Cielito in Las Colinas Blends Modern and Traditional Flavors from Puebla, Mexico

Jose Antonio Calderon wants guests to feel like they're stepping into a heavenly food experience when they enter his new restaurant in Las Colinas, Cielito Mexican Flavors.

After a decade of preparation, the restaurant opened this summer. It offers a fusion of modern and traditional dishes inspired by Calderon's hometown of Puebla, Mexico.

The name Cielito was chosen by Calderon's sister, Julieta Calderon, who wanted the restaurant to evoke a heavenly feeling through food. During the day, sunlight illuminates most of the restaurant thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. Mexican artwork adorns the white walls, and earthy brown wooden tables are the perfect backdrop for the colorful dishes.

Calderon said he wants guests to fall in love with the beautiful presentation of the food and excite customers' taste buds as they take their first bite.

The menu was crafted with the help of chef Armando Muñoz from Tlaxcala, Mexico. Cielito’s dishes pay tribute to Calderon's mother and their heritage with tinga, birria, mole and enchiladas, as well as desserts like the Spanish flan cake.
We decided to order whatever the waiter suggested, which meant starting with Cielito's house margarita on the rocks ($12). The waiter explained that the drink has an egg white base, which adds texture and creaminess, similar to a whisky sour. The bartender mixes it with Socorro silver tequila, triple sec, agave and lime juice.

The queso fundido appetizer ($12) is served with a side of warm flour tortillas. The mix of melted cheeses stretches endlessly, and it's a bit of an effort to corral it into a tortilla (worth the effort, however). It's topped with savory chorizo, micro greens and diced onions and tomatoes.
For the main course, we had the green chile relleno, despite the haunting voice of my Mexican mother warning us against spending $19 on a single roasted poblano pepper stuffed with queso fresco. However, the tomato salsa that gracefully danced around the pepper made it worthwhile. The creamy roasted salsa and garlicky flavor was worth keeping that secret from Mom.
Deciding between the chocolate tres leches cake or the chef’s "award-winning dessert" (Rosa Mexicano) per the menu was a challenge. Ultimately, we went with the chocolate cake ($9), which is made with the famous Mexican hot chocolate brand Abuelita. Although the secret ingredient wasn't mentioned on the menu, we could taste the familiar and delightful combination of Abuelita’s cinnamon hot chocolate.

Cielito Mexican Flavors, 301 E. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving. Monday – Thursday, 4–10 p.m.; Friday, 4–11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday,11 a.m. – 9 p.m.