One of Oklahoma City's hottest dining spots is the Iguana Grill, 9 Northwest 9th Street. It opened in June of last year -- but I just got around to trying it the other night. Small, in a 1905 building tucked between Broadway and the railroad tracks, it may be a bit off the beaten path -- but folks are beating a new one to get here. With an attractive outdoor patio and several dining areas, it was packed full of people looking for food and fun -- both available here.
Colorful paintings hang on the walls. It's noisy, both with recorded music and talking, laughing guests.
And the food? Chef Ryan Parrott rocks! As a Weight Watcher, eating out is a challenge and a Mexican restaurant provides many temptations. Twelve tortilla chips uses up 3 points -- but how can I resist? I get my own plate, count out my chips and break them into pieces. Then I go after the salsa! And the salsa here was superb -- fresh, tomato-y, just a bit of heat and not too much cilantro.
One of my buddies and I split this order of Enchilada de Camarones -- two large tortillas filled with sauteed shrimp and a chipotle tomato sauce and covered with cheese and a sour cream sauce. For our sides, we chose fresh fruit -- peaches, apples, mangoes and pineapple -- and grilled vegetables. The sour cream and cheese pushed the points envelope but by splitting and adding healthy sides, I was able to work it into my allotted points (this is where the extra 35 come in handy!) The serving was ample enough that we were both satisfied and I can't wait to go back and try some other specialties like the Chile Rellenos -- fresh Anaheim peppers dusted with blue corn and filled with adobo chicken (I'll have to pass on the one filled with the four-cheeses). While this restaurant is worthy of a splurge, you can enjoy a number of choices without straining your budget or worrying about your next weigh-in.
