Eats and Drinks
Best New Appetizer, Downscale
Mex's El Corn
Power Plant Live!, 26 Market Place, (410) 528-0128, www.mexbaltimore.com
Corn on the cob, grilled, slathered in something sticky like mayonnaise, and sprinkled with chili powder, lime, and grainy, Parmesan-like cojita cheese, is a beloved offering of Hispanic street vendors in Chicago, where it's known as "elote." (You may remember the "elote wars" of a few years back, when the city tried to crack down on the vendors.) It is also a roadside staple throughout Oaxaca, and now it's come to Baltimore, where it's been given an el stupido name and is served three to the $6.75 order. Although Mex is really sort of slick and a little gimmicky, its version of this street-food classic is right on, offering up just the right tongue-dazzling pleasure. We think about el corn all of the time, especially when we pass yet another hot dog cart.
