Mexican goes halal

No traditional chorizo, no lomo, no carnitas? Certainly no menudo. Sam Alvarado is stepping up to the challenge of running the only halal Mexican restaurant in the state. That means no pork, of course, and no other meat that wasn't killed using the methods prescribed by Islam. A liquor license won't be sought.

Open since June, Fuego Grill is attracting both Muslims and others with a menu that's all made in-house. Alvarado copes with the pork ban by fashioning a chicken-based chorizo using vinegar, cumin and a paste of dried Mexican peppers that he says has "fooled many Mexicans."

He comes naturally to the Mexican restaurant business — if not to halal. His grandfather, also Sam Alvarado, opened Mexican Fiesta in Dearborn Heights in 1963, and some of Fuego's menu items are borrowed from or named after the first Sam. But other of Alvarado's ideas seem to have come from his stint in culinary school.

The place has a bit of an upscale feel compared to most Mexican restaurants in the area, with floor-to-ceiling windows and attention paid to a contemporary presentation. White tableware includes recessed square plates and dramatic off-center salad bowls. Photos of the owner's hometown in Nuevo Leon adorn the walls — no sombreros and serapes here. But tables are bare and napkins are paper, and service is ultra-friendly and accommodating from a staff both Mexican and Middle Eastern.

One of the unique dishes is tortilla chips, dusted with a house-made spice mix, starring chipotle and ancho chili powders, as they come out of the fryer. They're not super-spicy, just delectably good, far more interesting than most restaurants' chips.

It's a good thing the chips are entertaining, as Fuego's devotion to freshness can mean a wait for other dishes. A fabulous appetizer is chorizo-, pepper- and cheese-stuffed mushrooms, drizzled with balsamic. My party scarfed these so quickly we hardly had time to analyze the stuffing, but I would order these again and again.

Also good was "flaming queso" (cheese), which is not opa!-style as in Greektown but a dense, sizzling mix of cheese, chorizo and veggies, very rich, so spoon it onto a warm tortilla.

I liked the serious dose of lime in the guacamole but thought it made the dish a little watery. It's chock-full of tomatoes and onions.

You can design your own taco, burrito, tostada or enchilada by choosing the filling and two toppings. (Here's where I missed carnitas most.) The best deal is $5 for one of the above plus two sides: beans, rice, excellent and varied seasonal grilled veggies, slaw, guacamole or plain avocado, home fries with the house spicy seasoning. Both refried and black beans, unfortunately, need work — they're bland. You can make good beans without lard, of course, it's just that more effort is required.

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