Unique in Seattle
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
We discovered La Carta de Oaxaca on a walk through Ballard -- the place was packed and a dozen people waited outside. If you're looking for a uniquely authentic Mexican dinner of "little dishes," it's worth the wait.
In the open dining room/bar/kitchen, you sit at big, family-style tables and order from a one-page menu of little plates -- figure one per person for a snack with drinks, 1.5 to 2 for dinner. The mole and other sauces are complex and obviously homemade, and the meats are of excellent quality. The vegetarian options are quite limited and it would be difficult to eat with a group of vegetarians here. That said, I recommend La Carta for a group or couple interested in their extensive tequila list and sharing a number of plates. It's a fun place, and there's really nowhere else like it in Seattle.