Fat Rosie's elevates tacos and tequila

Upscale Mexican restaurants are all the rage these days.

Until now, the hot place to go around the Tri-Cities has been Bien Trucha in Geneva, with its great food and night-on-the-town vibe. Fat Rosie's, though, has burst on the scene to provide some fierce competition. This festive taco and tequila bar, which opened in mid-December near downtown St. Charles, is funky yet comfortable, family-friendly but still hip, and successfully turns familiar Mexican dishes into mouthwatering fare while keeping most entree prices under $10.

Tequila is a co-star to the food. The extensive offerings are presented as if they were fine wines, and words like “oaky” and “floral” are used to describe their flavors. They're even served in tiny wine glasses.

The blanco (silver) tequilas start at $7. Increasing in price and quality, there are also resposado (rested), añejo (aged) and extra añejo (extra aged) varieties.

As our knowledgeable waiter explained, the higher-end tequilas are “sipping tequilas,” a concept I wasn't familiar with since I've mainly thought of straight tequila as something you thrown down in a shot glass with a lick of salt and a lime wedge.

I liked sipping the vanilla, chocolate and caramel flavors in the Don Julio Resposado tequila ($12), but found it a bit strong. Next time, I'll try it as an after-dinner selection rather than an appetizer accompaniment. For a pre-meal drink, opt instead for Fat Rosie's sweet margaritas, made with freshly cut, hand-muddled fruits like pineapple and mangos.

Sharing food feels natural at Fat Rosie's, not because they serve heaping plates of it, but because everything is divided into appetizer-sized bites. It's like Mexican tapas.

Among our favorite appetizers was the lime-marinated blue marlin ceviche, served with homemade tortilla chips. It was light and fresh, not fishy at all. Another great option is the Del Mar queso fundido, a hot, gooey plate of melted cheeses topped with a little sweet pineapple, shrimp and chipotle glaze. Served with small, steaming-hot corn tortillas, it is a please-all appetizer.

The guacamole is a solid choice, too, with chunks of avocado, bits of tomato and onion, and a nice balance of cilantro and chilies flavors.

While the menu contains enchiladas and fajitas, tacos are the house specialty. They come four to an order, in soft tortillas.

The Ensenada tacos used fresh, lightly breaded tilapia. I'd go a little easier on the avocado mayonnaise so you can savor the thinly sliced pickled cabbage and the fresh pico de gallo.

I wolfed down the carne asada tacos, which overflowed with lean, well-seasoned, fresh-off-the-grill skirt steak topped with a sprinkle of cheese, salsa and the perfect amount of grilled red onions.

If you have room for dessert, try the crepas de natilla y cajeta. The cream-filled crepe, topped with sliced fruit and surrounded by a light layer of sweet caramel sauce, prompted loud, happy “mmmm” sounds all around. And, like everything else, it can be easily shared.

Fat Rosie's staff is very friendly, and the waiters are knowledgeable about how the food is made. While our new waiter confused our order twice, he quickly made up for it by hustling to get us the correct item, apologizing profusely and adjusting the bill.

Fat Rosie's comes with impressive restaurant credentials. Executive chef Raul Arreola runs the kitchen. A native of Mexico and student of award-winning chef Rick Bayless, Arreola spent many years at successful Mexican restaurants in Chicago, including Bayless' Tompolobampo.

Adding expertise are three partners in the expanding Francesca's restaurant group: Lisa Mango, Jimmy Bannos and Scott Harris (best known for their Heaven on Seven and Purple Pig restaurants in Chicago). They conceived Fat Rosie's to be a neighborhood restaurant where you'd feel comfortable bringing your kids, a date or your grandma, but could still enjoy upscale Mexican food.

“We don't want it to be pretentious,” Mango said. “We want to be known as a fun place with really serious food.”

The result is, well, perfecto.

Fat Rosie's Taco and Tequila Bar

1890 W. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 762-0200 or fatrosies.com

<b>Cuisine:</b> Mexican

<b>Setting: </b>Colorful, casual space with modern décor

<b.Hours:</b> 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday

<b>Entrees: </b>$7 to $16