Baja, Mexico. San Jose, Costa Rica. Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Valle de Vinales, Cuba. Lima, Peru. Chilo Island, Chile. Madrid, Spain. Villa la Angostura, Argentina. The islands of the Philippines…all places I’ve lived, or worked, or vacationed…or simply dreamed of visiting. Although separated by continents and oceans, these places have three things in common: a shared colonial history, socio-cultural roots that are entwined inextricably from distinctly regional culinary traditions, and some version of the Spanish language.
When I need a little taste of any of these far away locales, I head to Jalapeños in Annapolis.
Tucked away from nearby chain restaurants just across the street at Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole, Jalapeños resides in a strip mall, squeezed between a nail salon and The Dollar Store. Arrival to the awkwardly sloped and crowded parking lot isn’t exactly an auspicious beginning. But stepping into the dark cool of the small reception area, where a long bar showcases bottles of top shelf tequila and where patrons are sipping on margaritas and laughing convivially over what look to be traditional Spanish and Latino dishes, things feel immediately better. A longing glance at the drinks is interrupted by the waft of garlic and saffron with a top note of roasted proteins and subtle hints of mole, all of which draw us past the bar to the dining area.
Decorated with Mexican masks, paintings of Flamenco dancers, ceramic Spanish plates above the fireplace, wrought iron railings, wall frescoes, and dark wood redolent of central American and Spanish mahogany, Jalapeños strives to aesthetically live up to its marketing slogan of many years: “Eat in Spain, or Mexico, or wherever.” Founded in 1999 by a Spaniard (Gonzalo Fernandez) and a Mexican (Aberto Serrano) and led in the kitchen by Obed Serrano, who trained for his culinary career in Spain, Jalapeños has long worked to satisfy customers just like me who want to be carried away to somewhere else, far from Annapolis, but not so far that it breaks the budget or can’t be serviced by our preferred designated driver, Uber.
On my first visit, a group of four friends opted for the house made Sangria and a plethora of small plates. Small plates continue to be a hot trend in eating that’s not going away anytime soon. At Jalapeños, ordering a variety of small tapas is a great way to traipse across entire continents culinarily.
We started with Ensalada de Camarones Caliente, a saucer of sautéed spinach with raisins, pine nuts, and shrimp. This was a lovely combination of savory and sweet, the earthiness of the greens and the dried field fruit balanced against the briny nature of the shrimp. We also ordered Gambas al Ajillo, large shrimp sautéed in olive oil, garlic, herbs, and tomato concasse, finished with dry sherry. The Gambas is a completely different flavor profile, from the Ensalada: more brazen, but not overwhelmingly so. The flavors of this dish are warm and enduring, a sort of comfort food with lingering notes of nostalgia for cliffside restaurants overlooking the Spanish coast.
The Croquetas, five little cylinders of breaded and fried béchamel goodness, bring back memories of so many trips abroad, so many endless evenings that started with something small, yet meaningful. This dish is famous across the Spanish diaspora, from Spain to Cuba and beyond. Croquetas are soft, fried, salty, and full of flavor and texture—the ultimate ingredients in a comforting food that pair excellently with rioja or tempranillo wine and good company. Jalapeños’ version was a mild delight—some renditions feature salty ham or bits of smoked meats, which add an extra layer of flavor missing here. Nonetheless, the five on our plate were gone post haste.
Another comfort food on the menu is one of my favorites. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever been to Jalapeños when I didn’t order this tasty treat. Chorizo Sausage is a spicy pork sausage sautéed in olive oil, garlic, and herbs, served over a bed of papas con rajas. It never fails to satisfy my craving for that special combination of savory and salty meat with those hot, soft, and earthy potatoes rendered tender and delicious by the sausage drippings and oil.
Tortilla Española is Jalapeños’ rendition of the traditional Spanish omelet made by layering potatoes, eggs, onion, green pepper, and garlic. This dish is renowned for the use of humble ingredients turned into a gastronomic delight. It’s a dish every Spanish grandma makes mindlessly and effortlessly. Jalapeños’ version was delicious.
On my second visit, our group decided to focus on Latin flavored dishes accompanied by a round of margaritas. Needless to say, as is well documented on Yelp and other review sites, Jalapeños makes delicious and potent cocktails. We relied yet again on Uber and settled in for a great late afternoon and early evening. We started with Guacamole “Oaxaca,” a heaping dish of mashed avocados spiced with cilantro, onion, jalapeño pepper, and garden tomato made fresh to order in the traditional molcajete. Our party managed to finish the entire dish.
We returned to the tapas menu we had so enjoyed on our last visit in search of dishes both strong and memorable. We found what we were looking for in the Ceviche Levantino, a dish characterized by fresh, bright, and exciting flavors. Ceviche is a simple and healthy dish made by “cooking” fresh seafood with the acidity of fresh citrus such as lemon. At Jalapeños, shrimp, scallops, and calamari are marinated in a citrus sauce, olive oil, cilantro, and garlic, and served cold. I could eat this all day.
Ceviche Acapulco is a similar dish of shrimp, scallops, and fish in a spicy tomato sauce served cold, garnished with avocado.
Our longing to recapture some of favorite moments in Mexico and Central America was satiated by three entrees: Pechuga Oaxaqueña, a large chicken breast served with traditional Mexican mole sauce; Tamal de Mole, a chicken breast sauced with mole, then wrapped in a corn masa and steamed in a banana leaf; and Carabineros, large shrimp sautéed with tomato, onion, and garlic, flavored with brandy and served over rice. All of these dishes, sangria, and mole helped us feel close to our favorite destinations without having to leave home.
