Comida buena at Mexican Village

Enamored by memories of the dirt-cheap Tex-Mex I could find at home in Atlanta, I set out two years ago to discover what Princeton's restaurant scene offered those of us hungry for tacos, moles, tamales and other south-of-the-border staples.

My first find was Santa Fe Express, the now-defunct Nassau Street purveyor of sub-mediocre study-break burritos and quesadillas — an introduction to Princeton dining that left me disheartened for more than a year.

Fortunately, sophomore year a faculty brat suggested Tortuga's Mexican Village, a lively Tex-Mex joint located a 10 minutes' walk away on Leigh Avenue, off Witherspoon Street near Princeton Medical Center.

Though the restaurant started life as a branch of the Greenwich Village-based Mexican Village, no elements of trendy New York atmosphere made the transition to central New Jersey; Tortuga's feels like the decidedly local but somewhat overpriced eatery it is.

The two rooms hold perhaps a dozen tables, and tapestries and a large Mexican mural create a bright interior — particularly inviting when the restaurant is filled with the buzz of other patrons. The service is friendly and down-to-earth, but can run behind if the restaurant is full.

The menu offers both mass-American Tex-Mex staples — tacos, burritos, fajitas — and more interesting specials including carne asada — skirt steak covered with a chipotle marinade — and my favorite, pollo mole. The de rigeur Mexican rice and refried beans are served with most entrees.

All meals begin with chips and a chunky homemade salsa-fresca of diced tomatoes, cilantro, onion, lime and chili peppers, which bears little resemblance to the inferior pureed salsa too common at Mexican restaurants.

If you're really hungry, start with the nachos supreme, an immense pile of chips utterly submerged in refried beans, cheese, jalapeno peppers and sour cream — this could easily be split three or even four ways.

The pollo mole — chicken smothered with a chocolate-and-nut-based sauce — is one of Mexican Village's most exceptional dishes; rich, slightly piquant and delectably moist, it is everything a mole should be. The flautas de harina, fried, stuffed tortillas dipped in a mild salsa, are very light and flaky, and well worth the $10.95 charge.

I'm also partial to Tortuga's homemade guacamole dip, overpriced though it is, and the lunch-special California burrito — a monster tortilla filled with meat, cheese, rice, beans, guacamole and lettuce, which they are generally happy to serve at dinner if you ask.

The restaurant shortchanges a number of the other choices, especially the staples served in the platos combinados. In particular the tamales — steamed corn meal stuffed with chicken or beef — are too bland, though this can be remedied by asking that they be smothered in the excellent and not-too-spicy salsa verde. The chile rellenos — stuffed poblano peppers — are similarly tasteless but lack the easy fix, while the cactus salad appetizer tastes of a metal can and I recommend against it.

Many of the dishes come with a choice of fillings — ground beef, chicken, chorizo, shredded beef, sauteed veggies and refried beans. The chicken and especially the shredded beef are the best choices. Tortuga's also prepares several good vegetarian entrees, of which I particularly recommend the soft tacos with salsa verde.

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My biggest complaint about Tortuga's is not the quality of the food, but the value. The food holds its own against fancier-looking restaurants, but the prices aren't much cheaper and I grew up spoiled by the delectable, bargain morsels of a city with a large Mexican population. Dinner for one with an appetizer and an entree will run around $20 — which is not outrageous for the food unless you're used to getting it for $6.25 plus tax. I highly recommend trying the restaurant at lunch, when it serves many of the same dishes for substantially less.

Tortuga's will never make you believe you're dining near the Arizona-Mexico border. It does succeed in satisfying cravings, however, and is a more-than-competent introduction to Mexican cuisine for those who have never explored it except at the drive-thru of a Taco Bell.