Dos Perros - a new eatery in downtown Durham

This past weekend I had the pleasure to enjoy my first meal at Dos Perros in downtown Durham. The restaurant was packed on a Saturday night, a good sign, especially for a once desolate downtown Durham.

The menu was quite interesting and the vegetarian options refreshing. The vegetarian options included a Chile Rellano, which can be pretty standard. But I tried one of the other two options - Tortitas de Calabaza Dulce -- Butternut squash-masa cakes with kale and hominy stew. It sounded like an odd dish, but I had to try it. It was quite tasty and the best kale I've ever had. The third vegetarian entree was the Mole Amarillo con Chochoyones --vegetables and masa dumplings simmered in a rich sauce of tomatillos and spices. I'd like to try that another time. My friends all ordered various sea food dishes and were quite pleased as well.

We only tested on appetizer, the cactus, which was very tasty. We did, however, each sample one of their margaritas. I ordered the Skinny and another friend ordered the "1967 Cadillac". The "Skinny Dip" has Cointreau in it, so I thought I'd like it, but it was a tad too dry for my taste. I preferred the Cadillac which has some Gran Marnier in it. Luck would have it that my friend preferred my drink, so we switched.

For desert, I tried the Mexican chocolate ice cream with orange zest. It was yummy.

I hope to go to Dos Perros soon. Also, as a dog lover, I'm fond of the name of the restaurant, which means "two dogs" and appreciated the walls covered in framed photos of dogs and dog cartoons at the back of the restaurant.

Overall, I was very impressed. The restaurant is on a nice corner location and the decor is elegant and modern. The service was also excellent. This might be one of my favorite restaurants in Durham, next to my all time favorite, Piedmont!