Sterling Heights, MI — A new restaurant in Sterling Heights that opened its doors at the beginning of May has been at the top of my foodie destination list for several months, and this past weekend, I was finally able to pay Raíces Mexican Cantina a visit!
Unfortunately, I missed the Grand Opening earlier this year because I was in Philadelphia at the time, celebrating one of my best friends’ birthdays. However, I was determined to circle back to Raíces at some point, so I was particularly excited for this foodie adventure to finally come to fruition. Raíces Mexican Cantina is the latest restaurant endeavor of Maria Aldana, a fantastic chef (and all around awesome person) whose culinary journey I’ve followed since she opened her inaugural eatery, Aldana’s, in Troy several years ago. In fact, checking out Aldana’s and sharing Maria’s story was one of my first real foodie adventures that I had arranged about two and a half years ago, not long after launching MI Foodie Adventures!
RELATED: Experience flavors, memories of Mexico through Maria Aldana’s cooking
A lot has changed and evolved since then. Maria eventually sold her namesake restaurant in Troy last year to another Mexican family who essentially kept operations running as is without changing much, if anything. She then took the next step in her culinary journey when she opened La Niña Churrería within the same complex as Aldana’s near Coolidge Highway and Maple Road in April of last year. Maria told me late last year that she missed the action of the kitchen and sharing her beloved regional Mexican recipes with residents of Metro Detroit. So, naturally, Maria got to work on developing a new concept to re-establish her roots (hint, hint) with Mexican cuisine.
Raíces actually means “roots,” in Spanish, and is a fitting name for Maria’s latest establishment, which, in a way, is Maria returning to her restaurant roots and culinary beginnings. It’s worth noting, Maria’s churrería is absolutely wonderful and has a wide range of churro options, as well as other dessert creations, but it’s nice to see Maria back at the helm of a restaurant sharing her marvelous dishes hailing from the Jalisco and Yucatán regions of Mexico. So, I decided to treat myself over the weekend for my birthday and make the drive up to the northern edge of Sterling Heights to finally experience Maria’s latest concept.
I coordinated with Maria for my visit so we could catch up as well, so I arrived at Raíces Mexican Cantina at 6 p.m. for a dinner visit. The restaurant is located in the northeast corner of the shopping center, south of M-59 on the west side of Mound Road. I enjoyed the traditional brick exterior, nothing that ‘Raíces’ visually popped along the banner of the front entrance. Stepping inside felt like a combination of Maria’s initial layout at Aldana’s, with inspiration from her creative evolution at La Niña Churrería. The space was much wider and bigger than her first two establishments, but maintained the bright, vibrant, and warm colors meant to transport you directly to Mexico to enjoy a traditional home-cooked meal.
My server came by right as I was seated to show and explain the menus, including some of their current specials for meals and drinks. I decided to order a Cantarito cocktail, which consisted of Exotico reposado tequila, lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit soda & juice, and fresh fruit with a Tajin Chamoy rim. The drink was very refreshing, fruity, with a nice underlying tequila low burn. I’m a big fan of tequila, so this drink was a great choice! The table chips and salsa were also delicious, with the chips seasoned similarly to Maria’s original rendition from Aldana’s.
FULL SECTION: MI Foodie Adventures Mexican Series
When it came time to order, I went with the Choriqueso appetizer, a Prime Rib taco on a corn tortilla, and the Chile Rellenos for my entrée. I was more than prepared to take leftovers home, even though I made sure to eat light earlier in the day. As I waited for my food, Maria stopped by my table and we caught up as I snacked on some chips and salsa. I was thrilled to hear that, after being open for five months, Maria said she felt like the restaurant was finding its groove, continuing to listen and curate the menu to accommodate the area’s expectations, while also slowly introducing more traditional Mexican dishes patrons might not be as familiar with. For example, I was initially looking forward to enjoying Maria’s rendition of Cochinita Pibil, but it hasn’t been introduced to the menu yet. Thankfully, after I jokingly inquired about it, Maria assured me that it will be added soon!
Maria elaborated on her excitement for having such a large, flexible space with a great staff, of whom she spoke very highly. But while she explained that weekends were quite lively and busy, especially when her restaurant hosts fun events like mariachi bands or salsa dancing, the weekdays remained a bit of a struggle in terms of people going out to eat. This is, unfortunately, a trend that has increased over the last year or two for many restaurants. With prices and costs rising for essentially everything, people are dining out less and less, which has had a profound impact on the Michigan restaurant industry, according to data from the Michigan Restaurant Association. Even I, as much of a foodie as I am, stick to dining out here and there mostly on weekends now. Hopefully, restaurants, and we the people, will weather this storm, because these wonderful restaurants are important pillars of our community and offer ways to explore and share our stories and culture through food. So get out and start dining (when you can)!
The Food
My first wave of food arrived, so Maria departed to attend to other matters in the kitchen as I prepared to dig into one exceptionally cheesy and saliva-inducing dish. The Choriqueso is a blend of chorizo, grilled house cheeses, and served with a side of chips and lime. I could still hear a slight sizzle as the server set the dish down, and I observed some of the cheese still bubbling sporadically across the top layer.
I squeezed two limes dry over the grilled cheesy concoction and went for a hearty scoop with a tortilla chip. The cheese pull was exquisite, maintaining a thick string from the pan to at least two feet over the table before I decided to intervene and snip the cheese line. There was a copious amount of zesty chorizo throughout the dish, albeit a little greasy. Chorizo is a pork sausage (for those unfamiliar with this meat), so that’s just the way it goes when cooking, oftentimes. The cheese blend was so delicious, it complemented the chorizo perfectly as a solid savory starter.
After just absolutely destroying that Choriqueso platter, my Chile Rellenos and Prime Rib taco arrived. Which was probably for the best since I had about five or six bites left of Choriqueso, but was now compelled to move on to the newly placed colorful and enticing dishes before me. As you can see in the photo above and within the main image at the top of this blog post, the Prime Rib itself was very prominent and seared to perfection. The taco also featured avocado slices, queso fresco, and roasted de Arbol sauce.
I picked up the taco and was impressed by the weight, a culmination of thick, hearty slices of prime rib, avocado, and salsa. I took a sizeable bite to ensure I included a taste of every ingredient and was blown away by the robust flavor provided by only a few seemingly simple ingredients. The prime rib was perfect, had excellent texture, and remained very tender, pulling apart as easy as the warm tortilla itself. The sauce had a slightly smokier profile than the house salsa, with a slight kick to it as well. The soft, crumbly cheese was also a delight, surprisingly paired perfectly with the type of meat. Unlike the Choriqueso, not a single bite of the taco remained before I moved onto the main course!
It had been a few years since I last enjoyed Chile Rellenos, so in the absence of my beloved Cochinita Pibil, it felt like a great option to re-familiarize myself with. Maria’s rendition of the dish, whose origins come from Puebla in Mexico, features a poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, smothered in ranchero sauce, and served with lettuce, Pico de Gallo, guacamole, sour cream, rice, beans, tortillas, and a choice of either ground beef or chicken. For this particular foodie adventure, I went with the chicken.
RELATED: Maria Aldana’s culinary adventure continues with the opening of La Niña Churrería
This dish was a top-tier meal across the board. I essentially licked clean the entire cupped-chip of beans and queso fresco cheese, ate nearly half of the very tasty rice (intentionally saved the rest), and then went to work on the Chile Rellenos itself. I burned through all four of the corn tortillas provided, stuffing each to the brim with the poblano pepper, cheese, chicken, sauce, and toppings. Whether just the pepper/chicken/sauce on its own, or all combined within a bite of the makeshift taco, this flavor bomb of ingredients and skill from the chefs made this dish one of the best Mexican meals I’ve had in a while.
The chicken was cooked perfectly and seasoned well, and I felt probably the better option with the ranchero sauce over the ground beef once I got to taste everything. The poblano was roasted well too, and I had no trouble using my fork to sever chunks to then scoop and place onto a tortilla. I even cascaded a bit of rice down into the tacos last, after layering the guac, sour cream, and Pico de Gallo. After finishing about half the meal, I decided to throw in the towel and save the rest. This was a meal I definitely wanted to enjoy for a second round later on!
Maria and her staff ended up surprising me shortly after this with her legendary Tres Leches for dessert! And yes, they sang happy birthday and placed a very large sombrero atop my head as other patrons watched on from their tables. I took it all in stride, just grateful to be there, enjoying the meal and atmosphere. I was also very appreciative of the hospitality, exceptional service, and downright stellar food prepared and made by this crew. Plus, Maria’s Tres Leches is probably one of the best, if not the best, Tres Leches I’ve ever had! Below is a photo from my first experience with Maria’s Tres Leches during my first visit to Aldana’s in Troy.
I’ll always be a proud supporter of Maria Aldana’s endeavors and a consistent patron of her establishments. The quality and authentic approach to her food are more than enough reasons for return visits, but I’m also inspired by Maria’s determination and passion for what she does, as well as her genuine care for her staff and customers. Whether you’re visiting her restaurant, Raíces Mexican Cantina, in Sterling Heights for a meal or a fun event, or checking out her churrería in Troy for a sweet treat, you’ll be glad you did!
For more information about Raíces Mexican Cantina, click here.
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