nixtamal corn they use for their tortillas gets ground into a grits-like consistency, where it’s then cooked with manchego cheese, more corn, beans, and squash. Like a creme brulee, there’s a crispy tortilla layer you’ll have to crack through to get to the grits underneath, adding a nice crunch to the creamy mix. photo credit: Casey Irwin Tres leches de cafe You must get this riff on tres leches cake for dessert. The traditional three milks—whole, condensed, and evaporated—have been used to good effect on this spongy cake (not too much, not too little). The addition of espresso is a great twist, giving the dessert a tiramisu-like quality. photo credit: Casey Irwin Drinks A very happy addition to Maiz De La Vida’s repertoire: a bar. There’s a nice range of mezcals, sotols, and tequila on the menu that shine in margaritas and palomas, but also in more inventive drinks like La Gran Mentira with Mexican fernet and mole negro." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
