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 I
have been to many Mexican themed restaurants over the years, now most
often referred to by the more politically correct term "Southwestern"
restaurant. Honestly, I have failed to find any real distinction
between them other than the decor of the facilities themselves and the
level of heat in the salsa. This trend has thankfully come to an
end. Friday night I had the pleasure of dining at La Paz on South
Boulevard in Charlotte. Not only did this visit satisfy my craving
for a good Mexican meal and a margarita, it also solved a nagging question
that someone had posed to me, for which I did not have an answer.
"Where is Greg Guthrie, the former sous chef of Blue Restaurant and Bar?".
That was a question posed to me by one of my fellow "winos" at a wine
tasting at
Total
Wine and More in Matthews a couple weeks ago. I honestly did not
have and answer. Truth to be told, I can not keep up with the
comings and goings of all the chefs in the Greater Charlotte area,
but the question did not leave that part of my brain where nagging things
go to hang out. The matter ended there and would have died there as
well if not for my recent trip to La Paz.
I had a very important date with a lovely woman that I of course wanted to impress. I have always believed that "wine, language and good food" were all created with one true purpose, " to woo women". The location for dinner was therefore very important. She wanted Mexican and more importantly a good margarita, so my job was made somewhat easier in choosing what. But which one? There are so many Mexican restaurants in the area, which one should we try? I immediately ruled out anywhere I had been in the last year as they were all unspectacular. I did an internet search using google and came up with a few possibilities. Ultimately I decided on La Paz. Located on South Boulevard, beside Sullivan's and offering valet parking made it a easy pick for me. I was not disappointed. We arrived promptly at half past seven, having already attended the Friday night wine tasting at Total Wine and More in Matthews. The valet handled the car and we entered into the quaint atmosphere of La Paz. Michael, our server, promptly took our drink orders as we settled into a booth. One of the ones shown in the stock photo above I believe. Yes, the picture I have included is a mere stock photo from La Paz's own website. Before you can think it, No, I am not getting lazy. Frankly I wanted the night to be a little different than my normal restaurant visits. I did not want it to be about business. I wanted to enjoy my meal, my drinks, and my company. I plan to go back this week and take my own photos to edit into the article, so if you feel slighted, please come back in a couple days for more. Getting back to topic, our drinks arrived. Two Texas Margaritas on the rocks with salt. They were exquisite. My date, who we will for the sake of semi-anonymity call Kris gave them a 9 out of 10. High marks from a lady with a discriminating palate. While enjoying our drinks we were treated to a visit from La Paz's new owner Ward Manning. Ward Manning, the owner of The Manning Companies LLC, recently bought La Paz in an effort to insure the continued operation of the restaurant that he and his wife Laura had come to enjoy so much. Ward sees the potential of La Paz and wishes to build upon its prior success and make something even more spectacular. That is what he does. Ward Manning likes to create and to build. He admits to me that he loved "tinker toys" as a child but his "toys" are now on a much grander scale, such as the 92 unit luxury condominium "Park Place" being built at Carolina Beach which is scheduled for completion in 2008. To this end there will be a new menu at La Paz soon after the new year. Many of the current favorites will still be there, but the menu will be enhanced by a variety of other improvements that Ward would only vaguely allude. This brings us back to Greg Guthrie. Greg was the former sous chef, or second chef of Blue Restaurant and Bar. Greg received his culinary arts degree from Johnston and Wales University in Charleston, SC. Since that time he has worked at The Shoals Club at Bald Head Island NC, Mama's Fish House at Kiawah Island and the Red Fox at Snowshoe WV. Ward hired on Greg Guthrie to be his Executive Chef a mere few weeks ago. Almost as giddy as Ward, Greg related his plans for the future of La Paz and the things he wants to accomplish as Executive Chef. Greg suggested to us that we should try the steak fajitas as it was one of the best items on the menu. Well, we certainly could not ignore the advice of the man who does the cooking so we ordered two steak fajitas. Our fajitas arrived hot and sizzling on the plate, well seasoned with a nice flavor of black peppercorns, the tender meat was accompanied by a plate of grilled onions, peppers, squash, grilled tomatoes, and red potatoes. Add to that a plate of guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, and my favorite...ginger lime cabbage. The ginger lime cabbage was a first for me. I love pico de gallo, but have to say that this was even better. Flour tortillas were of course included to finish it all off. Our second round of margaritas was the La Paz specialty "Laura's Margarita". Named after Ward's wife Laura, this drink was a bit different than our first and actually my favorite of the two. It is not on the menu at the moment, so if you visit before the menu change, you will need to remember to ask for it. As impressed as I was about the food and overall atmosphere of La Paz, I was equally impressed by the attitude of both its owner and executive chef. Their exuberance, energy and desire to please their patrons create a wonderful dining experience. Ward and Greg were more concerned about hearing about what I did not like than they were about what I did. I only had one complaint. Salsa verde is too thin to stick to a chip. But if you make it thicker....it isn't salsa verde. I place restaurant among my must visit attractions for the greater Charlotte area and submit that it is currently the strongest contender for "Best Mexican Restaurant" for 2007. All contenders have a mere 30 days until year end to outrank them for the distinction. Please take my advice and try this restaurant for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
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