Mi Lindo Cancun Grill 2134 Forest Drive, Annapolis | 410-571-0500 | lindocancungrill.com
When you step through the imposing doors of Mi Lindo Cancun Grill on Forest Drive, you feel like you are being transported south of the border. You will breath in the enticing aroma of authentic southern Mexican food. The décor that was all shipped in from Mexico is eye-catching with paintings, leather booths, and dark doors that dominate the restaurant.
“The customer’s reaction is always the best,” says co-owner Miguel Martinez. “They walk in and say, ‘I like this place.’ They feel like they are in Mexico. When you sit down, have a margarita and start eating. You feel like you are down there.”
Lead owner and 38-year-old Fredy Salmoran opened the restaurant in late 2015.
What separates Mi Lindo Cancun Grill from other places is that everything is made fresh from scratch, especially their authentic breakfast. Many of the breakfast items are centered on eggs like your traditional huevos rancheros and top-seller Chilaquiles, which include fried corn tortillas with grilled steak, onions, salsa, queso fresco, Mexican crema, two eggs, and fried black beans.
“A lot of customers are surprised and get excited when they see our breakfast,” Salmoran says. We recently sat down to talk to Salmoran and Martinez—both of whom are from the small southern Mexican town of Oaxaca—about their Cancun Mayan inspired cuisine, customer favorites, and the warm salsa they serve with chips.
Fredy, tell me about the breakfast you offer. Is it kind of unique for Mexican restaurants to do that or to offer that specific style of breakfast?
Our customers want to try authentic Mexican breakfast. It’s different than other restaurants. We eat Chilaquiles in Mexico. A lot of customers are surprised and get excited when they see our breakfast. They say, “Wow.” Customers say this is very close to what they have in Mexico.
Fredy, what is your best-selling dish?
Enchilada Mole. I know a lot of other Latin restaurants have them, too. But I have the recipe from my mom. She makes the best. We add some spices to give it a little kick. It’s not sweet like a lot of other restaurants serve. Ours is a little spicy. It makes you fall in love with our enchiladas. It has four different kinds of peppers, shredded chicken, and a lot of spices. It takes us three or four days to make the sauce.
Fredy, what else do the customers like so much?
Our fajitas are really good. One that is really popular is Fajitas Molcajete. It has three different kinds of meat and a special salsa—ranchera salsa. It has Oaxaca cheese, which we melt on top. Customers also love our margaritas. We have a special one we call Cancun margarita. We serve it with fresh pineapple and mix it with two kinds of Patron tequila and fresh lime juice. People really get excited about that one.
Fredy, what does Cancun Mayan-inspired cuisine mean?
It’s a like a culture from Mexico. We use a lot of different spices. We concentrate on using authentic herbs and spices. We have our own flavors, much different than other places. We serve the food similar to where we come from in Mexico.
Fredy, who is your typical customer?
We have all kinds of customers. We have people from Mexico and all the Latin countries. We have people from India who like our food. A lot of people don’t know the objective of our restaurant. People know more like Tex-Mex. What we do is authentic and different.
Fredy, you have had Mariachi bands play for special events on occasion. What are your future plans regarding music?
We want to do more in the future: bring in Mariachi bands. People love it. It’s something we have in Mexico for birthday parties.
Fredy, what do you do for fun when you are not working?
Most of the time I am working in the restaurant. I probably work 70 hours a week. I try to work six days week, but sometimes I have to work seven. When I am off, I spend time with the family.
Miguel, I know you take a lot of pride in the chips and salsa you serve. Your salsa is warm. Do many places do that?
The warm salsa makes people feel good. In south Mexico, you serve the salsa warm. Everybody does it. Not everybody in other parts of Mexico do the same thing. We have been to different places in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. where everything is [served] cold.
Pescador
Serves One
Ingredients
- 1 Tilapia filet
- 5 Jumbo shrimp
- 4 Scallops
- 3 New Zealand mussels
- 1/2 Tbsp. fine chopped celery
- 1/2 Tbsp. Fine chopped red onion
- 1.5 ounces Tequila
- 2 Tbsp. Crema
- 1/2 Cup Seafood broth
- 2 Tbsp. Butter
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
In one hot pan, sauté tilapia filet in one Tbsp. of butter, about 5 minutes per side. In another hot pan, add the butter, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for about two minutes, then add the shrimp, scallops, mussels, and salt and pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes. Add tequila and let it flame. Add the crema and seafood broth. Stir and let it reduce until the sauce is thick. Serve over rice and tilapia filet.
