The taco salad at Komo’s. Photos by Brian Addison.

Komo’s on 2nd Street in Naples is a new high-end, American-inspired Mexican restaurant that delivers delicious dishes constructed with care. Its tiny space is intimate yet inviting in a way that you can approach in many ways. You can come for happy hour from 3PM to 7PM for small bites and a luscious margarita, go light with a taco salad, or go for an all-out decadent experience. 

My friend and I decided to do a bit of it all, a dance to stimulate the senses. Starting off with the chips and salsa, I was immediately aware of the superior level of freshness. The clean and incredibly fresh ingredients were apparent in each dish from start to finish of our indulgent dinner. 

We both ordered the Ultimate Margarita with Pura Sangre Anejo Tequila, Cointreau, fresh squeezed lime juice and agave nectar. It is served shaken tableside and a hearty pour is left for you to refill from your silver shaker. It is an engaging presentation that brings forth damn near two full pour portions of zesty margaritas.

First things first: on the food list was the Queso Fundido paired with a house made chorizo served with flour tortillas (which goes for the bargain price of $5 during happy hour). What cheese lover can resist a skillet of oven baked Oaxaca cheese bubbling and browned, beautifully slathered on top of savory meat? For an extra level of flavor and heat, I recommend adding some of the offered grilled onion and poblano peppers on top (or mushrooms, which is also an option; all come at a surcharge).

To counter-balance our borderline sinful start, we went with the bright and crisp Radishes and Butter tapa. Simple, sliced radishes are served with clarified butter and some spectacular house pickled veggies. The pickled veggies, more sweet than the typical Mexican-style pickling, are akin to a gardenia mix with a refreshing delicate flavor that makes me never want to purchase a jar from the grocery store again. I was told that you can indeed buy mason jars of this delectable relish to take home with you.    

The queso fundido with housemade chorizo.

Next to join the fiesta was a handsome guacamole—verdant as the Jolly Green Giant and precariously towering out of the serving cup like frosting on a cupcake. Straightforward and flavorful; however, I swear good-looking food is more enjoyable to partake in.

The Taco Salad [pictured top] came sauntering up with a sexy bedhead, American appeal with its loaded flour tortilla basket. The frisée and baby kale were a delicious step up from the boring ol’ iceberg lettuce that customarily haunts the fried tortilla bowls. With chorizo—ground beef-like in its flavor and texture—Cotija cheese, pickled red onion, and black beans tossed in a cilantro apple cider vinaigrette, it’s a delightful medley of crisp, acidic and savory. With the added sour cream, one can’t help but think of the Gringo Taco at El Torazo turned into a tostada.

This is where we jumped off the deep end and dive into full-on, exalted debauchery. We ordered the Chipotle Rib Eye, a 12 oz. pan-seared, mouthwatering steak topped with a dollop of chipotle infused butter and served on a bed of sautéed mushrooms and green beans. The steak is so tender you could cut it with a butter knife and since it is cooked to perfection, it becomes a truly gorgeous cut of meat.

Diving further into our extravagant depravity, the carnitas enchiladas—where the carnitas resembled birria more than carnitas—were the star of the show. This is the kind of dish that compelled me to close my eyes and revel in the moment. Good food evokes emotions and can trigger deep-rooted memories. Truly great food brings flashes of tastes long since past to the forefront accompanied by a sensual overload that can render you speechless. It beckons your eyelids to close, so you can enjoy your taste bud encounter transfixed, encapsulated in your own little world with undisrupted devotion.

I was transported back to when I was 8 years old at my Mexican aunt’s house where her mother had prepared enchiladas. It was the first time I remember having a full-on foodgasm and I have been searching ever since for an enchilada to compare. This dish at Komo’s is the real deal, the whole sha-bang, extraordinarily stunning enchiladas that could possibly rival my aunt’s mom’s recipe. (Sorry, Tía!) It is divine, heavenly food for the gods. Served in a skillet and topped with sour cream and pickled red onion, the rice and beans were nice companions to the dish, but the sauce was hands down the life of the party. Thing damn near took my breath away.

The carnitas enchiladas.

Dios mío!   

To top off our unabashed dining spectacular, we went for the bite size churros that came with some insanely scrumptious chocolate and caramel dipping sauces—the latter being particularly seductive—and fresh berries. 

Speaking with owner Lisa Buchanan after the parade of amazing plates she said that her vision for the space was to “create a space that I wanted to hang out in,” and said that people do come and post up for hours. So get there early to enjoy an evening of crafted upscale Mexican.

Komo’s is located at 5730 E 2nd Street. For more information and reservation, call 562-856-9494.

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