I want so badly to love Me & Julio. When it came to Commercial Drive, I was so excited. I loved Lolita’s in the West End, the Drive was in dire need of some decent Mexican and it was a beautiful space, vacated by a shoddy Greek restaurant and completely re-done by owners Jaison and Lila Gaylie. It’s not traditional, nor trying to be. Instead it’s a culinary fiesta and a perfect fit, in my estimation.
The first visit I had the duck confit which sadly seems is no longer on the menu, but I’ve also had the plantain chips with fresh crema & salsa verde ($8), the ground beef & chorizo tacos with pomegranate demi ($16), the gaucho steak ($21) and the pork flautas ($10). All are flavoured with new twists on standard Mexican ingredients, such as the grilled Serrano chimichuri butter on the steak or the pork flautas cooked in habanero and tequila and accompanied by fresh citrus, cucumber & jicama salsa. But while the menu looks good on paper and the décor is fabulous, the passion and heart is missing from the soul of the food. Somehow it always falls flat.
Also pictured are the huevos revueltos ($12) which is basically scrambled eggs and jack cheese, pickled poblano peppers, salsa verde, black beans (intended to be eaten wrapped in corn tortillas), and the quesadilla de pollo ($11) which confuses me because it’s not even actually a quesadilla. Typically, a quesadilla is cheese and other ingredients sandwiched between tortillas and pan-fried. At Me & Julio’s, it arrives in empanada form, that is to say, a pastry stuffed and then deep-fried. It’s a small detail if they’re serving potato tacos, and other variants, but it does sort of drive home that they’re not even trying to be authentic.
Me & Julio is a party that starts as soon as you walk in the door, with huge bright umbrella drinks, strong, flavourful ingredients and both an aquarium and a grass-thatched hut over the bar and it’s a popular party, always busy, but I’ve had one too many mediocre meals there to be tempted back. It seems to be lacking something that I can’t quite put my finger on…possibly substance.
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2095 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
