Restaurant review: Tonali

Although a late-night trip to Cosmic Cantina or a quick stop at one of Durham's roadside taco trucks has gastronomic merits all its own, Mexican cuisine is far from being limited to post-party snacks. Case in point: The new restaurant Tonali lets diners sample from an affordable and diverse array of updated Mexican classics, often with inspiring results.

Tonali is what happens when traditional Mexican fare is prepared by a chef with an extensive background in contemporary fine dining. This isn't to say that Chef Andre Macias, an ex-sous chef at Durham mainstay Four Square, has taken the soul out of Mexican cooking. Rather, he has injected staples, like tortilla soup, quesadillas and tacos, with refined technique and a subtle, modern touch.

Thankfully shunning the encyclopedic menus of most tex-mex restaurants in the area, Chef Macias builds his short but appealing menu around seasonal produce. There are no enchilada combination platters here. Instead, diners can expect to find creatively composed salads, a seafood ceviche, creamy tortilla soup or turkey quesadillas with a dark mole sauce, for starters. On the lower part of the menu-there are no defined sections per se-familiar favorites like carne asada and tacos make appearances. But at Tonali, the carne asada is lightly grilled beef tenderloin and one type of taco even includes a uniquely delicious combination of cauliflower and wild mushrooms. Desserts feature a dulce de leche crème brulee and an absolutely standout Mexican-inflected cheesecake.

From the complimentary warm tortilla chips served with a light, homemade salsa to start the meal and the surprisingly strong desserts to finish, Tonali arguably provides the most appealing Mexican food in Durham. Portions are thankfully not as large as at lesser Mexican restaurants and prices are very reasonable: All items are $12 or less, so diners are encouraged to order liberally from across the menu.

Where Tonali falters significantly, however, is in the service department. In fact, the service, or lack thereof, can sour an otherwise noteworthy dining experience. A restaurant with such high aspirations and a talented chef should be able to hire a host to seat diners rather than require its harried servers to do so. On a recent visit, the restaurant was at just over half-capacity, and we still waited over five minutes for one of the numerous empty tables. Water glasses were more often empty than full, and appetizers took approximately 30 minutes to arrive. A nearby family with small children was also subjected to similar inordinate waits, making the stress throughout the room palpable.

Nevertheless, the food at Tonali speaks for itself, and one can only hope that the restaurant will continue to improve as it marks its first anniversary later this June. For creative Mexican cuisine, there is nothing in Durham that compares.

Tonali

3642 Shannon Rd.

$5-$12

Picks: Tacos,

cheesecake